Data Protection & Privacy Policy
Data Protection
You are entitled to have access to any written or electronic notes that I might keep, concerning you, upon request. I must provide you with these within 40 days. I am happy to share my notes with you at any time during our sessions also.
I make an electronic summary of our work at the end of each session and may take handwritten notes during our session. All written notes are kept in a locked filing cabinet in my office. My notes also include our contract which contains your name, surname, date of birth, address, telephone number, email address. All electronic notes are password protected, as is my computer.
If we communicate by emails or texts, these may be stored on my mobile telephone and/or computer and may be deleted periodically. My phone is protected with a code and my computer is password protected.
I also keep a diary for appointments which may have your first name (sometimes initial of surname) and occasionally your telephone number against it. My diary contains no personal information about you other than this.
If I write a report concerning you, I would do so with your consent, and you would be entitled to see a copy and request amendments of inaccuracies where appropriate. I may create, store, and send such reports electronically or send by post. My computer is password protected.
I may also create, store, and send invoices electronically (or send by post), if employers or insurers are funding your counselling.
I have compulsory supervision in line with BACP Code of Ethics and I may discuss any of my clients in supervision. I only use first names and my supervisor also works confidentially in line with the BACP Code of Ethics.
The only time that I would share your file without your consent would be under Court Order.
In the event of my death or demise, my supervisor will dispose of all my records (electronic or written) securely.
Your rights under Data Protection
Subject Access - You have the right to see what information I hold about you. Any access request may be subject to a small fee to meet my costs in providing you with details of the information I hold about you.
Rectification - You have the right to ask me to correct any personal data I hold about you that is wrong. If you feel this is the case, then please let me know.
Erasure - You have the right to ask me to erase any information I hold about you. However, this right may be limited by my need to comply with statutory or regulatory requirements for retaining data.
Communications - You have the right to ask me not to contact you. This may be for specific purposes or you may not wish to be contacted at all. Obviously, I will need permission to contact you if you are an active client so that I can continue to deliver the agreed services to you.