Privacy Policy for Nicola Foster, Psychosexual and Relationship Therapist

I am registered with the ICO (Information Commissioners Office) which means I need to tell you what data I am collecting from you and what I intend to do with it and I need your consent to collect this data.

Counselling and coaching is a confidential process and I do not reveal your personal data or the content of your sessions to a third party without your express permission. The only exceptions to this would be if you Ire threatening your own life or the life of another, there was a safeguarding issue or you were involved in a crime that falls outside of counselling confidentiality boundaries. In these cases, I may decide to contact emergency services or relevant authorities without your permission but I will always try to discuss with you first.

This privacy policy explains what information I collect, how I use it, where I keep it, how long I keep it for and the procedures that I have in place to safeguard your privacy.

What Information Do I Collect?

When you contact me online, I collect the following information

Name

Email address

When you contact via the phone and when you choose to proceed from a phone or online enquiry, I collect the following information on my agreement with you Registration Form:

Name

Address

Email address

Landline number, Mobile number

Date of birth

GP name and address

For clients having therapy: During your assessment, during which I will gather the following information from you:

General Counselling

Mental health history, Family history

Current medications

Name and contact details of medical or mental health professionals managing your care

CORE-OM 34 assessment

Relationship status, Nationality, Religion, Sexual health history

During your therapy I keep very brief notes of each session to record the content of the session and any homework tasks that may have been agreed.

How do I use this information?

I collect this information for the following reasons:

To accurately identify you and thereby safely and confidentially support you

To contact you regarding your sessions

To identify all of the factors that may be contributing to the problem you are seeking help with.

To monitor and measure the effectiveness of my service.

Where do I keep this information?

Your Enquiry Submission Form and any emails relating to your referral within the service are kept on my password protected computer. Your Agreement and Assessment are processed via email using password protected word documents and stored in the password protected computer folder. Your notes are kept in portable locked filing box.

Your phone number is kept in password protected phone, in order to communicate with you about sessions and deleted after your therapy is complete.

How long do I keep your data for?

I destroy computer records of your enquiry and registration I store your assessment and session notes in locked filing cabinets for a minimum of 7 years, in line with guidance from my professional association, after which point they are destroyed. Your records in this service are not classed as medical records or public records.

How do I safeguard your privacy?

I have regular supervision to ensure that I am providing the best standards of care for you. You are identified in supervision by your first name or initials only. Supervisors may keep records of the guidance they have offered to the counsellor which would not be directly identifiable to you and which would be stored in line with their individual Privacy Policies. Supervisors do not have access to your client pack.

I have also appointed a Clinical Executor. In the unfortunate event I can no longer work with you they will have access to your contact details via a password protected system and will get in touch with you.

Subject Access Request

Should you wish to access your data or have it destroyed before 7 years have elapsed you may submit your request in writing to me. Each application will be considered on an individual basis and any decision to provide access to or destroy your personal data will be reached only after consultation with my insurer and professional body.

If you are not happy with the way I use your data you can complain to ICO at www.ico.org.uk

Data Controller

Nicola Foster