Terms of Service - A Growing Understanding

A Growing Understanding – Terms of Service

Welcome to A Growing Understanding Speech Pathology Pty Ltd. We are dedicated to providing industry-leading speech pathology services tailored to meet the unique needs of each family and child we work with. These Terms of Service are designed to ensure a clear understanding of what you can expect from us, and what we expect from you. By accessing and using our services, you agree to these terms, which are intended to make our relationship transparent and mutually beneficial. We encourage you to read these terms carefully and contact us with any questions you may have.

User Eligibility

Our services are designed to support children from birth to 18 years of age. We are registered providers for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), Medicare, and Private Health Funds, offering tailored speech pathology services to meet diverse needs.

Service Locations:

Newcastle Centre: 301 Brunker Road, Adamstown 2289
Lake Macquarie Centre: 21/363 Hillsborough Road, Warners Bay 2282

Mobile Services: At the discretion of A Growing Understanding, mobile or alternative therapeutic services may be provided when they are deemed essential for a client to achieve their specific therapeutic objectives. This flexibility ensures that we can accommodate the unique circumstances of each family and child, promoting accessibility and convenience.

To utilise our services, clients and/or their guardians must agree to our Terms of Service and actively engage in the collaborative process designed to achieve the best possible outcomes for the child.

Service Description

A Growing Understanding Speech Pathology Pty Ltd provides Paediatric Speech Pathology Services, offering comprehensive support for children who experience a range of speech, language, and feeding difficulties. Our services are designed to cater to the unique needs of each child, ensuring personalised care that aims to enhance communication skills and overall quality of life.

Our standard speech pathology service includes 50 minutes of direct service and 20 minutes of indirect service. The direct service may be delivered in the clinic, virtually, or off-site. The total time of 70 minutes will be charged to the client at the time of service.

We encourage the active involvement of parents and caregivers in every session. Our family-centered approach is designed to enhance the communication and language skills of children by also equipping their primary caregivers with the necessary tools and strategies. This collaborative method ensures that skills learned in therapy are reinforced at home, facilitating a more effective and efficient journey towards achieving each child’s communication goals

Service Fees and Payments

At A Growing Understanding, we believe in transparent, fair pricing that reflects the time spent delivering your child’s care. Our fees are based on the NDIS-guided hourly rate of $193.99 and are clearly outlined before you begin with us. For NDIS participants, you are responsible for covering any portion of the service fee not included in your NDIS budget. Please note, we do not manage NDIS budgets.

Fee Overview:

Standard Service Fee (including the First Appointment)
Our standard service fee is $225.03. This fee covers a total of 70 minutes of service, which includes 50 minutes of direct service time and 20 minutes of indirect time. Direct service may be delivered in the clinic, virtually, or off-site. Indirect time allows for important professional tasks such as preparation, documentation, and follow-up to ensure your child receives high-quality, personalised support.

Individualised Assessments
Assessment services are tailored to each child and may include a combination of standardised and non-standardised assessments, observation, and consultation with parents or carers. Each individual assessment session includes 50 minutes of direct service and 20 minutes of indirect service, and is charged at our standard fee of $225.03 per session. Depending on the purpose and scope of the assessment, more than one session may be required to gather all the necessary information.

Assessment Analysis and Reports
As part of A Growing Understanding’s service standard, all formal assessments include a written report. This ensures that the results are clearly documented and aligned with your child’s needs and goals, whether for therapy planning, school supports, or NDIS. A fee of $193.99 is charged for assessment analysis and report writing, which covers up to one hour of reportable time. If additional time is required, it is billed in 10-minute increments at the same NDIS-guided rate of $193.99 per hour (equivalent to $32.33 per 10 minutes). We provide an upfront estimate of the total time needed and only invoice for the actual time spent preparing the report.

Service Fee Details:

GST Inclusion: Fees for documentation (ie. report writing) include GST. We do not collect GST for direct speech pathology services.
NDIS Compliance: Our fees adhere to the limits set under the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (Cth) and the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits.
Fee Adjustments: Fees are subject to periodic reviews and adjustments in line with changes to the NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits. You will be notified in advance of any fee increases.

Services may be suspended for accounts with outstanding payments to ensure the sustainability of our services and to continue delivering exceptional care to all clients.

By engaging with our services, you agree to fulfil financial obligations promptly to facilitate uninterrupted support and care for your child.

It is expected that all fees will be paid at the time of the service provided. Fees can be paid in cash or EFTPOS. Parents/caregivers of children who are eligible to claim through the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) must complete a Service Agreement that will determine how payment is collected.

Travel

Consultations that occur outside of our centres (including school, home, and community visits) will incur a travel fee based on the time and distance required to travel to and from the session location.

Travel time is charged in 1-minute increments at the NDIS-agreed rate of $96.99 per hour, and the distance travelled is charged at $0.99 per kilometre.

You will receive a quote for any off-site consultation before the appointment. Confirmation of the appointment is considered acceptance of the quoted travel fees.

We always aim to schedule off-site appointments as efficiently as possible to reduce travel time and costs. However, distances may vary from week to week depending on clinician availability and scheduling needs. The quoted amount represents the maximum you will be charged for travel related to that appointment.

Late Arrival

If your child is late to a consultation, the session will cease at the previously agreed completion time with the fee remaining the same. For example, if you arrive at 3.10pm for a 3.00pm appointment, the session will be completed at 3.50pm and you will be required to pay the fee for the full consultation. If you are more than 15 minutes late, the speech pathologist may not be able to see you.

If the speech pathologist is running late, the scheduled session length will remain as agreed. For example, if the speech pathologist takes you in to the clinic at 3.10pm instead of 3.00pm, your session will continue until 4.00pm.

Cancellations

Effective from 1 July 2025

At A Growing Understanding, we value consistency of care and the trust families place in our service. When an appointment is scheduled, time is carefully allocated to your child, and your speech pathologist prepares in advance to ensure that the session is purposeful and tailored to their needs.

If an appointment is cancelled within the notice period (less than 2 business days), we will offer an alternative service that continues to support your child’s goals. This may include a telehealth session (if appropriate), a strategy call with you, a goal review, or tailored resources for home use. While the original appointment may not proceed as planned, your clinician will still use that time to deliver meaningful support. Our intention is always to ensure that the time remains valuable to your family and contributes to your child’s progress.

Notice Period for Cancellations
From 1 July 2025, our cancellation policy requires a minimum of 2 business days’ notice for all standard speech pathology services, including in-clinic, virtual, and off-site appointments.

Cancellations made with less than 2 business days’ notice, or failure to attend without notice, will result in a cancellation fee equal to 100% of the scheduled service fee. This applies whether an alternative service is provided or not.

Payment of any cancellation fee is required before your next scheduled appointment. Where external funding (e.g. NDIS) is not available to cover the cost, the fee must be paid personally via cash or EFTPOS.

How to Cancel an Appointment
To cancel your appointment, please contact our Client Experience Team on (02) 4044 1122. If calling outside business hours, please leave a voicemail. The time the message is received will be used to determine if the cancellation falls within the required notice period.

Off-Site (Outreach) Appointment Cancellations
The 2-business-day cancellation policy also applies to outreach or off-site services (e.g. school, home, or community-based appointments).

If your child is scheduled for a school-based session and will be absent due to illness, an excursion, or another school event, it is your responsibility to inform our team at least two business days in advance.

If travel has already been incurred at the time of cancellation, applicable travel charges will still apply in addition to the session cancellation fee. If travel has not yet occurred, only the session fee will apply.

Programs of Support (Assist and Grow, Skilled for School)
For participants in Programs of Support, the 2-business-day cancellation policy does not apply. Instead, families are required to provide 2 weeks’ notice to withdraw from a program.

If a session within a program cannot be attended, the full session fee will still apply, and your speech pathologist will provide supporting resources or materials to help your child continue progressing at home. This ensures that participation in the program remains consistent and that therapy goals can be met over time.

Cancellation Fee Exemptions
We understand that unexpected illness can occur. In cases where a child becomes unwell and adequate notice cannot be provided, the cancellation fee may be waived if a valid medical certificate is submitted, clearly stating the date of the missed appointment.

Frequent Cancellations
Regular attendance is essential to achieving positive therapy outcomes. If a child misses two consecutive sessions without notice, or attends less than 80% of scheduled sessions over a three-month period, A Growing Understanding may review the ongoing suitability of services.

We will always aim to work collaboratively with families to support consistent participation wherever possible.

Report Writing

Often your child’s results will need to be communicated formally to other service providers such as a paediatrician, teacher or other speech pathologists. For this reason, a report may be requested which will include the assessment scores and important information about how the particular challenges impact their participation in daily tasks. It may also outline the steps that we will take together to achieve their full potential. This will provide information to allow others to better understand the difficulties experienced by your child and where suitable, accommodate their needs.

Due to the detail and quality of reports that we provide, there is a fee for report writing. This fee is usually included within the quote provided for assessments, and we require full payment of the fee before we can send the report to you and/or other services.

Confidentiality and Privacy Policy

At A Growing Understanding, we prioritise the confidentiality and security of your personal information. Our Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, and store your data to ensure your privacy is respected and protected. This policy applies to all services provided by us and is accessible via our website. Please CLICK HERE to review our Privacy Policy and gain an understanding of our practices and your rights regarding your personal information.

Wellness Policy

At A Growing Understanding, your health and well-being are our priority. As a registered NDIS provider, we recognise that we are a high-risk service and are committed to being a safe and well space for everyone. If the client or anyone in the client’s household is feeling unwell, we kindly ask that they stay home to recover. If the client (or someone accompanying them) attends an appointment and are unwell, the client and/or people in attendance may be asked to leave the Centre.

Responsibilities

Our Responsibilities:

A Growing Understanding is committed to providing high-quality care and services. In fulfilling this commitment, we agree to:

Deliver Supports and Services that meet the Client’s needs in a safe environment.
Collaborate with the Client and their family to provide Supports at preferred times.
Conduct reviews of the Supports and Services provided at least every six months.
Treat the Client with courtesy and respect.
Communicate openly, honestly, and promptly.
Involve the Client in all decisions regarding the provision of Supports.
Provide clear and accurate information about our fees and cancellation policy.
Offer mechanisms for feedback and timely resolution of any issues.
Protect the Client’s privacy and confidential information in line with our Privacy Policy.
Endeavor to provide a minimum of 24 hours’ notice if changes to scheduled appointments are necessary.
Ensure all services are provided in compliance with relevant laws, including the National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (Cth).
Maintain accurate records of all Supports and Services provided.

Client’s Responsibilities:

By engaging with our services, Clients (or their Parent/Guardian, where applicable) agree to:

Inform us of how services should be delivered to meet the Client’s needs effectively.
Notify us promptly in accordance with our Cancellation Policy if unable to attend a scheduled appointment.
Pay any fees associated with cancellations made within 24 hours of a scheduled appointment or non-attendance without prior notice.
Know and disclose the Client’s medical history including medications and allergies, where appropriate.
Engage with us in a manner that is open, honest, and timely, including notifying us of any changes that may affect service delivery.
Treat all staff members with courtesy and respect the rights and safety of our team.
Pay the Service Fee at the time services are delivered.
Cover any debt recovery fees incurred due to non-payment.
Understand that we may increase the Support Fee from time to time, with reasonable prior notice.
Acknowledge that abusive or inappropriate behaviour towards team members is unacceptable and may result in the termination of services.

These responsibilities ensure that our engagement is effective, respectful, and compliant with regulatory requirements, fostering a positive environment for everyone involved.

Feedback and Complaints

We value your feedback at A Growing Understanding. If you wish to share your thoughts or if you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our services, we encourage you to reach out to us directly. You can contact us by phone at (02) 4044 1122 or via email at hello@agrowingunderstanding.com.au. Your feedback is crucial in helping us enhance our services and address any concerns promptly. To complete an online Feedback Form, please CLICK HERE.

Emergency Procedures

The safety of our clients and staff is our top priority at A Growing Understanding. In the event of an emergency during clinic hours, we follow a structured response plan to ensure everyone’s safety.

Notification: Clients will be informed of any emergency via email and social media. Clear signage will also be placed on our premises to inform visitors of any immediate disruptions.
Communication: We will send individual SMS messages to clients whose appointments may be affected, providing updates and alternative arrangements.
Continuity of Care: For prolonged disruptions, we will seek temporary alternative locations and communicate these changes to you as described above.
Safety Plans: Individual client emergency and preparation plans are activated to ensure the well-being of all clients during emergencies.

Contact Information

For any queries or to get in touch:

Email: hello@agrowingunderstanding.com.au
Postal: PO Box 238, Kotara NSW 2289