Cancellation Policy
This Cancellation Policy applies to all services provided by Steps2Life Care Pty Ltd (Steps2Life), including clinic, home, school, community, telehealth and phone appointments. It forms part of the Steps2Life Client Service Agreement and Terms and Conditions.
1. Why We Have a Cancellation Policy
Steps2Life reserves appointment times for clients. When a client cancels late, does not attend, arrives too late for the session to proceed, or is unavailable at the scheduled time, Steps2Life may be unable to offer that time to another client. This policy protects clinical capacity, clinician time, preparation time, travel time and continuity of care.
2. Key Terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Business day | Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays in New South Wales unless Steps2Life states otherwise. |
| Cancellation | A request to cancel, reschedule, move, shorten or change a booked appointment. |
| Late cancellation | A cancellation or rescheduling request made within the notice periods set out in section 3. |
| No-show | The client does not attend, is not present, is unavailable, cannot be contacted, or the appointment cannot proceed at the scheduled time. |
| Late arrival | The client arrives late or is not ready at the scheduled appointment time. |
| Failed appointment | An appointment that cannot proceed because required access, supervision, safety conditions, consent, support, technology, location access or client readiness is not available. |
3. Cancellation Fees
| Notice given | Fee payable | How it applies |
|---|---|---|
| More than 2 business days before the appointment | No cancellation fee | The appointment can be cancelled or rescheduled without a cancellation fee. |
| Within 2 business days before the appointment | 100% of the scheduled appointment fee | Applies to late cancellation, no-show, late arrival where the appointment cannot proceed, or being unavailable at the scheduled time. |
4. How Cancellation Deadlines Are Calculated
Cancellation notice is counted using business days only. Weekends and public holidays are not counted. Notice must be received by Steps2Life reception during business hours to be counted on that business day. If notice is sent after business hours, on a weekend, or on a public holiday, it may be treated as received on the next business day.
The 100% fee applies where notice is received within 2 business days of the scheduled appointment. Notice received more than 2 business days before the appointment does not attract a cancellation fee.
Example: if an appointment is on Friday, notice by close of business Tuesday is generally required to avoid the 100% late cancellation fee, subject to public holidays and clinic business hours.
5. How Notice Must Be Given
Cancellation notice must be given by phone or email to Steps2Life reception during business hours. A message sent only to an individual clinician may not be treated as received until it is received by Steps2Life reception or administration and can be time-stamped. The client or account holder is responsible for ensuring that cancellation notice has been received.
- Phone: 1300 009 006
- Email: admin@steps2life.com.au
6. No-Shows and Unavailability
A no-show or unavailability at the scheduled appointment time will be treated as a late cancellation within 2 business days and may be charged at 100% of the scheduled appointment fee. This includes circumstances where the clinician attends the agreed location and the client is not present, the client cannot be contacted for telehealth or phone services, required access is unavailable, required supervision is unavailable, or the appointment cannot proceed because the client or support environment is not ready.
7. Late Arrival
If the client arrives late, Steps2Life may provide the remaining appointment time if clinically appropriate and charge the full appointment fee. If the client arrives so late that the session cannot safely, meaningfully or practically proceed (generally where arrival is more than 15 minutes late), Steps2Life may treat the appointment as a late cancellation or no-show and charge the applicable fee.
8. Illness and Infection Risk
Clients must not attend face-to-face appointments when they are unwell, infectious, or not well enough to safely or meaningfully participate. If a client attends and is clearly unwell, infectious, or unable to participate, the clinician may decide not to proceed with the face-to-face appointment to protect the health and wellbeing of the client, clinician, staff, other clients and the broader community. If the required cancellation notice was not provided, the appointment may be treated as a late cancellation and billed in accordance with this policy.
9. Alternative Support During a Late-Cancelled Appointment
Where a late cancellation fee applies, the clinician may, if clinically appropriate, offer alternative support during the allocated appointment time. This may include an individualised resource pack, therapeutic activities, caregiver / authorised personnel handouts, caregiver / authorised personnel phone consultation, telehealth consultation, home-program activities, therapy planning, review of goals, liaison with relevant stakeholders, clinical documentation, recommendations, or other non-face-to-face support. The alternative offered will be determined by the clinician based on what is safe, appropriate, practical and beneficial. If no suitable alternative can be provided, the cancellation fee may still apply.
10. Leave and Holding Your Regular Appointment
If a client takes leave or pauses sessions for 2 weeks or more and up to 2 months, sessions will continue to be charged if the client wishes to hold their regular appointment time. Otherwise, the client will be placed on the Steps2Life waitlist with the disengagement process automatically applied, and the same appointment time and clinician cannot be guaranteed.
If a client takes leave or pauses sessions for 2 months or more, the disengagement process also applies automatically for each enrolled service, and the client will be placed on the Steps2Life waitlist to resume services. Disengagement consists of a 2.5-hour allocation per enrolled service: the first 1 hour and 15 minutes is a session concluding therapy, reviewing progress and providing closure, and the second 1 hour and 15 minutes is non-face-to-face clinician time for file closure, the final progress note, a summary of sessions and progress, and handover where required. The client is not required to attend the second portion.
11. Exceptional Circumstances and Waivers
Steps2Life may waive or reduce a cancellation fee in exceptional or compassionate circumstances. Waivers are discretionary, are not automatic, and may require manager approval. Steps2Life may ask for supporting information. A decision to waive or reduce a fee once does not create a right to future waivers.
12. Repeated Cancellations
If the client has repeated cancellations, late cancellations, no-shows, late arrivals or failed appointments, Steps2Life may conduct a service review. The review may consider service frequency, appointment times, location, suitability, funding, attendance barriers, clinical benefit and whether ongoing bookings can continue. Steps2Life may pause future bookings until the review is completed.
13. Payment of Cancellation Fees
Cancellation and non-attendance fees are payable by the account holder even if a third-party payer, insurer, plan manager, Medicare, NDIS or other funder does not pay them. Steps2Life may charge cancellation and no-show fees to the payment method stored on file, in line with the stored card consent in the Client Service Agreement. Steps2Life may suspend or decline future services if cancellation fees or other invoices remain unpaid.
14. Questions
If you have any questions about this policy, or believe a fee has been applied in error, please contact Steps2Life reception on 1300 009 006 or admin@steps2life.com.au. You can also share feedback using the Steps2Life Feedback Form.