The privacy of your personal information is very important to me.  I collect and hold all personal information in line with the data protection laws applicable in the UK.

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I hold the following information for the purpose of conducting counselling or coaching sessions; for any relevant contact between sessions; for receiving clinical supervision and to provide the administrative basis for running an efficient practice. 

 

Personal Details

Name; date of birth; address; email address; telephone number; doctor’s name and address; medical conditions; prescribed medication; psychiatric history; counselling history. 

 

Clinical/Coaching Notes

I keep clinical/coaching notes which may include sensitive information disclosed in sessions such as; physical; mental; emotional; psychological health details; sexual life; racial or ethnic origin; religious/political beliefs; trade union membership; criminal offences and alleged offences.

 

There is no way to identify you from your clinical/coaching notes, they are written under an allocated code rather than your name.

 

Correspondence

I access emails, phone and text messages through either my iPad, computer or phone, these are password protected. If I have been given written correspondence, this stays with the clinical/coaching notes.

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Storage of information

Personal details and clinical/coaching notes are kept separately. 

 

Personal details are stored on paper in a locked box and on the computer in a password protected file.  Contact details are also stored on a dedicated work phone, which is password protected.

 

Clinical/coaching notes are stored on paper only in a locked box.

 

If I have been given permission to record sessions, the recordings are kept on the computer and on the recorder.  The file on the computer is password protected and the recorder is kept in a locked box.

 

Keeping/Erasing your information

It is a requirement of my insurance company that I keep clinical/coaching notes for up to 7 years after the counselling/coaching work has been completed.  I may hold information for longer in case of return to therapy/coaching in the future, so that I have a reference of work. Once I no longer need personal information and clinical/coaching notes they will be securely destroyed.

 

You have the right

• To be informed of what information I hold.  (this document).

• To see the information that is held about you (free of charge and within a month of the initial request).

• To rectify/correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal information.

• To withdraw consent to me using your personal information.  I can decline if the information is needed for me to practice lawfully and competently.

• To request that your personal information be erased/deleted/shredded.  I can decline if the information is needed for me to practice lawfully and competently; or if there is an adverse reason (such as a complaint or legal reason).

 

This Privacy notice forms part of my Counselling and Coaching Agreement, which also sets out the limits of confidentiality required by law and by the British Association of Counselling Practitioners (BACP) and the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC).

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