Banbury Counselling Room

Privacy and Confidentiality Statement

Your privacy and confidentiality are important to my role as your Counsellor; I will not talk about you or our sessions outside of the counselling room to ensure that it remains a safe place where you can bring your issues.

There are two main exceptions to this confidentiality. Firstly, if I think that there is a possibility of serious harm coming to you or others. Secondly, during my supervision where
my client work is discussed. However, the focus is on my work and neither your name or contact details are disclosed.

I will collect contact details from you; your name, address, email, phone number and GP name and contact details with whom you are registered with. These will be kept safe on paper, in a locked filing cabinet in my office, Banbury Counselling Room. I may take brief notes of our sessions which will also be kept in the locked filing cabinet. I may also dictate notes using a secure app that will then be typed up by a member of staff who is also bound by the same data protection laws. These notes will be completely anonymised and contain no identifiable information and will be saved in password protected files. You may see these notes at any time, and they will be destroyed 3 years after our last appointment together; or earlier if you request me to do so. Your paper contact details will also be destroyed after 3 years.

Any emails and text messages will be deleted 1 month after our sessions finish.

I have appointed my supervisor as my clinical executor. In the unlikely event that I am unexpectedly unable to continue working then she will have access to your details and will get in touch on my behalf.

I am registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) for your data protection. Reference number; ZA553778