How I will look after your information
What Information?
When someone fills in a Contact Form on this site or comes along to a first session, I will ask for details such as your name and contact details. If you attend a session I will then ask for your address and details of your GP.
I keep brief notes on each session. These notes are a short factual summary of what we have discussed or done in a therapy session.
Why Do I Need This?
I need things such as contact details so that I can communicate with you. For people attending sessions, I ask for the name of a GP so that, in the event of someone being at imminent risk of serious harm, I can contact the GP to ensure safety. Apart from in this situation, I do not contact GP’s or other Agencies without your explicit consent.
I keep session notes so that I can look back and remember what has been covered and when in our sessions. I may discuss what has been happening in sessions with my clinical supervisor. This helps us to work more effectively and is a stipulation of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. I only use first names or no names when doing this – so you should not be identifiable.
Where Is This Information Kept?
All information is kept in one or more of the following: a locked filing cabinet, a password-protected computer and/or a fingerprint or password protected mobile phone. Session notes are kept for three years and then destroyed.
What Are My Rights?
You can ask to see any information relating to you. You can also ask that any information about you be erased. I have one month to respond to these requests. It may be that, due to my insurance company or membership body requirements, I am unable to erase details of my work with you until 7 years have passed.
I am registered to store information with the Information Commissioner’s Office.
If you feel I have not handled your information correctly, you can contact the ICO via their website https://ico.org.uk/
