Service, Booking, and Cancellation Policy

(Aligned with the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits 2025-26)

1. Our Commitment to You and Our Cancellation Policy

My goal is to provide a high-quality, person-centred speech pathology service to you and all my clients. To achieve this, I prepare thoroughly for every appointment and limit the number of clients I see each day.

Our partnership is most effective when built on mutual respect for each other's time and commitment. When an appointment is booked, that time is reserved exclusively for you. A late cancellation or a failure to attend means that:

  • The dedicated preparation time for your session is lost.

  • Another client on the waiting list misses an opportunity for assessment or therapy.

  • The financial viability of my practice is impacted, which affects my ability to invest in quality resources and professional development for the benefit of all clients.

This policy outlines our shared responsibilities regarding bookings and cancellations to ensure a fair and effective service for everyone.

2. Our Service Agreement

By booking an appointment, you agree to the terms outlined in this policy. This policy, in conjunction with your Service Agreement, forms the basis of our professional relationship. It ensures there is a clear and shared understanding of how we will work together.

This policy applies to the person making the booking and any child or adult under their care for whom the service is provided.

I may update this policy from time to time to ensure it remains compliant with regulations and best practice. The most current version will always be available on my website. For all ongoing clients, I will provide notice via email of any significant changes to this policy before they take effect.

3. Appointment Bookings and Fees

  • Booking Confirmation: Your booking is confirmed once you receive an Appointment Confirmation email from me. If you do not receive this within 48 hours, please check your spam/junk folder and then contact me.

  • Fees and Payment: The fees for your appointments will be outlined in your Service Agreement and are aligned with the current NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits for NDIS participants. An invoice will be issued to you following each appointment. Payment is due in full within 14 days of the date of the invoice.

4. Cancellations and Rescheduling

  1. Notice Period for Cancellations To provide the best service to all clients, I require a minimum of two (2) clear business days' notice if you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment.

    "Two clear business days" means the two business days prior to the day of your appointment. For example, to cancel an appointment on a Monday at 10:00 am, you must notify me by 10:00 am on the preceding Thursday. Public holidays are not considered business days.

    Notice of cancellation must be provided by email to briar@briarspeechpathology.com.au or by SMS to 0461481056.

  2. Short Notice Cancellation Fee If you cancel or reschedule an appointment with less than two (2) clear business days' notice, or if you fail to attend, a cancellation fee will apply. This is a short notice cancellation.

    In line with the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits, the cancellation fee is 100% of the scheduled appointment fee.

    This fee will be charged if I am unable to fill your appointment slot with another client or use the time for other billable work. This fee reflects the genuine cost incurred from the reserved time being unused.

  3. Option to Repurpose the Appointment Time In the event of a short notice cancellation, you may have the option to request that the scheduled time be used for non-face-to-face services that support your therapy goals. This ensures you still receive value for the billed time. Examples include:

    • Preparation of tailored resources (e.g., social stories, visual aids).

    • Communication with other professionals on your team (e.g., teacher, doctor, OT).

    • Writing a progress summary or report.

    Please discuss this option with me when you provide notice of cancellation.

  4. Consistent Attendance Consistent attendance is key to achieving your therapy goals. If you cancel or fail to attend three or more appointments within a 12-week period, we will need to discuss whether the current service arrangement is meeting your needs. This may result in a pause of services or your place being offered to a client on the waiting list. I will always discuss this with you before making a final decision.

  5. Cancellations by the Provider If I need to cancel an appointment for any reason, I will provide you with as much notice as possible. I do not expect this to happen except in exceptional circumstances (e.g., illness). You will not be charged for the appointment, and I will offer to reschedule at the earliest mutually convenient time.

5. Attendance and Conduct

  1. Punctuality and Late Arrivals Please ensure you are ready for your appointment at the scheduled time. If you are more than 15 minutes late for an appointment, the session may need to be cancelled, and the short notice cancellation fee may apply. This is to ensure fairness to other clients scheduled after you.

  2. Use of Recordings for Therapeutic Purposes From time to time, I may suggest that an audio or video recording of a portion of our session would be beneficial for therapy (e.g., to review progress, for you to practice with at home, or to share with other members of your care team).

    I will always discuss this with you first and ask for your specific, informed consent before any recording begins. You have the absolute right to refuse to be recorded at any time, and your decision will not affect the provision of your service in any way.

    Any recordings made with your consent form part of your health record and are managed securely in accordance with my Privacy Policy and relevant privacy legislation. You are not permitted to make your own recordings of sessions without my prior written consent.

  3. Safe and Respectful Environment I am committed to providing a safe and respectful environment. I reserve the right to cease a session if I believe anyone is behaving in a disruptive, offensive, or unsafe manner. The full session fee will remain payable in this event.

6. Our Responsibilities

I am committed to providing services with due care and skill, as required by the Australian Consumer Law and the Speech Pathology Australia Code of Ethics. My professional practice is covered by appropriate professional indemnity and public liability insurance.

This policy does not exclude or limit any of your statutory rights or consumer guarantees under the Australian Consumer Law that cannot be legally excluded.

7. Use of Materials

I may provide you with materials (e.g., worksheets, resource sheets) to support your therapy. These materials are for your personal use to assist with your therapy program. Please do not copy, share, or distribute these materials for any other purpose without my written permission.

8. General Terms

  • Privacy: Your personal and health information is managed in accordance with my Privacy Policy and all applicable privacy laws. You can find my full Privacy Policy here.

  • Governing Law: This agreement is governed by the laws of Tasmania, Australia.