Privacy Policy
Your privacy is very important to me and you can be confident that your personal information will be kept safe and secure and will only be used for the purpose it was given to me. I adhere to current data protection legislation, including the General Data Protection Regulation (EU/2016/679) (the GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003.
I am happy to answer any questions you might have about my data protection policy and you can contact me via email : info@estellealwancounselling.co.uk
‘Data controller’ is the term used to describe the person/ organisation that collects and stores information and has responsibility for people’s personal data. In this instance, the data controller is me.
I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office: ICO Number: 00018021691
Email: estellealwancounselling.co.uk
Telephone: 07726 466 695
What data will I hold and how will it be used?
Initial contact
When you contact me with an enquiry about my counselling services I will ‘collect’ your name, telephone number and email address, to help me respond to your inquiry. This information has been provided directly by you.
If you decide not to proceed I will ensure all your personal data is deleted within seven days.
While you are accessing counselling
I will keep your intake form and signed contract in paper form in a locked filing cabinet accessible only to me.
I will keep brief written notes recording the date and themes of each counselling session, these are kept in a locked filing cabinet. These notes will contain no personal identifiable information.
Your phone number and e-mail address may be stored on my mobile phone. Data will be protected using the mobile phone’s security features.
Emails: All email accounts are protected by 2-factor authentication. Email correspondence is deleted immediately if not important. The security and privacy of any emails sent and received can never be guaranteed. For this reason you are advised not to share any personal sensitive information by email.
After counselling has ended
Once counselling has ended your records (paper contract and session notes) will be kept for five years from the end of our contact with each other. This is in accordance with the terms of my professional indemnity insurance. After which time these records will be shredded. All electronic data will be also be deleted after five years.
In the event of my demise or illness I have instructed my supervisor to shred records and close down my website after contacting you the client.
Breaking Confidentiality
Rest assured that everything you discuss with me is confidential. That confidentiality will only be broken:
- when you have provided explicit written consent,
- in order to protect you or someone else from serious harm. I will always try to speak to you about this first, unless there are safeguarding issues that prevent this.
- when legally required to do so.
Supervision
As a member of BACP it is a requirement that I have regular supervision with a registered supervisor of Counselling and Psychotherapy. This is to support me in my work and to ensure that I work in your best interests. The only identifiable information my supervisor knows is your first name and they will not normally know your full identity. My supervisor is also bound by confidentiality rules.
Third party recipients of personal data
I will not share data with any third parties.
Clients access to personal data
To make a request for any personal information I may hold about you, please put the request in writing or by email.
Complaints
If you have any concerns about how I handle your personal data please do not hesitate to get in touch with me by writing or emailing to the contact details given above.
If you want to make a formal complaint about the way I have processed your personal information you can contact the ICO which is the statutory body that oversees data protection law in the UK. For more information go to ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint.
Date completed: 01/06/2020