Data Protection & Privacy Policy
Any personal data provided by you to myself Chris Feather through any means (verbal, written, in electronic form, or by your use of my website) will be held and processed in accordance with the data protection principles set out in the General Data Protection Regulation for the purposes for which you have given consent, to provide the services you have requested from me.
Introduction
Chris Feather is the ‘data controller’, registered with the ICO and is committed to protecting your privacy. Please read the following in order to learn more about my privacy policy and information collection and use practices.
This policy only applies to data collected by Chris Feather, and via my own forms and website. Third party agents, and websites which are linked to mine, are not covered by this policy
When you request counselling with Chris Feather, or otherwise provide your personal details to me, you will be asked to consent to my processing of your data under the terms of this policy.
What information do I collect?
Counselling Requests – Contacting me to request counselling services can be done via email, contact form or by phone. This process involves providing me with your name, telephone numbers and/or email address. I may request information on your availability, therapeutic issues, and other details which are relevant to setting up your appointment
Initial Appointments– At an initial appointment you may disclose about your current personal, social and medical circumstances. You may also tell me your background and family history, as well as the issues which are affecting you now. This information is so that we can decide if my counselling is suitable for you.
Second Appointment- After your first appointment you will be given a contract to take away and read. In signing this contract you are agreeing to my handling of your sensitive data. I also ask for your address, name and address of your GP and an emergency contact name and number. This information is for use in an emergency.
Website – I use Webhealer to collect anonymous data relating to user behaviour and ‘web traffic’ statistics. The collection and use of this data is subject to their own Privacy Policies.
What do I use your information for?
I use information held about you in the following ways:
-To provide you with the professional counselling service you requested from me.
-To offer suitable counselling appointments.
-To notify you about changes to your appointments and other changes to my services.
-To administer my service, including the arrangement of appointments
-It is a recommended practice to keep brief notes of sessions and this enables me to maintain continuity and monitor progress in our counselling work.
What information do I share?
I will not share any information about you with other organisations or people, except in the following situations:
Consent – Chris may share your information with professionals or others whom you have requested or agreed I should contact (e.g. Your GP or Employee Assistance Provider)
Serious harm – Chris may share your information with the relevant authorities if she has reason to believe that this may prevent serious harm being caused to you or another person.
Compliance with law – Chris may share your information where she is required to by law or by the regulations and other rules to which she is subject.
Supervision-All Counsellors working to a code of practice in the UK are expected to undertake supervision. This is a professional practice where therapists talk about their work and clients. I only use first names with my Supervisor and she receives no client contact information.
Reports or information to Employee Assistance referrers.
If your referral for counselling has come to me through an Employee Assistance Provider or Insurer I may be required under their terms of agreement to write one or more reports about our sessions. These reports are kept as brief as possible and you may read them if you wish before they are submitted.
How do I keep your information safe?
All information you provide to me is stored as securely as possible. Paper forms are kept in a locked cabinet at my home premises. Emails and other contact details are kept on a password protected tablet, phone or my home PC for the duration of counselling then deleted.
Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet is never completely secure. Although I will do my best to protect your information I cannot guarantee the security of your data transmitted to me via email therefore any transmission is at your own risk.
My client notes contain only a first name, the location of our counselling and the year as an identifier and are stored on my tablet or home PC, both of which are password protected. Your notes along with other relevant documentation will be kept for 7 years after the end of counselling in line with usual legal requirements. After 7 years they will be destroyed.
Your rights
You have the right to ask me to provide a copy of the information held in my records. You also have the right to require me to correct any inaccuracies in your information. If you would like to do this, please contact me via E mail.
You may withdraw your consent for me to hold and process your data at any time. However, if you do this while actively receiving counselling we would need to stop your counselling as I would be unable to provide an ethical service without it. If you wish to withdraw consent please contact me in writing via E mail.
Changes to this policy
I may edit this policy from time to time so please do check back regularly
24th May 2018
