ME Counselling & Wellbeing is committed to protecting your privacy. Please read the following in order to learn more about our privacy policy, information collection and practices.
This policy only applies to data collected by me (Michelle Eckersley, Data Controller) and via our own forms and website. Third party agents, and websites which are linked to ours, are not covered by this policy. If you have any queries concerning your personal information or any questions on our use of the information, please contact me directly at michelle@mecounselling.co.uk
When you request therapy and provide your personal details to us, you will be asked to consent to our processing of your data under the terms of this policy.
This statement is intended to create clarity for you as a client of ME Counselling & Wellbeing. Any personal data provided by you to me, via any means (verbal, written, electronic, or by your use of our website) and its purpose to confirm It will be held and processed in accordance with the GDPR principles set out in the Data Protection Act of 1998 and the General Data Protection Regulation of 2018. (GDPR)
What information do we collect?
- Counselling Requests– Registering with us to request access to our counselling service can be done online, mobile, or on paper. Our request process involves you providing us with your name, address, telephone numbers and email address. We may also request information on your availability, therapeutic issues and other details which we deem relevant to processing your request.
- Initial Assessment & Sessions– At our initial appointment I will ask you about your current personal, social, medical and financial circumstances. I may
also ask you in subsequent sessions about your background and family history, as well as the issues which are affecting you now.
- We require this information so that I can manage the counselling I provide for you.
- Website – We use Google Analytics to collect anonymous data relating to user behaviour and ‘web traffic’ statistics. The collection and use of this data by Google Inc. are subject to their own Privacy Policies.
- Other Forms – The information you give us on our forms (including all enquiry and application forms) may include your name, postal address, email address, phone number and other messages to us.
What do we use your information for?
We use information held about you in the following ways:
- To provide you with a professional counselling service.
- To offer suitable counselling appointments,
- To notify you about changes to your appointments and other changes to our services.
- To seek feedback from you on your experience of counselling with us.
- To improve our service to ensure that it is provided in the most effective manner for you and for us.
- To administer our service, including the arrangement of appointments, financial control, data analysis, research, statistical and survey purposes.
- To keep in touch with those who consent to this, for the purposes of organisational, service and professional development.
What information do we share?
As a member of the BACP I am committed to Supervision of my work to ensure best practice. Although client case notes are discussed, anonymity of the client is always respected.
We will not share any information about you with other organisations or people, except in the following situations:
- Consent – ME Counselling & Wellbeing may share your information with professional carers or others whom you have requested or agreed we should contact.
- Serious harm – ME Counselling & Wellbeing may share your information with the relevant authorities if we have reason to believe that this may prevent serious harm being caused to you or another person.
- Compliance with law – ME Counselling & Wellbeing may share your information where we are required to by law or by the regulations and other rules to which we are subject.
How do we keep your information safe?
All information you provide to us is stored as securely as possible. All paper forms and correspondence are kept in locked filing cabinets on our premises. All electronic records stored on computer are encrypted with password protection.
Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet is never completely secure. Although we will do our best to protect your information using industry-standard protocols and encryption, we cannot guarantee the security of your data transmitted to us via email, including forms completed on our website which are transmitted by email; any transmission is at your own risk. Once we have received your information, we will use strict procedures and security features to try to prevent unauthorised access.
Your identifiable personal information is kept separately from any session notes that are client coded for identification. Client notes and other documentation are destroyed and or shredded after 6 years along with any electronic files being wiped.
Your rights
You have the right to ask us to provide a copy of the information held by us in our records. You also have the right to require us to correct any inaccuracies in your information. If you would like to do this, please contact the ‘Data Controller’ by emailing michelle@mecounselling.co.uk
You may withdraw your consent for us to hold and process your data at any time this request must be done in writing and signed. However, if you do this while actively receiving counselling with us your counselling would have to end.
Please note if you do not consent, I will be unable to see you for therapy
Name _____________________________________
Signed _____________________________________
Date ______________________________________
To understand more about GDPR, details can be found at the ‘Information Commissioners Office’ online