Counselling & Psychotherapy In Chepstow & Bristol (Westbury-on-Trym)

Privacy Statement

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force on 25th May 2018 changing the law to help better protect personal data and is concerned with how personal information is collected, stored and shared. I am registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)

Personal Information I Collect

• Name.
• Gender (or preferred identity).
• Age.
• Date of Birth.
• Relationship status and age of any children
• Address.
• GP address (only contacted in emergency)
• Gender (or preferred identity).
• Telephone/mobile number
• Email address.
• Previous Counselling History.
• Medical conditions relevant to
counselling.
• Prescribed medication.
• Difficulties presented.
• Ongoing sessional summary.

How I store your Personal Information

Storage Methods.
• Paper: All personal information taken at first appointment, and subsequent sessions brief notes are recorded (stored in locked cabinet)
• Smartphone: I will store your contact information
• Email: your email address and correspondence will be stored in my email account
currently Gmail. I access my email on my I pad, laptop and smartphone all password protected
• Website: none of your personal information is stored on my website, other than to momentarily
collect & send it to my Gmail account for the purposes of our initial contact.

How I share your Personal Information

Monthly Supervision.
In order to protect your privacy, my supervisor will not know you personally nor professionally. I will refer to you by your first name, and refer to information verbally.
If confidentiality needs to broken.
These sessions are completely confidential except where the law dictates otherwise, below are examples of when I would need to break confidentiality and share information

• If I consider a child/children under the age of 18 currently at risk of significant harm as outlined by the Children Act 1989/2004.
  
• Terrorism Act 2000.
  
• If required by a court of law to give evidence (e.g. in criminal proceedings).
  
• If under the under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Mental Health Act 2007, we may need to discuss a medical referral.
  
• If you are involved in drug trafficking, under the Drug trafficking Act 1994.
  
  Erasing your Information
  
  When we have finished working together, I will erase electronic copies of your information & correspondence within one month. I will retain written information recorded on paper for up to three years past the end of our working together. This is so that I have a reference of our work in situations such as you returning to counselling in the future or in case of a complaint made against me. After this time has passed, I will shred the written information.