Ascension Bodywork Osteopathy

Owner and Osteopath: Ashlea Maree Higham Schulz
ABN: 32 686 459 412
Location: Seaford, Victoria 3198
Phone: 0427 230 008
Email: ascensionbodyworkau@gmail.com
Website: ascensionbodywork.com.au

Last updated: 11 September 2026

Ascension Bodywork Osteopathy respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal and health information you provide to us.

As a private osteopathic healthcare practice, we understand that information about your health is particularly sensitive. We collect, use, store and disclose personal and health information in accordance with applicable Australian and Victorian privacy laws.

This Privacy Policy explains how we handle your information and the rights you have in relation to your personal and health information.

Ascension Bodywork Osteopathy operates as a private health service provider in Victoria.

Our privacy obligations include:

• The Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), including the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs); and
• The Health Records Act 2001 (Vic), including the Victorian Health Privacy Principles (HPPs).

These laws provide protections for personal and health information collected and held by healthcare providers.

We collect information that is reasonably necessary to provide safe and appropriate osteopathic care.

This may include:

• Full name and preferred name
• Date of birth
• Address and contact details
• Parent, guardian or carer details where relevant
• Emergency contact information
• Medicare or private health insurance information where relevant
• Appointment and attendance information
• Billing and payment information
• Medical history
• Current symptoms and health concerns
• Previous illnesses and injuries
• Surgical history
• Medications and allergies
• Family medical history
• Pregnancy, birth and developmental history where relevant
• Lifestyle and physical activity information
• Physical examination and osteopathic assessment findings
• Treatment provided and treatment responses
• Relevant diagnostic reports and investigations
• Referral information and correspondence from other healthcare providers.

We generally collect information directly from you, or from a parent, guardian or authorised representative where the patient is a child.

Information may be collected through:

• Online booking and intake forms
• Health history and consent forms
• Osteopathic consultations
• Telephone calls
• SMS
• Email
• Our website
• In-person communication
• Payment and administrative processes.

Where reasonably necessary, information may also be collected from other healthcare providers involved in your care, such as your GP, paediatrician, physiotherapist, other allied health professionals, hospitals or diagnostic services.

We collect and hold personal and health information for purposes including:

• Providing osteopathic assessment and treatment
• Understanding your health history
• Planning and delivering appropriate healthcare
• Monitoring your progress and response to treatment
• Maintaining accurate clinical records
• Communicating with you about your care
• Managing appointments
• Sending appointment reminders
• Processing payments and invoices
• Processing private health insurance claims where applicable
• Making or responding to healthcare referrals
• Communicating with other healthcare professionals involved in your care
• Responding to questions and complaints
• Meeting legal, regulatory and professional obligations
• Managing risks and incidents
• Maintaining appropriate business records.

We only collect information that is reasonably necessary for these purposes.

Ascension Bodywork Osteopathy provides osteopathic care to children and young people.

Where a patient is under 18 years of age, we may collect information from a parent, guardian or other authorised representative where appropriate and legally permitted.

Information collected may include pregnancy and birth history, developmental history, medical history, family history, school and activity information, previous treatment and current health concerns.

We take reasonable steps to protect the confidentiality of children's health information.

Where appropriate, we may consider a child's age, maturity and circumstances when determining how their information is collected, used, disclosed or accessed.

By providing your personal and health information and proceeding with an osteopathic consultation, you consent to Ascension Bodywork Osteopathy collecting and using your information for the purposes of providing healthcare and managing your treatment.

Where consent is required for a particular use or disclosure, we will seek that consent unless an exception permitted by law applies.

You may withdraw consent to particular uses of your information where this is legally and practically possible. However, some information may still need to be retained or used to meet legal, clinical or professional obligations.

We generally use your information for the purpose for which it was collected, primarily to provide safe and appropriate osteopathic care.

With your consent, we may communicate relevant information to other healthcare professionals involved in your care, including:

• General practitioners
• Paediatricians
• Physiotherapists
• Occupational therapists
• Other allied health professionals
• Other treating practitioners.

We may also use or disclose information where:

• You have provided consent
• It is reasonably necessary to provide healthcare
• You would reasonably expect the use or disclosure
• It is required or authorised by law
• It is necessary to lessen or prevent a serious threat to life, health or safety
• Another exception under applicable privacy legislation applies.

We do not sell personal or health information.

We do not disclose health information to unrelated third parties for marketing purposes without the consent required by law.

Where clinically appropriate and with your consent, we may provide relevant information to another healthcare professional involved in your care.

This may include referral letters, treatment summaries, relevant clinical findings, relevant health history and progress information.

You may also request that relevant health information be provided to another healthcare provider, subject to applicable legal requirements.

We may contact you by telephone, SMS or email for purposes including:

• Appointment confirmations
• Appointment reminders
• Appointment changes
• Administrative matters
• Responding to enquiries
• Communications relating to your healthcare.

We aim to limit the amount of health information included in electronic communications.

Electronic communications may carry some privacy and security risks. If you prefer not to receive communications by SMS or email, please contact us.

Ascension Bodywork Osteopathy uses Cliniko as its practice-management and electronic health-record system.

Cliniko is operated by Red Guava Pty Ltd.

Cliniko states that data for accounts created outside the UK, Canada and Europe is stored securely on servers in Australia. Cliniko also uses third-party subprocessors, including providers located in Australia and the United States, to support services such as infrastructure, backups, customer support and communications.

We take reasonable steps to ensure that third-party providers used by Ascension Bodywork Osteopathy have appropriate privacy and security measures.

For more information about Cliniko's security and privacy practices, please visit the Cliniko website.

Our website is:

ascensionbodywork.com.au

When you visit our website, limited technical information may be collected, such as information relating to your device, browser and interaction with the website.

If you submit information through an online enquiry or contact form, we may collect the information you provide so that we can respond to your enquiry.

Our website may contain links to external websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party websites.

We may contact you about clinic services, updates or other relevant information where permitted by law.

You may opt out of receiving marketing communications at any time.

We will not use health information for direct marketing without the consent required by applicable privacy law.

We take reasonable steps to protect personal and health information from:

• Misuse
• Loss
• Unauthorised access
• Unauthorised disclosure
• Unauthorised modification
• Unauthorised destruction.

Security measures may include:

• Password-protected devices and systems
• Secure electronic health-record systems
• Appropriate access controls
• Secure cloud-based services
• Device and software security
• Secure storage of paper records
• Restricting access to information where appropriate
• Secure disposal of information when it is no longer required.

As a home-based clinic, reasonable steps are also taken to ensure that clinical records and confidential information are not accessible to household members, visitors or other unauthorised persons.

We retain health records in accordance with applicable Victorian health-records legislation and other applicable legal and professional requirements.

We will not destroy or delete a health record simply because a patient requests its deletion where the law requires the record to be retained.

When information is no longer required to be retained, it will be securely destroyed or permanently de-identified where appropriate and legally permitted.

You generally have a right to request access to health information that Ascension Bodywork Osteopathy holds about you.

You may request:

• Access to your health record
• A copy of your health record
• A summary of relevant information
• An explanation of information contained in your record
• Transfer of relevant information to another healthcare provider.

Requests should preferably be made in writing by email to:

ascensionbodyworkau@gmail.com

We may need to verify your identity before providing access.

Access may be refused in limited circumstances permitted by law. Where access is refused, we will provide an explanation where required.

We take reasonable steps to ensure that the information we hold is accurate, complete, up to date and relevant.

If you believe information in your record is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date, you may request that it be corrected.

Please contact us at:

ascensionbodyworkau@gmail.com

with details of the information you believe requires correction.

Where appropriate, we will correct the information.

If we do not agree that a correction should be made, you may ask for a statement explaining your concerns to be associated with your record, where permitted by law.

Clinical records will not be altered in a way that compromises the accuracy or integrity of the original clinical record.

A privacy or data breach may occur if personal information is:

• Lost or stolen
• Accidentally disclosed
• Sent to the wrong person
• Accessed without authorisation
• Modified without authorisation
• Compromised through a cyberattack.

If we become aware of a suspected or actual data breach, we will take reasonable steps to contain and investigate the breach, assess the potential impact and take appropriate remedial action.

Where a breach is an eligible data breach under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), we will comply with the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme, including notifying affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner where required.

Ascension Bodywork Osteopathy operates from a private home clinic in Seaford, Victoria.

Your privacy and confidentiality remain important in this setting.

Reasonable measures are taken to ensure:

• Consultations are conducted privately
• Clinical conversations are not intentionally overheard by unauthorised people
• Patient records are securely stored
• Electronic records are appropriately protected
• Paper records are stored securely
• Confidential information is not accessible to household members or visitors
• Confidential waste is disposed of appropriately.

If you have a particular privacy concern about receiving care in a home-based clinic, please discuss this with Ashlea before or during your appointment.

You may contact us if you:

• Have questions about how your information is handled
• Want to access your health information
• Want to request a correction
• Want to change your communication preferences
• Want to withdraw consent for a particular use or disclosure where applicable
• Have a privacy concern or complaint.

If you believe that Ascension Bodywork Osteopathy has not handled your personal or health information appropriately, please contact us first so that we can investigate and attempt to resolve your concern.

Privacy contact:
Ashlea Maree Higham Schulz
Ascension Bodywork Osteopathy
Seaford VIC 3198
Phone: 0427 230 008
Email: ascensionbodyworkau@gmail.com

We will consider and respond to privacy complaints as promptly as reasonably practicable.

If your complaint concerns health privacy under Victorian legislation, you may contact the Health Complaints Commissioner (HCC).

Phone: 1300 582 113

Website: https://www.hcc.vic.gov.au/

You may also contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) regarding privacy matters covered by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

Phone: 1300 363 992

Website: https://www.oaic.gov.au/

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to:

• Privacy legislation
• Professional obligations
• Clinic procedures
• Technology
• Third-party service providers
• Our services.

The most current version will be made available on our website.

Last updated: 11 September 2026

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how Ascension Bodywork Osteopathy handles your information, please contact:

Ashlea Maree Higham Schulz
Ascension Bodywork Osteopathy
Seaford VIC 3198
Victoria, Australia

Phone: 0427 230 008
Email: ascensionbodyworkau@gmail.com
Website: ascensionbodywork.com.au
ABN: 32 686 459 412