1. Who We Are
Bright Future OT is an occupational therapy practice led by Jessica Grossmark and supporting children, teenagers, parents, guardians and schools. Bright Future OT is responsible for deciding how personal information collected through the website, Parent Portal and practice systems is processed.
2. Information We May Collect
Depending on how you interact with the practice, we may collect:
- a parent or guardian’s name and contact details;
- a child’s name and date of birth;
- school or teacher information where relevant;
- enquiry, booking and communication information;
- therapy-related information provided by parents, guardians or authorised parties;
- appointment and session details;
- parent updates and content shared through the Parent Portal;
- invoices, payment status and billing information;
- digital resource requests, orders, access and download history;
- account, login and communication-preference information;
- consent records; and
- website usage, device and basic technical information where applicable.
Health information and information relating to children may be sensitive and require additional protection. Bright Future OT does not describe itself as storing complete payment card details. Where online payment services are used, payment information may be processed by an external payment provider under that provider’s own privacy practices.
3. How Information Is Collected
Information may be collected directly from parents or guardians, through website forms, appointment or contact requests, account registration, the Parent Portal, therapy or assessment services, communications with the practice, invoices and payments, and resource access forms.
Basic technical information may be collected when you use the website, depending on the website services and hosting tools in use.
4. Why We Use Personal Information
Bright Future OT may use personal information to:
- respond to enquiries and arrange appointments;
- provide occupational therapy and assessment services;
- maintain clinical and administrative records;
- communicate with parents, guardians and authorised parties;
- share approved parent updates, activities, documents and resources;
- manage the Parent Portal;
- create invoices and record payments;
- provide purchased or requested digital resources;
- improve practice services;
- maintain website and system security; and
- meet professional, contractual and legal obligations.
5. Information About Children
Bright Future OT provides services involving children. Information about a child is generally collected from a parent, guardian, school or other authorised party. Child information is used only for appropriate therapy, assessment, communication, administration and related practice purposes.
Parent Portal access is restricted to authorised guardians linked to the relevant child. The practice aims to limit access to child information to people who need it for legitimate purposes.
6. Health and Therapy Information
Therapy, assessment and related information may be sensitive. Bright Future OT limits the use of this information to delivering professional services, maintaining appropriate records, communicating approved information, billing and administration, and meeting professional or legal obligations.
SOAP notes, therapist-only notes and internal clinical information are not automatically shared through the Parent Portal.
7. Parent Portal Privacy
Parent Portal access requires an authenticated account and is linked to the guardian’s registered email address. Parents and guardians should keep passwords confidential and notify Bright Future OT if they suspect unauthorised access.
Guardians receive access only to information linked or shared with their account. Not all clinical information is displayed in the portal. Portal access may be disabled where reasonably necessary for privacy or security.
8. Sharing of Information
Personal information may be shared only where reasonably necessary with:
- authorised Bright Future OT personnel;
- relevant healthcare or educational professionals where authorised or legally permitted;
- service providers supporting hosting, email, software, storage, payments or administration;
- professional advisers;
- regulators, courts or authorities where legally required; or
- another party where the parent, guardian or relevant person has authorised disclosure.
Service providers should receive only the information reasonably needed to perform their services.
9. Payment Information
Bright Future OT may record invoices, payment amounts and payment status. Online payment transactions may be processed by an external payment provider, which may have its own privacy policy. Bright Future OT should not be understood to store complete payment card details unless this is specifically confirmed.
10. Digital Resources and Downloads
When someone requests or purchases a resource, Bright Future OT may collect their name, email, phone or WhatsApp details, selected audience type, resource request or order information, and access and download history.
This information may be used to deliver the resource, confirm payment or access where relevant, provide support, maintain order and download records, and communicate about the specific request. Optional marketing messages are not assumed to be authorised merely because a resource was requested.
11. Information Security
Bright Future OT uses reasonable organisational and technical safeguards designed to protect personal information. These may include authenticated access, role-based admin access, restricted Parent Portal access, access controls, secure hosting and service providers, appropriate record management, and limiting information to authorised users.
No system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, and these safeguards are intended to reduce privacy and security risks.
12. Data Retention
Information may be retained for as long as needed to provide services, meet clinical and professional record obligations, satisfy invoicing, tax and accounting requirements, manage disputes or legal matters, or until it is no longer reasonably required, subject to applicable obligations.
Records may be archived rather than immediately deleted where retention obligations apply.
13. Personal Information Rights
Subject to applicable law, including the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA), a person may request:
- confirmation of whether information is held;
- access to personal information;
- correction or updating of inaccurate information;
- deletion or restriction where legally appropriate;
- objection to certain processing;
- withdrawal of consent where processing relies on consent; and
- information about how personal information is used.
Some requests may be limited by clinical, professional, contractual or legal record-keeping obligations.
14. Marketing and Communications
Operational communications about appointments, therapy, invoices, portal access and requested resources are not necessarily marketing. Promotional messages should be sent only where legally permitted. You may ask Bright Future OT to stop optional marketing communications. Opting out of marketing does not prevent necessary service or administrative messages.
15. External Links and Service Providers
The website may link to external services. Bright Future OT is not responsible for the privacy practices of independent third-party websites, and users should review those providers’ privacy policies.
16. Information Breaches
If Bright Future OT becomes aware of a security incident involving personal information, the practice will assess the incident and take appropriate steps in accordance with applicable obligations.
17. Changes to This Policy
This policy may be updated when practice processes, services or legal obligations change. The updated version will appear on this page, and the last updated date will be revised when material changes are made.
18. Contact Bright Future OT
Jessica Grossmark
Bright Future OT
148 Murchison Street
Newcastle Central
Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal, 2940
Phone: 078 711 9696
Email: Jessica.Grossmark26@gmail.com
19. Complaints
Please send privacy concerns to Bright Future OT first so the practice can investigate and respond. If you believe your privacy rights have not been appropriately addressed, you may also contact the Information Regulator of South Africa.