This Charter of Rights outlines what you can expect when accessing Lifeline services. It reflects Lifeline's commitment to providing safe, person-centred, trauma-informed and culturally responsive support and describes how we will work with you during your contact with us. 

This Charter reflects the principles of the Australian Charter of Healthcare Rights and is available to service users, the Lifeline Member network, workforce, funding partners and the broader community through the Lifeline Australia website. 

This Charter should be read in conjunction with the Terms of Use – Services.

Access

You have the right to access support.

You can expect access to support across phone, text and online channels, designed to be immediate, flexible and responsive to your needs.

We aim to make our services as accessible and inclusive as possible for people with different communication, cultural and support needs, including: 

• people who are D/deaf or hard of hearing, through the National Relay Service;
• people who speak languages other than English, through Translating and Interpreting Services;
• people who may want to access self-led support via our website: Lifeline.org.au 

At times, high demand may result in waiting periods before you are connected with a crisis supporter. We will work to provide support as quickly as possible. 

Lifeline may not always be the most appropriate service for your circumstances. Where this occurs, we will explain this respectfully and support you to consider other services or options that may better meet your needs. 

Being heard

You have the right to be heard. 

We will listen to you non-judgementally and meet you where you’re at. 

We will seek to understand your experience, what is important to you, and what support you need in the moment. 

Your experiences, feelings and concerns will be treated with respect.

Safety

You have the right to safe support. 

Your safety is important to us.  

If we are concerned about your safety or the safety of others, we will work with you to understand what is happening and explore options to support immediate safety. 

Our approach focuses on reducing distress, supporting stabilisation, and helping you remain safe in the moment. 

This may include:  

• Talking with you about what is happening and what feels most important right now.
• Asking directly about your safety, including thoughts of suicide, to better understand how to support you.
• Listening to your concerns, values and preferences, and working alongside you to identify ways you can keep yourself safe.
• Exploring coping strategies, supports, or practical next steps that help you feel safer. 

In some situations, if there is an imminent danger to life, we may need to contact police to immediately support safety to you or others.  Where possible, we will explain this to you and involve you in that process.  

Sometimes, it may not be possible to discuss this beforehand, particularly where there is an immediate risk to life or where doing so could cause further harm. 

Our safety practices are informed by evidence, lived experience and relevant national standards. 

Respect and dignity 

You have the right to be treated with respect and dignity. 

We recognise that people experience and express distress in different ways.  

You will be treated with dignity, compassion, and respect, regardless of your:  

• culture;
• language;
• faith or beliefs;
• gender identity;
• sexual orientation;
• age;
• disability;
• lived experience; and
• personal circumstances.  

We are committed to providing culturally safe support and recognise the importance of connection to culture, family, community and identity.  

We acknowledge the unique experiences and strengths of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island peoples and are committed to providing culturally responsive support.  

Children and young people have the right to feel safe, heard, respected and supported when accessing our services. Where we believe a child or young person may be at risk of harm, we may need to take action to support their safety in accordance with our legal and safeguarding responsibilities.  

Partnership 

You have the right to be supported in a collaborative way.  

You are the expert in your own life. 

We will listen and work alongside you to understand your situation and what matters most to you. 

We do not direct or give advice. Instead, we support you to explore your options and make decisions at a pace that feels manageable. 

We will support you to identify your own strengths, coping strategies, and possible next steps. 

This approach is designed to support your autonomy, agency and sense of control. 

Information  

You have the right to clear and honest information. 

Through our website, we provide information that helps you understand:  

• the type of support Lifeline offers;
• what our service can and cannot provide;
• the limits of confidentiality;
• when we may need to act to help keep someone safe;
• how your information may be collected, used and shared;
• how to provide feedback or make a complaint;
• Lifeline’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Privacy and confidentiality

You have the right to privacy and confidentiality.

We will treat the information you share with us confidentially and with care.  

There are limited circumstances where information may be disclosed, including:  

• where there is a serious and immediate risk to life or safety;
• where disclosure is required by law;
• where information sharing is necessary to support safety. 

Where information needs to be shared, we will only share what is necessary and relevant and, wherever possible, explain this to you. 

You can ask questions at any time about how your information is handled or access our Privacy Policy and relevant Privacy Collection Statements for further information. 

Feedback

You have the right to speak up and provide feedback.  

We welcome feedback about your experience, including compliments, concerns and complaints.  

Providing feedback will not affect the support you receive from Lifeline.  

We will:  

• listen respectfully;
• respond in a fair, timely and transparent manner;
• use feedback to improve our services and the experiences of others. 

You can provide feedback through our post-contact surveys or by submitting a compliment, concern or complaint through the Contact Us on the Lifeline website. 

Quality

You have the right to quality support. 

We are committed to providing support that is informed by evidence, lived experience, quality standards and continuous improvement. 

We regularly review feedback, service data, practice insights and emerging evidence to strengthen the quality, safety and effectiveness of our services. 

We support our workforce through training, supervision and ongoing development to help ensure consistent and safe service delivery. 

A note about this charter

This charter is not a set of legal terms. 

It is a statement of how we aim to work with people, especially during moments of vulnerability. It helps guide staff behaviour, decision-making, training, and accountability across our services. 

It reflects Lifeline’s evidence-informed approach, which is: 

• Non-clinical and based on human connection
• Help-seeker-led and focused on the here-and-now
• Relational, empathetic and non-judgemental
• Focused on safety, autonomy and empowerment 

and applies whether you are seeking support for yourself or for someone you care about. This Charter applies whether you are seeking support for yourself or for someone you care about.