Privacy Policy

Neuro Companions provides personalised support for people living with the effects of stroke or acquired brain injury. We recognise the importance of protecting the privacy, dignity and confidentiality of individuals, families, support workers and professional referral partners.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, disclose and protect personal information in connection with our website, enquiries, referrals and support services.

We aim to handle personal information in accordance with applicable Australian privacy laws, including the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles and relevant state or territory health privacy legislation where applicable.

Brighter Days Support Pty Ltd (ABN 28 676 585 283) currently handles invoicing for Neuro Companions.

The personal information we collect depends on the nature of your enquiry or your involvement with our services.

This may include your name, contact details, address, preferred communication method, support requirements, service preferences, relevant funding or billing information and details of your nominated representatives or emergency contacts.

Where reasonably necessary to consider or provide support, we may also collect health or disability-related information, communication and accessibility requirements, relevant risks, support plans and information about your individual goals.

We may collect relevant professional information from support workers, applicants, contractors and referral partners where required for legitimate business and service purposes.

We will only collect sensitive information, including health information, with consent where required or where collection is otherwise permitted by law.

We generally collect personal information directly from you when you contact us, make an enquiry, request support or communicate with our team.

We may also receive information from an authorised family member, guardian, support coordinator, occupational therapist, hospital discharge planner, healthcare professional or other referral partner.

When information is provided by another person or organisation, we take reasonable steps to ensure that the collection is authorised and appropriate under applicable privacy laws.

You may make a general enquiry without providing detailed personal or medical information. Some information may be necessary before we can assess or arrange individual support.

We use personal information for purposes reasonably connected with providing and administering our services.

These purposes may include responding to enquiries, considering referrals, understanding individual support needs, arranging suitable support workers, planning and coordinating services, maintaining service records and communicating with authorised representatives.

We may also use relevant information to manage invoicing, administration, feedback, complaints, service quality, legal obligations and the safety of people receiving or delivering support.

We do not use sensitive health information for unrelated marketing purposes without an appropriate legal basis.

We recognise that information relating to stroke, acquired brain injury, disability and individual support needs can be particularly sensitive.

We seek to collect only the information reasonably necessary to understand a person's circumstances and provide appropriate support.

Where required, we seek appropriate consent before collecting, using or sharing health information. We also recognise the role of legally authorised representatives where relevant.

Hospitals, occupational therapists, support coordinators and other professionals are encouraged to contact us initially without including identifiable clinical records or detailed health information in ordinary email.

Where sensitive information is required, an appropriate information-sharing process should be arranged before documents are exchanged.

We respect confidentiality and only disclose personal information where reasonably necessary, authorised or required by law.

Depending on the circumstances, information may be shared with authorised support workers, relevant service providers, healthcare professionals, nominated representatives or organisations involved in coordinating agreed support.

Relevant billing information may be handled by Brighter Days Support Pty Ltd for invoicing and related administration under our current arrangements.

We may also use suitable third-party technology, administration or professional service providers to support our operations, subject to appropriate privacy and confidentiality arrangements.

Information may be disclosed to government agencies, regulators or other parties where required or authorised by law.

We do not sell personal information.

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information against misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification and disclosure.

Personal information may be held in business email, authorised electronic records and approved business systems, including a dedicated client management system when introduced.

Our approach to information security includes restricting access to information according to business and service requirements and using appropriate administrative and technical safeguards.

No electronic transmission or storage method can be guaranteed to be completely secure. We regularly consider the privacy and security risks associated with the information we handle.

Where a data breach occurs, we will assess and respond to it in accordance with applicable legal obligations, including notification requirements where relevant.

Some email, website hosting or technology service providers may store or access information outside Australia, depending on the systems used.

Where personal information is likely to be disclosed to overseas recipients, we will take steps required by applicable privacy laws and provide information about relevant overseas locations where practicable.

We will review and update this policy as our technology and client management arrangements are confirmed or changed.

When you visit our website, basic technical information such as your browser type, device information, internet protocol (IP) address and pages accessed may be processed by website hosting or security services.

This information may be used to operate, maintain, protect and improve the website.

Our current website uses email links for initial enquiries rather than a secure online clinical referral form.

If additional analytics, tracking technologies or online forms are introduced, we will review the relevant privacy information and provide any notices or consent options required by law.

You may contact us to request access to personal information we hold about you or to request that information be corrected if it is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date.

We may need to verify your identity or authority before responding to a request. We will consider requests in accordance with applicable privacy laws and explain any lawful reason for refusing access or correction.

Please contact us using the email address provided at the end of this policy.

We retain personal information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, for providing services, or for meeting legal, regulatory and record-keeping obligations.

When personal information is no longer required, we take reasonable steps to securely destroy or de-identify it, unless its continued retention is required or authorised by law.

If you have a question or concern about how we have collected, used, stored or disclosed your personal information, please contact us by email.

We will review privacy complaints, consider the circumstances and respond within a reasonable period. We may contact you if additional information is required to investigate your concern.

If your concern cannot be resolved directly, you may be entitled to raise it with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) or an applicable state or territory health privacy regulator.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our services, technology, legal obligations or information-handling practices.

The latest version will be made available on our website, with the date of the most recent update.