Privacy Statement

I take your privacy very seriously. I will only use your personal information to help provide you with the therapeutic services that you have signed up for. I am fully committed to meeting the terms of the general data protection regulation (GDPR, 2018) and those of the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), maintaining the security of your personal confidential information.

This statement will:

  • let you know what personal information I collect and hold
  • Let you know why I collect this information
  • Let you know how long I keep this information
  • Let you know your rights regarding your personal information

Information Held

I need to ask you for some basic personal details including: your full name, date of birth, address, contact details, GPs name, and parent or guardian details if you are under 18.

I will either collect this information when you enquire about therapeutic services or during our initial set up appointment. I will need you to update me on this information if any changes occur.

This information will include your contact details, availability, session notes and other relevant information. Once you finish counselling all data regarding your counselling will be stored securely for Seven years and then destroyed in line with guidance from the UKCP (my professional body) and Balens (my insurer).

Why?

As your therapist I will need to contact you to arrange sessions, may need to contact an emergency contact if an emergency arises during a session or contact your GP if any safeguarding concerns arise. I keep notes of each session. These notes are for therapists use only and help me keep track of the work we are doing together. These notes must be kept securely for seven years after your therapy comes to an end. After this time they will be confidentially destroyed.

Your information will only be used to help deliver the therapeutic services that you have signed up for and I will not share information with any other organisation without your knowledge or permission unless there is a legal requirement to do so: If a child or adult safeguarding issue arises or a perceived risk of harm.

How your information is stored 

I will take all reasonable precautions to prevent the loss, misuse or alteration of information you give me. Notes are paper based, anonymized and stored in a locked filing cabinet. Personal information is paper-based and stored separately to therapy notes in a locked filing cabinet. 

During our work together we may use email or text message to communicate and arrange appointments etc. These communications will not be sent encrypted. Please note that non encrypted emails are not a fully secure means of communication. Whilst I endeavour to keep my system and communications protected against viruses and other harmful effects, I cannot take responsibility for all communications being virus free.

Online Therapy

When undertaking online therapy I do my best to find the most stable, best performing and secure platform for my work. At present I use Zoom. Zoom does provide security encryption for its video conferencing. However I cannot guarantee the platform is 100% secure and as such I cannot be held responsible for the security of these online sessions. I always work from a private and secure space and It is your responsibility to be in a private and secure setting. If you agree to work with me online then you accept that I am not responsible for confidentiality breaches due to video conferencing software or in your personal environment.

Access to and your right to change your data

You have a right to access the information I hold on you, if you would like to see, correct, update or delete any records please email me at:

admin@cmcounsellingscarborough.co.uk

If you have any concerns or questions regarding your personal data please contact me on the above e-mail address. I will do my upmost to resolve any concerns that you have. 

If I am unable to suitably resolve your issue you have the right to contact the ICO:

https://ico.org.uk

At the end of your initial consultation if you wish to carry on with therapy you will be asked to sign a consent form stating that you understand and agree to the terms and conditions and the privacy statement outlined above. In doing so you give me permission to store, access and use your personal contact details and session notes within the remit of providing you with an effective counselling service.