Privacy policy

Record retention and secure destruction policy

Advance Minds is committed to maintaining accurate, confidential and secure client records in accordance with the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW), the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles, and the Australian Counselling Association (ACA) Code of Ethics.

Client records

The following records may be created and securely maintained for each client:

• Client registration and intake forms
• Informed consent documentation
• Privacy consent forms
• Assessment results
• Risk assessments and safety plans
• Case notes and progress notes
• Treatment plans
• Reports, letters and court documentation
• Drug and alcohol testing records, where applicable
• Copies of referrals
• Relevant emails, text messages and correspondence relating to treatment
• Billing and payment records, where relevant

How long we keep records

Adult clients, 18 years and over. Records are retained for a minimum of seven years from the date of your last appointment or final clinical entry.

Clients under 18 years of age. Records are retained until you reach at least 25 years of age, or for seven years after the last clinical contact, whichever period is longer.

Legal proceedings or complaints. Where legal action, complaints, investigations or other proceedings are underway or reasonably anticipated, records are retained until all matters have been fully resolved, even if this exceeds the standard retention period.

As a matter of best practice, Advance Minds may retain records for up to ten years where clinically or legally appropriate.

How records are stored

Advance Minds stores all client information securely.

Paper records are:

• Stored in locked filing cabinets
• Accessible only to authorised personnel

Electronic records are:

• Password protected
• Stored on secure systems
• Protected using encryption where available
• Regularly backed up
• Accessible only to authorised staff

Confidentiality

All client information remains confidential except where disclosure is:

• Required by law
• Authorised by you through written consent
• Necessary to prevent a serious and imminent risk to you or another person
• Required under mandatory reporting obligations

Secure destruction

Once the required retention period has expired, records are securely destroyed.

Paper records are cross-cut shredded or disposed of through a secure confidential destruction service. Electronic records are permanently deleted using secure deletion methods to minimise the risk of recovery.

Your access to your information

You may request access to your personal information in accordance with applicable privacy legislation. Requests should be made in writing to info@advanceminds.com.au or to Level 8/25 Restwell St, Bankstown NSW 2200. Access may be limited where permitted by law.

Policy review

This policy is reviewed periodically to ensure continued compliance with applicable legislation, professional standards and best practice guidelines.

What this website collects

Information submitted through our contact form and our complaints form is stored for 30 days and then permanently deleted. If your enquiry becomes an appointment, the information you give us from that point is held as a client record and the retention periods above apply instead.

We use Google Analytics to understand how people find and use the site, in aggregate. Google Signals is deliberately switched off, so this data is not used for advertising or ad targeting, and analytics data is retained for 14 months.

Our reviews section is provided by a third party, Featurable, which displays our public Google reviews. Loading it means your browser contacts that service.

We do not sell your information, and we do not use it to serve you advertising.