Privacy Statement

 

This is to explain what happens to the information that is being collected about you. I comply with both the Data protection ACT 1998 and the European General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) 2018. I am also registered with the Information Commissioner's Office which makes sure that companies and bodies comply with data protection standards.

 

As part of my role as a therapist, I need to gather and use sensitive and personal data in order to provide a Clinical Psychology service and to keep clients safe if need be. Information I collect on paper will be kept in a secure and locked filing cabinet in my office and will not be shared with other professionals. Data stored electronically will be kept under password protection on a computer. All data will be securely destroyed after 7 years from the last therapy contact with me. This is in accordance with the guidelines of the British Psychological Society (BPS).

 

I comply with professional guidelines and therefore have regular supervision to ensure high quality and standard of my work. When I discuss clients in supervision I only use initials to protect privacy.

 

I do not routinely communicate with other professionals. However, if there is a need for this, any letters/emails or calls are made with my clients consent and in their best interest, e.g. inform GPs to keep clients safe and protect them if necessary, or update other professionals who are involved in the clients’ care. These letters/communications could then become part of statuary files, e.g. NHS medical records, and other professionals may then access these to provide suitable treatment. Any communication is done in collaboration with my clients and their consent unless they are at risk, someone else is at risk or a child is at risk – in this scenario professionals may be informed without the client’s consent. Emails to other professionals containing confidential information will be sent via Egress mail, which is an encrypted system and compliant with the GDPR.

 

Clients have the right to ask for factual information to be amended on their records or communications, if inaccurate; this may need to be agreed with me. If information has been shared and needs to be amended, it will be corrected with whom it was shared with. Clients have the right to withdraw their consent to share information at any time. However, if clients are at risk, someone else is at risk or a child is at risk, confidentiality may be breached; in this instance, only information necessary to keep clients or others save will be disclosed.

 

Clients have the right to ask for a copy of their files. Such requests need to be made in writing and will be responded to within 30 days. The process notes I take during sessions are anonymised and are mainly to help my thinking and do not constitute file notes, which are separate. The process notes will be destroyed after treatment has ended.

 

If there is a breach of confidentiality, I will inform the ICO within 72 hours.

 

Please contact me if you have any questions about the above.