This privacy statement accompanies our working agreement and should be read carefully. Please ask if you have any concerns or questions. This statement confirms how I use and protect any data/information that you give to me in our working together. I am committed to safeguarding and protecting your information. Any information I may ask for will only be used according to this privacy statement. I may change this policy from time to time in line with legislation and, whilst we are still working together, I will provide you with a copy of any change. If we have ceased working together and you would like a copy of any updated privacy policy, this can be provided on request.
Your Data – Information I collect
I store your name, telephone number, email address and any other information that you provide. I also write brief notes of sessions. My finance system holds information on your method of payment and corresponding data, i.e. bank account details if you are paying by BACS.
How I store information
I keep brief notes recording themes of our sessions. These are held on a secure local drive, with regular secure back up. All notes will be archived after you stop accessing services with me and subsequently deleted after the retention period.
Any emails, texts, message or other correspondence will be deleted at any time, but not later than one month after receipt unless they form part of your notes. In this case, they will be downloaded and held securely with your notes as above.
Your telephone number will be stored on my mobile phone, under your first name and surname initial until your sessions end and for a 3-month period afterwards, at which point it will be deleted. If I change phones, then your details will be deleted from the old phone.
If any reports are provided on your behalf, then these will be stored as part of the notes that I hold around your therapy. Access to my computer is through two factor verification and it is only used by me. Appointments are stored by your first name and surname initial on my calendar.
How I use this information
I use your contact details to engage in work with you according to my contract with you, including contacting you about appointments, and keeping records required to run and maintain my therapeutic service.
Your rights and access to information
You have the right to ask to see any information that I hold about you. Unless prevented from doing so by legal reasons, I will provide this information to you within one calendar month of your request.
You also have the right to ask me to change any information that I hold that is incorrect and to ask me to delete any information that I hold about you. I will do this except for any information I need to hold for legal purposes, such as for business tax purposes and therapeutic notes that I am legally required to retain.
Complaints
If you wish to complain about how I hold your data in any way then please contact me in the first instance.
If you have any further concerns which are not addressed, then you should contact the Information Commissioners Office at https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/data-protection-complaints/personal-information-complaint/ or telephone 0303 123 1113.
Please note – I am registered on the ICO Data Protection Register.
Breaches
I will report any data breach to the Independent Commissioner, British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and to you within 72 hours if it becomes apparent that any data is lost or stolen.