As a professional counsellor I am required to be registered with the Information Commissioners office (ICO). Consequently, I am also required to inform you of the data I will be collecting from you, how it will be stored and what I intend to do with that information.

The Data I keep and its purpose:

I will keep the data gathered from you in my contact details sheet. This data is kept so I can contact you where necessary during the period of time we are working together.

I will also request the details of your GP as I may need to contact them under circumstances where I became concerned that you were risk. Where it was reasonably possible I would inform you that I was going to contact your GP before doing this.

If you choose to disclose any medical information with me, this information would only be used in a medical emergency where it would be appropriate/necessary to support you to get the medical assistance you require.

Additionally I will request an emergency contact details of trusted person who it is safe for me to contact in the event that you become unwell and are unable to contact them yourself.

Data Sharing and its purpose:

Your data will not be sold or used for any unethical purposes.

Under exceptional circumstances I may have to disclose personal information without obtaining your consent. These circumstances include instances where I am required by law, where there are safeguarding concerns for a child or vulnerable adult or not disclosing personal data would place you or others at risk.

Under the circumstances where it becomes necessary to share your personal data I will only disclose information that is necessary under the circumstances that have arisen.

Should unforeseen circumstances arise where my practice has to close and I am unable to notify you my clinical executor will follow instructions from my clinical will. My clinical executor will contact you in order to inform you of my practice closure. For this reason, my clinical executor will only have access to your contact details and is bound by the same levels of confidentiality of the BACP and ICO.

Data Storage:

As I am a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). I follow the BACP Ethical Framework that recommends records are held securely for three years before being destroyed.

All personal data and brief sessions notes will be stored securely in a locked filing cabinet within my home and or stored electronically in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).

Right to access personal information held about you:

You have the right to ask for a copy of your personal information, free of charge. You also have the right to amend or change any incorrect information about you, for example if you change your address.

Your right to be forgotten:

You have the right to request that any information stored about you is erased. You have the right to withdraw your consent for the storage of your personal information by contacting me by phone or email. These rights are obligatory unless I have a legal obligation to retain the information.

Concerns:

If you have any concerns about the way I am storing or handling your personal information you may contact the ICO online (www.ico.org.uk) or via the phone (0303 123 1113).