GDPR Privacy Notice

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The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a legislation that came into effect on 25th May 2018.  Under this law, you have a right to know what information I collect about you, how I use it and the circumstances in which it may be shared.

The personal information you provide to Della Counselling will be used for legitimate business interests, that is to provide you with a professional counselling service.

At your initial appointment we will talk through brief details of this privacy notice.  It is available online on my website, or as a hard copy by request, along with the Counselling Contract.

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Your Personal Data

Information kept includes:

• Your signed therapy agreement as to how we will work together, including GDPR.

• Brief record of each counselling session (which may contain sensitive personal data – see below)

• A personal information record sheet

Your clinical notes are anonymised with a unique code.  All documents are password protected if stored online or kept in a locked cabinet.

Why I need the below information:

Data

Why it is kept

Name, date of birth, occupation

Information about yourself that helps me to get to know you as an individual.

Address, email address and telephone number

This is for contact purposes to arrange sessions etc.

Also, in cases of risk or illness during a session if a doctor needs to be called for example,

they will need to identify you.

Emergency contact

A next of kin or friend, should you choose to give one.

GP Details

As above regarding illness or risk.

Session Notes

Brief notes on each session and the presenting issues.

Sensitive Personal Data ("Special Category Data") 

Any history of depression and anxiety and previous counselling.

I have a legal obligation to keep data for insurance purposes.

I am required by my insurance company to keep session notes for a period of 5 years following the end of therapy, after which they are destroyed by either shredding or deletion.

 

 

 

What are your rights?

You have a right to request to see or have amended any personal information I may keep about you. You also have the right to request that I delete information that I hold about you. You also have the right to object to the processing and use of your personal data.

 

What information do I share?

I will not share any information about you with other organisations or people, except in the following situations:

 

Consent – I may share your information with other professionals whom you have requested or agreed I should contact.

 

Serious harm – I may share your information with the relevant authorities, if I have reason to believe that this may prevent serious harm being caused to you or another person.

 

Compliance with the law – for instance if I am required by a court of law to supply notes.

 

Clinical Executor – If for any reason I become incapacitated and unable to work, then your information will be passed onto my Clinical Executor so they can contact you and make suitable arrangements.

 

How your data is stored

Your telephone number may be kept in my mobile phone which is also password protected. I delete client numbers from my mobile phone once sessions come to an end along with texts and emails, following a period of 3 months.

Your identifiable information is kept separately from any session notes going forward, which I bring to the sessions and are linked by a unique code.

 

How long I keep it for

For legal reasons I keep your personal information record and session notes for 5 years after the end of therapy, which is the time frame my insurance company requires.  After this they are destroyed by deletion or shredding.

 

Data Protection Accountability

If you wish to complain about how your data is handled, in the first instance contact myself Della Cross, who is the Data Controller at Della Counselling.

Tel: 07971 696459

Email: dellacounselling.co.uk

You can also complain to the ICO if you are unhappy with how we have used your data,

The ICO's Address:

Information Commissioner's

Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

If your complaint is not resolved, you can contact the Information Commissions Office at https://ico.org.uk or call the helpline on 0303 123 1113.