How we work

We’re for young people

Westerly Youth Clinic is open to adolescents (ages 10 – 17) and young adults (ages 18 – 24) only. We refer to this group as ‘young people’ (ages 10 – 24).

How to make an appointment

1. Ask your GP for a referral letter

You will need to obtain a referral letter before you can book appointments with us. Please show your GP our referral guidelines so they know what to include in their letter. We might ask your GP for more information or tests – this will help save you time in the long run.

If the referral is accepted, we will invite you to complete a registration form online. If not, we’ll contact your GP to explain how this outcome was reached and what to do next.

2. Complete forms online

You will need to complete our online registration and consent forms

• Note that a parent or guardian signature is required for those under 16 years of age.

We also use online questionnaires to collect as much information as we can before your first appointment. These vary, depending on what you’re coming to see us for. Doing this helps to streamline your journey and make the most of your time with the team.

Once these are all completed, your case will be reviewed by our team and added to the appointment waitlist.

3. Pay and book online

We will notify you when an appointment becomes available. A deposit of 50% of the estimated fee is required at the time of booking. Payment of the remaining 50% is required on the day of the appointment. Once the deposit has been confirmed, you will receive an email with your appointment details.

• Please note that telehealth bookings require a full deposit (100% of the estimated fee)

See us online or in person

We have partnered with The Swan Centre in Claremont to provide a friendly and welcoming clinical space for face-to-face consultations.

Telehealth appointments can be helpful when coming in person doesn’t suit, but we usually reserve these for follow up appointments only.

Get the most out of telehealth

Our experience is that telehealth appointments need more planning to make them effective.

Here are some tips to make telehealth work for you:

• prepare a list of important questions or points
• test your equipment and allow time for technical difficulties
• check that the camera is steady and that the frame includes your face.
• make sure you have a private, quiet place to sit.
• choose a comfortable spot with natural light.
• avoid sitting with your back to a window.
• avoid having to do other things during the appointment.
• make sure no one will interrupt during the appointment.

Appointments at WYC

Reminders

You will receive a text message reminder 3 days prior to the appointment.

Medication eScripts

All medication scripts are provided electronically via text message or email.

Cancellation policy

When appointments are booked, our clinicians reserve that time especially for you.

We understand that sometimes you may be unable to attend an appointment because of sudden illness or an unexpected personal emergency. If this happens to you, please contact us as soon as possible to ensure a cancellation fee is not unfairly applied.

We require at least 48 hours’ notice to reschedule or cancel a session to prevent you from incurring a cancellation fee. This fee is 50% of the appointment fee (the deposit). To cancel an appointment, you can contact us at the Swan Centre on 0497 897 871 or via email (reception@westerlyclinic.com).

• Please note that text cancellations will not be accepted, and no refund will be given if appointments are cancelled via text

After the appointment

You and your referring GP will receive a letter from our team within two weeks. The letter summarises your visit and treatment plan.

Follow up appointments

Follow up appointments are usually booked directly after a consultation, at which point a deposit is also collected.