The Childhood Cancer Association is one of Australia's key childhood cancer support organisations, providing ongoing, tailored support to meet the individual needs of each family. Our support extends to all family members including the child with cancer, parents/guardians, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles etc.
- Counselling
- Family Support & Programs
- Education Support
- Accommodation
- Bereavement Services
- Other Support & Services
In our work with families, the Childhood Cancer Association is committed to providing the highest quality of care. This includes:
- Treating every clients privacy with the highest level of respect
- Providing highly confidential, non-judgmental, individualised and professional services
- Providing clients with, assistance
- Giving each client the option to discontinue contact with the service at any stage
- Providing clients with the ability to give feedback or make a complaint about any issue and have it followed up
Membership
When families are referred to the Childhood Cancer Association they receive one year free membership.
This membership entitles the family to access all of the Childhood Cancer Association's services free of charge. In subsequent years, each family must renew their membership to remain eligible to receive our services**.
**Please note: for longer term support over 5 years, some conditions may apply.
Membership Structure
| Renewal Period | Total (per referred family) |
| 1st year 1 Year 5 Years Life membership | free $10 $40 $100 |
Alternatively, please contact the Childhood Cancer Association Office on (08) 8239 1444 about your membership.
Confidentiality
The Childhood Cancer Association is committed to providing a highly professional and confidential service. Consistent with professional laws and standards, records are kept. All personal information gathered during the provision of the counselling service will remain confidential and secure. However, there are some exceptions to this:
- By law, a psychologist/counsellor must seek the help of a third party if you tell them that you are going to:
- Harm yourself,
- Harm someone else, or
- Engage in an activity which threatens to harm your wellbeing.
- Your psychologist/counsellor will keep notes from your sessions together, and if you are involved in a legal matter, their notes/file can be subpoenaed by the court.
- Psychologists/counsellors also engage in regular supervision with other psychologists/counsellors to improve their practice, and they might raise your case with their supervisor to receive feedback about the treatment approach they are using.
- Additionally, as we work in close collaboration with the Women's and Children's Hospital (WCH) Social Work team, it is expected that at times relevant information will be shared in order to provide the best care possible for you and your family.
Case Notes
Consistent with professional laws and standards, records are kept of the contact that we have with each client.
Case notes are used to record information that you have discussed with the Family Service Counsellors or services that have been provided to you and your family.
The benefits of keeping case notes for you are:
- A better quality service with more accurate information for future use
- Less repetition of information, especially if you speak with a different Family Service Counsellor
Information that is stored in your case notes:
- Agreements that you have made with your Counsellor or the Childhood Cancer Association
- A brief summary of issues you discussed with your counsellor, including intended outcomes or actions
- Any items that you have given to your counsellors
- Copies of any bills or services we may have provided
You may want information from your case notes to be given to your family doctor, Women’s and Children’s Hospital treating team or other persons. If you would like this to happen, you will be asked to give us written permission and the information will then be passed on.
You might also want to view your case notes. As these are professional records, they can be misinterpreted and/or upsetting to untrained readers. Therefore you will need to make an appointment to review these records in the presence of trained staff so that the contents can be discussed. If you disagree with what is written, you can record this in your notes.
Child Protection Policy
Childhood Cancer Association’s Child Protection Policy has been put in place for the protection of its members who are under the age of 18, from all forms of maltreatment while accessing services from the Association.
As part of this Policy we ensure that all staff, board members, volunteers and other people involved in the organisation meet the Association’s Child Safe Environment standards including agreeing to our Working with Children Code of Conduct and undergoing appropriate training and screening. Screening aims to ensure that those who may pose a risk to minors are not employed in a paid or voluntary capacity in positions, where children and young people might be placed at risk. Those that 'pose a risk' are people who have (and continue to) or who are likely to sexually, physically and emotionally abuse and neglect children and young people.
The Childhood Cancer Association is committed to the safety and well-being of all children and young people accessing our services and the welfare of the children in our care will always be our first priority. We aim to create a child safe and child friendly environment where all children are valued and can feel safe.
Feedback and Complaints
We always welcome the opportunity to receive feedback about our service delivery. If you would like to provide feedback about any of our services please do not hesitate to contact us via one of the following methods:
- Speak directly to one of the Family Service staff members
- Contact Ms. Anna Perry, Manager of Family Service, on (08) 8239 2211
- Contact Ms. Cath O'Loughlin, Chief Executive, Childhood Cancer Association on (08) 8239 1444
- Contact the Childhood Cancer Association Board of Management by phoning (08) 8239 1444 or via info@childhoodcancer.asn.au
- Mail to Childhood Cancer Association, PO Box 1094, North Adelaide SA 5006
Contact Details
Access to the Family Service Team and counselling services are available Monday-Friday 9am-5pm (closed on public holidays)*.
During business hours we can be contacted on (08) 8239 2211 or via the Contact Us page.
*Please note that the Family Service Team is not an out of hour's service. If you are in need of emergency or crisis care services please contact one of the following:
- Women's & Children's Hospital: (08) 8161 7000
- Mental Health Triage Service (formerly Assessment & Crisis Intervention Service (ACIS)): 131 465
- Lifeline: 131 144
- Kids Help Line: 1800 55 1800
- Or present to your closest Hospital Emergency Department