Child Safety & Our Commitment to You

Our commitment to child safety

Speaking Speech Pathology (ABN 43 312 090 480) provides paediatric speech pathology in children's own homes, in their kindergarten or early learning centre, and by secure video session where that suits a family. We do not operate a clinic or consulting rooms.

Every child has the right to feel safe and to be listened to. We are committed to being a child safe practice and to upholding Queensland's Child Safe Standards and Universal Principle under the Child Safe Organisations Act 2024, which build on the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. Child safety is built into how we plan sessions, communicate with families, and work with early childhood services.

Because our work happens one-to-one, in family and kindy settings and sometimes on screen, we take particular care with consent, supervision, and professional boundaries. The commitments below explain what that looks like in practice.

Our child safe commitments

1. A child safe culture. Child safety and wellbeing guide our decisions, our planning, and the way we work every day.

2. Children are informed and taken seriously. We explain what we are doing in ways each child can understand, invite their choices, and listen when they tell us, in words or behaviour, that something is not right.

3. Families are informed and involved. A parent, carer, or a familiar and appropriate adult is always aware of our sessions. For home visits we ask that a parent or carer is present or nearby. For kindergarten visits we work openly, in shared spaces or with the knowledge and agreement of educators. For video sessions a parent or carer sets up the call and stays in the room or close by.

4. Equity and diverse needs are respected. We welcome children of every background, culture, language, and ability, and we adapt our support so that every child can take part.

5. The people working with your child are suitable and supported. See "Who works with your child" below.

6. Complaints and concerns are child focused. Concerns are easy to raise, taken seriously, and responded to promptly. See "Raising a concern" below.

7. Knowledge and skills are kept current. We maintain up-to-date training in child safety, in recognising and responding to concerns about a child, and in safe practice, alongside our clinical professional development.

8. Safe environments, in person and online. We take care with physical safety in homes and kindies. Video sessions run on a secure platform with the family present, and are not recorded without written consent. We keep messaging, photos, and records secure, used only for your child's care, and never left unattended between visits.

9. We review and improve. We regularly review how we keep children safe and update our practice as guidance and standards change.

10. Clear policies. Our child safe approach is written down, followed in practice, and available to families on request.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work, and we are committed to the cultural safety and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their families. We work respectfully with each family's culture, identity, and language, and we welcome guidance on how to support their child in ways that honour who they are.

Who works with your child

Sessions are provided by Alexandra Bouwmeester, a Certified Practising Speech Pathologist and member of Speech Pathology Australia (MSPA CPSP), who is bound by the Speech Pathology Australia Code of Ethics.

Alexandra holds a current, verified Working with Children Check (Blue Card), renewed as required under Queensland law. For privacy and security we do not publish the card number online, but we are happy to show the physical card at your first visit. If we ever engaged another person to work with children, we would verify their Blue Card and meet our obligations as an employer under the Working with Children (Risk Management and Screening) Act before they had any contact with a child.

If we ever have a reasonable concern that a child is being harmed or is at risk, we will act on it and, where required, report it to the appropriate authorities.

Our Commitment to You: the National Code of Conduct

As a speech pathologist, Alexandra must comply with the National Code of Conduct for Health Care Workers (Queensland), which sets the minimum standards of safe and ethical care and is overseen by the Office of the Health Ombudsman (OHO).

The Code asks health care workers to make this information visible to clients. Because we visit homes, kindergartens, and early learning centres rather than run a waiting room, we meet that requirement by publishing this notice here and by giving every new family a copy at the first visit. The copy we hand over is the Office of the Health Ombudsman's summary of the National Code, which also explains how to make a complaint.

You can always expect us to:

• provide safe and ethical care

• seek your consent before assessment or therapy

• take care to protect your child from infection

• minimise harm and act appropriately if something goes wrong

• report concerns about the care provided by other practitioners

• keep appropriate records and comply with privacy laws

• hold professional indemnity insurance

• make information about the Queensland Code and how to complain available to you.

You can trust that we will never:

• mislead you about our services, products, or qualifications

• put your child at risk because of our own physical or mental health

• practise under the influence of drugs or alcohol

• make false claims about curing serious illnesses

• financially exploit your family

• have an inappropriate relationship with you or your child

• discourage you from seeking other health care, or refuse to cooperate with other practitioners involved in your child's care.

Raising a concern or making a complaint

If something does not feel right, please tell us. Most concerns are resolved quickly and openly.

Talk to us first. Where it is reasonable to do so, contact Alexandra directly by email at info@speaking.com.au so we can try to put things right.

Office of the Health Ombudsman (OHO). If it is not appropriate to raise it with us, or you are not satisfied with our response, you can contact the OHO, which manages health service complaints in Queensland: 133 646 or oho.qld.gov.au.

Speech Pathology Australia (SPA). Concerns about professional conduct or ethics can also be raised with Speech Pathology Australia, our professional body.

Contact us

Speaking Speech Pathology is contactable by email at info@speaking.com.au or through the contact form on this website. We serve Brisbane's south side, Logan, and surrounds through home and kindergarten visits, with video sessions available.

Last updated: October 2026