Privacy Policy
Katy Acton Counselling is committed to complying with the terms of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and to the responsible and secure use of your data. Katy Acton Counselling has a legitimate interest in processing personal data to provide counselling services.
The purpose of this statement is to let you know what personal information Katy Acton Counselling, collects and holds, why we collect this data, how long it is stored for and your rights over your personal data.
Information about you
We request that you contact us via email to make an initial enquiry about counselling. During this email exchange, your name, preferred contact details and availability will be collected. As well as any relevant personal information you share with us in this initial enquiry and our responses. Enquiry emails will remain in our gmail email account for 30 days, then deleted if we do not hear from you further.
Should you decide to go ahead with counselling, all email communication will be printed and filed in a secure paper filing system - the email will then be deleted. During our first assessment session, we will collect further data by asking you to complete a client information sheet. This sheet will contain identifiable personal details and will be stored in a lockable filing cabinet. I will also ask you to sign a client contract and GDPR statement, as well as this privacy policy. All of these forms will be stored securely in a lockable filing cabinet with your client contact sheet.
Brief client case notes that may be taken will not contain identifiable information or any of your personal information. These will be stored securely but separately from your identifiable information file; thus keeping respect to your privacy.
Once a client has finished counselling, all data regarding their counselling is stored securely for 7 years (insurance requirement), then destroyed.
Use of this information
Your data will only be used as a record to enable me to provide you with counselling services.
It will not be shared with any other organisation or person without your knowledge and permission; unless there is a legal requirement to do so (this will be discussed and detailed in our counselling contract).
A breach of confidentiality occurs when a person shares information with another in circumstances that it is reasonable to expect that information will remain confidential.
Please note, in line with our counselling contract and in the interests of public safety, if you test positive for Covid-19 I will be required to notify the Local Health authorities that you have visited my office. I will provide the minimum contact information required and will not go into content or reason for our sessions. If I were to test positive for covid-19, I would have to provide your contact details to track and trace. Again, this would be minimal contact information. I must keep a temporary record of all face to face client meetings for 21 days incase this information is requested for contract tracing.
Security
We will endeavour to prevent the loss, misuse or alteration of any information you provide.
Our communication outside of counselling sessions, will take place via email both initially and in-between sessions if necessary. These emails will not be encrypted unless you specifically request this. Email that is not encrypted is not a fully secure means of communication.
We endeavour to ensure our communication and systems are virus free, however cannot bear responsibility for all communications being virus free.
Your rights over your personal data
You have a right to see any personal information that we hold about you; or to delete/amend/correct any records. Please email me, should you wish to make a request: katyactoncounselling@gmail.com. This request will be fulfilled within 30 days from the request date.
If you have any concerns or questions about my use of your data, please email me at the address noted above, and I will do my utmost to resolve any concerns you may have.