Privacy Notice of Colleen Smith

This statement confirms how I Colleen Smith of Colleen Smith Counselling use and protect any information that you give to me whilst using this service.

I am committed to safeguarding and protecting your information. If I ask you for any information it will only be used according to this privacy statement.

I may change this policy from time to time in line with legislation and whilst we are still working together I will provide you with a copy of any change. If we have ceased working together and you would like a copy of my up to date privacy policy I will provide one on request. I will also update my website www.colleensmith.org and I would advise that you check that from time to time to be aware of any changes.

This policy is effective from 03.06.18, updated 31.03.2024

For the purposes of Data Protection Act 1998 and General Data Protection Regulation 2016 Colleen Smith is the data controller of Malmesbury, Wiltshire.

Your data
 

Information I collect

I store your name, telephone number and email address and other personal information that you provide to me. I will also write brief notes of sessions.

How I store information

I keep brief notes recording the themes of our counselling sessions. These are stored in a locked metal filing cabinet whilst working with you and then transferred at closure to a password protected laptop, and adult case work destroyed 5 years after we close our case work. Children’s and Young Peoples notes will be destroyed on their 25th birthday after your counselling sessions end unless agreed otherwise.

Any information stored online will be kept securely.
Your contact and appointment details will be kept for 5 years after your counselling sessions end and then destroyed unless agreed otherwise. Any emails, texts, whatsapp messages or other communications will be deleted at any time but not later than one month after receipt unless they form part of your notes or are needed for income tax purposes in which case they will be kept for 5 years as above. Your telephone number will be stored on my mobile phone under your initials or your first name only until your session’s end at which point it will be deleted. If I change telephones then your details will be deleted on the old phone.

If any reports are provided on your behalf then these will be stored for 5 years for adults or until the child/young is 25 years old, password protected. I store a note of your appointment in my diary either by first name or by your initials. This is kept for 5 years inline with guidance from the Tax Office. At the end of these periods respectively I will confidentially shred all paper copies and I will use a specialist software programme to delete any data stored online. If I die or am incapacitated then you will be informed if I am currently working with you and your notes will be confidentially shredded in three months.

My laptop is backed up weekly on an external hard drive and stored in a locked cabinet away from any notes and my laptop.

Travelling

Any notes used on a daily basis will be stored safely in my bag on my person or locked in my car-boot. When using my laptop out of office it will be stored in my locked car-boot.

How I use this information

I will use your contact details to engage in my work with you according to my contract with you including contacting you about appointments, keeping records such as appointments, running and maintaining my business. I also keep brief notes of counselling and supervision sessions in order to support me in offering you counselling or supervision. I will not use contact information or your session notes for any other purpose other than in this notice and my contract. If for any reason I am asked to provide a report of the sessions - e.g. at your request then this will be posted to you for your approval before it is provided to the person requesting it.

Your rights and Access to Information

You have the right to ask to see any information that I hold about you. Unless prevented from doing so by legal reasons, I will provide this information to you within a month of your request. I am happy to look at this in a session. You also have the right to ask me to change any information that I hold that is incorrect and to ask me to delete any information that I hold about you. I will do this except for any information I need to hold for legal purposes such as my business tax purposes.

Complaints

If you wish to complain about how I hold your data in any way then in the first instance please contact me Colleen Smith who is the data controller of business name Colleen Smith Counselling at Malmesbury, Wiltshire, info@colleensmith.org or 07859 414 376. If you have any further concerns which are not addressed then you should contact Information Commissioner's Office at https://ico.org.uk/ or 0303 123 1113.

Breaches

I will report any data breach to the Information Commissioner, to NCS and to you within 72 hours if it becomes apparent that any data is stolen. My data protection registration reference is Z3161389.

Contact: If you wish to contact me with questions, concerns, complaints or request for your information then please contact me Colleen Smith, info@collensmith.org, telephone number 07859 414 376

Review Date: 31.03.2024

Privacy Notice for: Colleen Smith 03.06.2018.

Website Privacy Statement

This statement confirms how I Colleen Smith of www.colleensmith.org and Colleen Smith Counselling use and protect any information that you give to me when you use this service.

I am committed to safeguarding and protecting your information. If I ask you for any information then it will only be used according to this privacy statement.

I may change this policy from time to time in line with legislation and I advise that you check this page from time to time to be aware of any changes. This policy is effective from 03.06.18 and updated yearly.

By continuing to use my website you are accepting and consenting to the practices described in this policy and agreeing to my use of cookies described below.

Any changes to this policy will be on this page and if relevant will be notified you by email.

For the purpose of Data Protection Act 1998 and General Data Protection Regulation 2016 Colleen Smith: is the data controller of Minety, Wiltshire.

Information collected

Like most websites my website uses Google Analytics (GA). This data is used to look at the number of people using the site and how they find it and how they journey through the website. It also records your IP address which can personally identify you. Google do not give me access to this.

You may also give me information such as your name, address and telephone number by contacting me by telephone or email but consider what details you leave on a Facebook post. My FaceBook business page, Healing, Havening & Counselling with Colleen, the same rules apply, please do not leave personal details because this is public page.

Where necessary to act in your best interests I may need to process information, which is sensitive in nature such as health information. In some circumstances I may need to share this information with a third party such as a GP. I would advise that you do not share personal sensitive information on my website but if you choose to do so, then you will be allowing me to process it as part of my services to you.

Email addresses will be collected to send you exclusive offers of events, special offers, free resources and training opportunities, your address will remain safe and confidential. Please advise me if you wish to opt out of these opportunities.

Cookies

My site does use cookies in order to distinguish you from other users. You are able to disable cookies which will prevent your visit being tracked, some cookies are essential for the website to work properly. I would advise you to review and if necessary disable cookies on your Internet browser regularly. Please see http://www.youronlinechoices.comlukl to provide you with information about cookies and http://www.aboutcookies.org/ for advice about deleting and managing cookies.

Blog posts

I currently do not use a Blog posting service and do not intend to star one due to time commitments.

How I store information

If you contact me via my 'Contact Me' form, no data will be stored by the website or passed to any third party. All data will be transferred and stored within the European Economic Area.

How you transmit data onto my site is at your risk and I cannot guarantee the safety of this. Once I have received your data then I have procedures and security to ensure I do my best to safeguard your information and prevent unauthorised access.

My website is protected by SSL so that the email content is encrypted before being sent over the internet,

How I use information

I use information in order:

To carry out contracts between yourself and me and provide you with the services that you request from me, to confirm appointments

To administer my website, data analysis, statistical and survey purposes, testing.

To enable improvements to the website

To keep the website safe and secure

To keep records such as client hours

To run and maintain my business i.e. for financial records

To let you know of changes to my service

Storage

I will store information for no longer than 5 years for adult clients and for children and young people until they reach their 25th birthday. Some information such as texts may be deleted immediately, at the closure of the case or if relevant saved with client work.

My computer is password protected to ensure the safety and protection of your information. I provide detailed information regarding this on request.

I keep brief notes recording the themes of our sessions. These are stored in a locked filing cabinet whilst case is open then transferred to my computer and all paperwork is then shredded, files stored on the computer are then destroyed 5 years after the start of the counselling sessions, for adults and for children and young people when they reach their 25th birthday unless agreed otherwise.

Your contact and appointment details, whatsapp messages or other communications will be deleted 1 month after receipt or when the case closes, unless they form part of your notes or are needed for income tax purposes in which case they will be kept for 7 years as above. Your telephone number will be stored on my mobile phone under your initials or first name only until your session’s end at which point it will be deleted.

If I change telephones then your details will be deleted on the old phone. All electronic information will be securely deleted by a specialist software programme.

Access to information

You can request access to the personal information that I hold on you and except in limited circumstances when I am not permitted to do so for legal reasons, I will provide this information to you within one month.

If you feel that any information that I hold about you is inaccurate then you are able to ask me to update your information. If you want me to delete your information then please do so in writing and I will endeavour to do so unless I need to keep it for legal or internal business purposes.

Contact

If you wish to contact me with questions, concerns, complaints or request for your information then please contact me at Colleen Smith, info@colleensmith.org, or 07859 414 376 soon to be incorporated into one website named www.colleensmith.org

Data Protection Registration Number: Z3161389.

Website Privacy Statement 31.03.2024

Colleen Smith Counselling and Havening Practitioner