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My Privacy Policy

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I want everyone who comes to me for counselling and support to feel confident and comfortable with how any personal information you share with me will be looked after or used.

 

This Privacy Policy sets out how I collect, use and store your personal information (this means any information that identifies or could identify you).

My Privacy Policy may change in accordance with the law so please remember to check back from time to time.

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I am committed to treating you with respect and openness by stating:

 

1.       Who I am

2.       How I collect information about you

3.       Information I collect and why I use it

4.       Sharing your Information

5.       Keeping your information safe

6.       How long I hold your information for

7.       Your rights 

 

1. Who I am

Here at Freedom Counselling I am committed to protecting your personal information and making every effort to ensure that your personal information is processed in a fair, open and transparent manner.

I am a "data controller" for the purposes of the Data Protection Act 1998 and (from 25 May 2019 means that I am responsible for, and control the processing of, your personal information). 

 

2.  How I collect information about you

I collect information from you in the following ways:

When you interact with me directly: this could be if you ask me about  services or register with me for counselling. This includes when you email me, phone me, visit my website or get in touch through the post, or in person.

 

3. Information I collect and why I use it

Personal Information

Personal information I collect includes details such as your name, date of birth, email address, postal address, telephone number as well as information you provide in any communications between us.  You will have given me this information whilst booking a counselling session or any of the other ways to interact with me. Your name will appear on my electronic bank account statement.

I will mainly use this information:

  • To provide the services or goods that you have requested.

  • To update you with important administrative messages about services you have requested.

  • To comply with GDPR (The General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679)

  • To keep a record of your relationship with me.

If you do not provide this information, I will not be able to process fully the services you have requested. 

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Sensitive Personal Information

If you share your personal experience or the experiences of a friend or relative, I may also collect this health information. If you provide me with any Sensitive Personal Information by telephone, email or by other means, I will treat that information with extra care and confidentiality and always in accordance with this Privacy Policy. 

A special note about the Sensitive Personal Information I hold   

Data Protection Law recognises that some categories of personal information are more sensitive. Sensitive Personal Information can include information about a person’s health, race, ethnic origin, political opinions, sex life, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.

I will only use this information:

  • For the purposes of dealing with your enquiry and/or therapy sessions

  • I will not pass on your details to anyone else without your express permission except in exceptional circumstances. Examples of this might include anyone reporting serious self-harm or posing a threat to others or children contacting us and sharing serious issues such as physical abuse or exploitation.

 

7. Sharing your information

The personal information I collect about you will be used by me solely for the purpose of being your counsellor.

I will never sell or share your personal information with organisations so that they can contact you for any marketing activities.

I make sure that the data is stored securely, deleted when no longer needed and never use it for any other purposes.

 

Legal disclosure

I may disclose your information if required to do so by law (for example, to comply with applicable laws, regulations and codes of practice or in response to a valid request from a competent authority).

 

8. Keeping your information safe

I take looking after your information very seriously. I've implemented appropriate physical &  technical organisational measures to protect the personal information I have under my control, both on and off-line, from improper access, use, alteration, destruction and loss.

Unfortunately the transmission of information using the internet is not completely secure. Although I do my best to protect your personal information sent to me this way, I cannot guarantee the security of data transmitted to my site.

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9. How long I hold your information for

I keep client notes for a period of five years after concluding counselling after which they are destroyed.

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10. Your rights

You have various rights in respect of the personal information I hold about you – these are set out in more detail below.  If you wish to exercise any of these rights or make a complaint, contact the data protection supervisory authority, the Information Commissioner's Office, https://ico.org.uk/:

  • Access to your personal information: You have the right to request access to a copy of the personal information that I hold about you, along with information on what personal information I use, why I use it, who I share it with, how long I keep it for and whether it has been used for any automated decision making. You can make a request for access free of charge.  Please make all requests for access in writing, and provide me with evidence of your identity.

  • Right to object: You can object to my processing of your personal information.

  •  If you have given me your consent to use personal information you can withdraw your consent at any time.

  •  You can ask me to change or complete any inaccurate or incomplete personal information held about you.

  •  You can ask me to delete your personal information where it is no longer necessary for us to use it, you have withdrawn consent, or where I have no lawful basis for keeping it.

  •  You can ask me to restrict the personal information I use about you where you have asked for it to be erased or where you have objected to my use of it.

 

Please note, some of these rights only apply in certain circumstances and I may not be able to fulfil every request.

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