Before your first appointment
To help you prepare for your first appointment, please take a moment to read the important information on this page. It covers everything from fees, cancellations, and late arrivals to privacy, consent, and what to expect.
At least 2 days before your appointment, please email the following documents to info@solasta.net.au:
- Completed Registration Form
- Completed Consent to Share Information Form
- Copy of your GP Referral/Mental Health Treatment Plan (if applicable)
- Copy of NDIS Plan (if applicable), or alternatively, your Plan Number, Plan Dates, and Goals
For assessment appointments
You may be required to complete additional forms depending on the type of assessment. Please refer to your appointment confirmation email to check which of the following forms you’ll need to return:
- Parent/Carer Questionnaire
- Education Questionnaire
- Parent/Carer Comprehensive Questionnaire
- Education Comprehensive Questionnaire
- Adult Diagnostic Assessment – Form A
- Adult Diagnostic Assessment – Form B
Need support?
If there’s anything we can do to make your visit more comfortable or if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our friendly support team at info@solasta.net.au
Getting here
For information about getting to your appointment – including parking, accessibility, and public transport – visit our Contact Us webpage.
Planning your services
At Solasta, we are committed to ensuring that our services are delivered in a way that respects your:
- Culture and values
- Beliefs and religion
- Identity and sexuality
- Family and community
- Language/communication needs
- Goals
- Strengths
- Abilities
The services you receive will be determined by the needs and goals that you have. You will always be the centre of all decisions and will be actively involved in planning your services.
If you wish, you can also involve a carer, friend, family member or an advocate. With your consent, other providers may also be involved.
So that we can create a service plan together, we will work with you to complete an initial assessment that helps us to understand how we can best support you. We will ask you to tell us about your strengths, needs, preferences and goals.
We will also work with you to identify the supports you have available and any areas of risk.
We may also ask you to complete some specific questionnaires or assessments that will help us to understand any specific areas of difficulties.
These assessments can also help us to track your progress over time. We will then work closely with you and to create a plan that helps you to reach your goals.
Fees & appointments
- Fees are payable on the day of your service. Our staff will confirm the fees/rebates which apply to your appointments. Visit our Fees & Funding Options webpage for more information.
- Medicare appointments are generally 50 minutes.
- NDIS appointments are generally 1 hour unless otherwise requested by you or recommended by your clinician.
- Some appointments may need to be changed due to unforeseen circumstances and, in these instances, we will contact you at the earliest opportunity.
- We endeavour to confirm appointments via SMS or email. However, it remains your responsibility to be aware of your scheduled appointments.
Cancellations
We understand that you may need to cancel or reschedule appointments and we ask that you provide us with at least 24 hours’ notice.
If your appointment is scheduled for a Monday and you need to cancel or rearrange this appointment, please contact us on the previous Friday.
If you cancel with less than 24 hours’ notice, a cancellation fee may apply.
If you fail to notify our office of a cancellation and do not attend your appointment, you may be charged the full cost of the appointment.
Cancellation fees for NDIS services will be charged in accordance with the NDIS Price Guide.
Late arrivals
We understand that sometimes things occur that are out of your control.
If you are late for an appointment, we will strive to ensure you are seen as soon as possible.
Your appointment may be shortened in length in situations where clinicians have clients directly after your scheduled appointment.
To contact our support team, call 1800 943 043 or email info@solasta.net.au
Your privacy & consent
Our Privacy Policy and practices ensure that your personal health information is handled in accordance with the requirements of the Commonwealth Privacy Act 1988.
In an emergency, your personal information may be collected from someone else, like your carer, partner, family member, guardian or person holding a healthcare-related Power of Attorney.
If you would like us to communicate with other people involved in your care, your clinician will ask you to complete a Consent to Share Information form.
In instances where your worker needs to collect or disclose information about your care to anyone other than in situations as identified above, they will gain your consent before proceeding, except when it is requested by a court or there is a risk of safety to yourself or another person (including a child or young person).
Your personal information is stored securely in an electronic database or locked file cabinets. To request access to your personal information, ask your clinician or send your request to the Privacy Officer at info@solasta.net.au
At your first appointment, your clinician will provide further information about how we manage personal information and you will be asked to complete a Consent Form.
This information is also included in our Privacy & Consent Brochure and available in an Easy English format.
Advocacy
An advocate is an independent person who protects your rights, help us to understand your needs and goals, and can help you to make decisions or raise concerns.
If you wish to have an advocate represent or support you, please let us know.
Your advocate can attend your appointments with you and can also speak for you if you wish.
They can also assist you if an incident occurs, or if you make a complaint.
For a list of independent advocacy agencies, visit solasta.net.au/advocacy
Safety & incidents
You have the right to be safe, respected, treated equally and to be free from abuse and neglect.
We will always treat reports of violence, abuse, neglect, exploitation, and discrimination seriously and encourage you to tell us if this happens to you.
We will take all reasonable steps to make sure the environment at Solasta is safe and appropriate to your needs.
All Solasta clinicians are registered with their relevant professional bodies and abide by their codes of ethics, standards, policies, and guidelines.
If an incident takes place when you are receiving services, we will do our best to make sure you are safe. We will act in line with all appropriate procedures and ensure that the incident is reported.
Feedback
At Solasta, we aim to constantly improve our services and welcome your feedback. Feedback could be a suggestion, compliment or complaint and you can give feedback in the way you feel most comfortable.
You can choose to provide make a complaint anonymously, however if you choose to provide your name/contact details, we will treat you with respect and privacy.
Your services will not be stopped, and you will not be treated differently.
To learn how to provide feedback and what to expect from the process, visit solasta.net.au/feedback
If you need assistance in providing feedback, we are able to help you.
Your rights & responsibilities
When you first meet with your clinician, they will discuss and clarify your rights, what you can expect from Solasta and the way you and your clinician will work together.
We expect that the relationship you have with your clinician will grow into one of trust, respect and shared responsibility.
There are laws and standards protecting the rights of people receiving support. On top of this, Solasta has specific guidelines to make sure you get the best possible service.
If at any time you would like to know more about your rights and responsibilities, you can ask your clinician.
This information is also included in our Privacy & Consent Brochure and available in an Easy English format.
Your rights
When receiving services at Solasta, you have the right to:
- Involve an advocate, carer, family member or friend in your care.
- Plan and make decisions about your services.
- Be listened to and have your concerns taken seriously without judgement.
- Request to see a different worker and/or seek a second opinion.
- Request not to talk about a topic further if you are feeling uncomfortable.
- Have equal access to services appropriate for your needs, age, race, gender, culture, sexuality, ability, location or circumstance.
- Have your privacy and dignity protected.
- Request access to your personal information.
- Use an interpreter.
- Give feedback about our services.
Your responsibilities
When receiving services at Solasta, you have the responsibility to:
- Let us know if you don’t understand something or need extra help.
- Be actively involved in any decisions made about your care.
- Keep to the commitments you have been involved in making.
- Treat all staff members and other clients with respect.
- Let us know as soon as possible if you cannot attend your appointments.
Carer rights & responsibilities
A carer is a person who provides unpaid care, support or assistance to another individual who needs help due to disability, medical condition (including terminal or chronic illness), mental health concerns, or ageing.
Carers may be family members, partners, friends or others in a significant personal relationship with the person they support. Care may be ongoing or episodic and can include practical, emotional, social or decision-making support.
Carers play a vital role in supporting the wellbeing, independence and quality of life of the people they care for.
It is important that carers also feel supported so that they can remain mentally and physically healthy. As a carer, it is not selfish to focus on your own needs and desires – it is an important part of the job.
Carers SA is an organisation that specialises in carer support and can provide more information and resources about self-care, advocacy and carer rights. To contact Carers SA, phone 1800 242 636 or visit carerssa.com.au
This information is also included in our Carer Rights & Responsibilities Brochure and available in an Easy English format.
Carer rights
Carers of Solasta clients have the right to:
- Support the consumer’s rights, preferences and decisions, including their independence and dignity.
- Treat the person they care for with respect, honesty and compassion.
- Respect the diversity, culture, identity and beliefs of the person they care for, other carers, and Solasta staff and students.
- Work in partnership with Solasta staff, recognising their professional roles and expertise.
- Communicate openly with staff and share relevant information (where appropriate) to support safe and effective care.
- Cooperate, as far as possible, with agreed care and support plans.
- Maintain the privacy and confidentiality of the person they care for and others involved in their care.
- Inform Solasta staff if their caring role changes or if they need additional support to continue in their role.
Carer responsibilities
Carers of Solasta clients have the responsibility to:
- Be recognised, respected and valued as a carer and as an individual.
- Be treated with dignity and respect, and free from discrimination.
- Be acknowledged as partners in care, and to be involved in decision-making where the consumer has provided consent and where appropriate.
- Have their knowledge, experience and views heard and considered in care planning.
- Receive clear, timely and accessible information about Solasta services and supports.
- Have their health and wellbeing recognised and be supported to access services that promote their wellbeing and safety.
- Have their cultural identity, language and communication needs recognised and respected.
- Have their privacy and confidentiality upheld
- Be supported to raise concerns, provide feedback or make a complaint, and to have these addressed fairly and respectfully.
- Involve an advocate or support person at any time.