Effective February 2nd, 2026
Bloom Community® (“we”, “us”, “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information, including health information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and disclose information in line with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).
This policy applies to:
- Our website: www.bloomcommunity.com.au
- Our psychological services (children, adolescents, and adults)
- Clients, parents/guardians, families, and website visitors
1) What information we collect
We may collect:
- Personal information (for example, name, date of birth, contact details)
- Sensitive information, including health information (for example, presenting concerns, assessment information, diagnoses, treatment history, and therapy notes)
2) How we collect information
We collect information to provide psychological services, manage appointments and billing, communicate with you, and meet our legal and professional obligations.
We may collect information:
- Directly from you (for example, intake forms, appointments, phone/email communication, online bookings, and telehealth)
- From third parties (with your consent where required), such as GPs, schools, paediatricians, or other health professionals
Some information is required to provide services. If you choose not to provide it, we may be unable to provide some services.
Third-party information: We will only request or accept information from third parties (such as a GP or school) where it is relevant to care and where you have consented (or where we are authorised/required by law).
Website enquiries: Please avoid sending sensitive health information through website enquiry forms or email unless we have asked you to do so. These channels are not suitable for urgent matters.
3) How we use and share information
We use your information to:
- Provide psychological services tailored to your needs
- Communicate with you about appointments and care
- Manage billing and process eligible Medicare/NDIS/private claims (where applicable)
We may disclose information:
- With your consent to other professionals involved in care (for example, GPs, schools, or allied health providers)
- When required or authorised by law (for example, mandatory reporting obligations, court orders/subpoenas, or where there is serious risk of harm), or where disclosure is otherwise permitted or required under Australian law
- In de-identified form for professional supervision/consultation and quality assurance
We do not sell your personal information. We will only use or share your information for marketing where you have consented.
4) How we store and protect information
We take reasonable steps to protect your information from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure.
- Client records are stored securely in Halaxy (practice management software) and are accessible only to authorised staff and your treating psychologist.
- We use security measures such as access controls, passwords, and secure systems.
Retention: Records are retained in line with legal and professional requirements (for example, generally for 7 years after last contact, or until a client turns 25 if they were under 18 at the time of service). When no longer required, information is securely destroyed or de-identified.
5) Access and correction
You may request access to, or correction of, your personal information by contacting us:
- Email: hello@bloomcommunity.com.au
- Phone: 9448 8712
We will respond within a reasonable timeframe. In limited circumstances (for example, legal restrictions or where access may pose a serious risk), we may refuse access and will explain why.
6) Telehealth and digital communication
Telehealth services may be provided via Google Meet.
- Telehealth sessions are confidential in the same way as in-person sessions.
- We recommend using a private space, a secure device, and a reliable internet connection.
- Sessions are not recorded without your explicit consent.
- In an emergency, call 000, attend your local hospital, or contact Lifeline 13 11 14.
7) Email marketing (Mailchimp)
From time to time, we may send newsletters or updates (for example, community resources, service updates, or events).
- You may be able to subscribe to our newsletter via our website from time to time.
- If you subscribe to our newsletter, your name and email address may be stored and managed using Mailchimp (a third-party email marketing platform).
- You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in the email.
- We do not place health information into marketing emails without your consent.
8) Data breaches
If we become aware of a suspected data breach, we will respond in line with the Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme under the Privacy Act, including notifying affected individuals and relevant authorities where required.
A data breach may include unauthorised access to information, loss of a device or files, or hacking.
9) Cookies and website analytics
Our website may use cookies and basic analytics to help the site function and to understand how visitors use our pages (for example, pages visited, time on page, device/browser information, and IP address). We do not use cookies to collect health information.
10) Privacy complaints
If you believe your privacy has been breached, please contact:
- Lisa Coloca (Director): lisa@bloomcommunity.com.au
We will take your concern seriously and respond as soon as reasonably possible.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):
- https://www.oaic.gov.au/
- 1300 363 992
11) Updates to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The most current version will be published on our website.
If you would like a copy of this policy in a different format (for example, larger font) or language, please contact hello@bloomcommunity.com.au