Privacy Notice

Privacy Notice

I am a member of and abide by the ethical principles and code of the UPCA (Universities Psychotherapy & Counselling Association - http://www.upca.org.uk/) and the UKCP (United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy - www.psychotherapy.org.uk).

I am compliant with the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation, 2018) legislation and am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (Registration No. ZA069833).

This privacy notice outlines how I process your personal data.

Why do I collect your data?

The lawful basis for collecting your personal data is consent. You have given consent for me to process your personal data to provide you with the service of counselling and psychotherapy.

What data do I collect?

Visitors to my website

My website uses cookies which are small text files used to track visitor use of the website and website activity. You can set your browser not to accept cookies, but some website features may not work as a result. For more information, visit www.aboutcookies.org.

Enquiries from potential clients

If you contact me by telephone, e-mail or via my website or social media page then I will use the contact details and any other information you have provided to contact you and deal with your enquiry.

Client information

At our initial appointment, I will collect and securely store the following personal data:

Contact details – name, address, telephone number(s) and e-mail address
Date of Birth
Your GP details
Next of kin/emergency contact details

I will keep case notes including brief notes of our sessions and contact (including contact with any third parties in relation to our work together).

I may sometimes record our sessions which may then be listened to by my supervisors and/or peers to improve and monitor my practice.

How is data stored?

Personal data is stored electronically using a secure, encrypted online system called BACPAC. For more information on the system I use, please visit https://bac-pac.co.uk/faqs/.

Any relevant information taken in written form will be entered onto BACPAC and relevant documents may be scanned and uploaded onto the system. Paper documents will be stored securely in a locked filing cabinet and will be anonymised, if possible.

I will keep telephone contact details on my mobile phone which requires a passcode or my thumb print to access. Your telephone number will be stored against a code and your initials (for example, SS123 AB) and will not refer to your full name. Texts and e-mails are deleted once I have responded and made a secure record of our contact.

Any documents I may keep in relation to our work together on my computer will be password protected. Any recordings made of our sessions will be kept as anonymous as possible and will be securely stored either on my computer or in a locked filing cabinet.

Who will I share your data with?

Your personal data will be kept confidential and will not be shared with anyone else except in the following circumstances:

If I have reason to believe that you or others are at significant risk of harm.

If I am required to break confidentiality by law.

When you have given your consent for me to share information about you.

During supervision where I discuss my work with a clinical supervisor and with peers in a clinical supervision group. This is standard ethical practice and helps me to work as well as I can with you. My supervisors and peers work to similar standards of ethical practice as myself. Supervision itself is bound by confidentiality and you will not be referred to identifiably.

If I am unable to practice due to my death, sudden serious illness or emergency then I have a ‘therapeutic executor’ (another professional) who, only in these unlikely circumstances, will have authorised access to your name and contact details in order that you are informed of my unavailability. No session notes or any other clinical data will be released to them.

How long do I keep your data?

Your information will be retained for up to 7 years, or as recommended by my professional bodies/professional insurance provider, in case it is required for personal or legal reasons. After this time, all data will be securely destroyed and deleted.

What are your rights?

You have the right to request a copy of the information I hold about you. If you would like a copy of some or all of your personal information, then please e-mail or write to me via the contact details below. Information will be provided within 30 days.

I want to make sure that the personal information I hold about you is accurate and up to date. You have the right to verify the accuracy of the information or to ask for the information to be supplemented, deleted, updated or corrected. If you believe that I hold incorrect or inaccurate information about you, then please get in touch with me using the contact details below.

You have the right to request the transfer of your personal data to another individual or company.

Other websites

My website contains links to other useful websites or I may signpost you to useful websites during our work. This privacy notice only applies to my own website so when you visit other websites you should read their own privacy notice.

Changes to this privacy notice

This notice will be regularly reviewed, and any updates will be uploaded onto my website. This notice was last updated on 30/07/18.

How to contact me

If you have any questions about this privacy notice or about the data I hold about you, you can contact me:

in writing

Sarah Silvester

West Midlands House

Gipsy Lane

Willenhall

WV13 2HA

by e-mail

sarah@sarahsilvester.uk