PAIA manual

This manual is prepared in terms of section 51 of the Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000 (PAIA), as amended. PAIA gives you the right to request access to certain records. This manual explains who holds the records, what categories of records are held, and how to make a request to Hannah Mostert Counselling.

About the practice and the Information Officer

Hannah Mostert Counselling is a private counselling practice run by Hannah Mostert, a Registered Counsellor (practice number 0958352). Hannah Mostert is the head of the practice and acts as its Information Officer.

• Physical address: Blouberg Therapy Centre, 103 Blaauwberg Road, Table View, Cape Town 7441.
• Email: hannahpuissamostert@gmail.com

The PAIA Guide

The Information Regulator has published a Guide on how to use PAIA, in an easily understandable form, for anyone who wishes to exercise a right under PAIA or the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). The Guide is available from the Information Regulator's website at inforegulator.org.za, or on request to the Information Regulator.

How to request access to records

To request access to a record held by the practice:

• Complete the prescribed request form (Form 2, the Request for Access to Record of a Private Body, set out in the PAIA Regulations).
• Send the completed form to Hannah Mostert, as Information Officer, at hannahpuissamostert@gmail.com.
• Give enough detail to identify the record requested, identify yourself and your contact details, state the right you are seeking to exercise or protect and why the record is required for that right, and state the form of access you would prefer.
• A request fee, and where applicable an access fee, are payable as prescribed in the PAIA Regulations before the request is processed.
• A decision will normally be made within 30 days of the request being received, which may be extended in the circumstances PAIA allows. You will be notified of the decision and of any fee or extension.

Records held

The practice holds records in the following categories:

• Client and clinical records: intake forms and signed consent forms (including POPIA, PAIA and AI-assisted transcription consent), session notes, assessment and progress notes, correspondence, and AI-assisted transcripts and summaries.
• Financial and administrative records: invoices, receipts and payment records.
• Practice and statutory records: HPCSA registration, professional indemnity and tax records.

Records held in accordance with other legislation include health records (Health Professions Act 56 of 1974 and National Health Act 61 of 2003), tax records (Tax Administration Act 28 of 2011), and this manual (Promotion of Access to Information Act 2 of 2000).

How your personal information is processed

The categories of people whose personal information the practice processes are clients and prospective clients. The information processed includes name, contact details, identity number, and the clinical information shared in the course of counselling. This information is used to respond to enquiries, to arrange and provide sessions, and to keep the records the practice is professionally and legally required to keep. It is not sold or shared for marketing. A small number of trusted service providers help run the practice (Google for email and Otter.ai for AI-assisted transcription), and some of these may process information on servers outside South Africa under their own safeguards. Clinical information is otherwise disclosed only where required by law or to protect someone from serious harm, consistent with HPCSA guidelines. Access to records is limited to Hannah Mostert, clinical records are kept separately, and reasonable security measures are taken to protect them. Full detail is in the Privacy policy (POPIA).

If access is refused

As this is a private body, there is no internal appeal. If you are not satisfied with a decision, you may lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator or apply to a court. The Information Regulator can be reached at PAIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za, at JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg 2001, or via inforegulator.org.za.

Availability of this manual

This manual is available on this website and at the practice on request during normal business hours. It is updated on a regular basis.

Compiled: 21 June 2026.