SLS Counselling Privacy Statement
This privacy statement explains how any information you provide to SLS Counselling is used and protected, and why it is collected.
Gaining your consent
When you use the services of SLS Counselling, you will be informed how the information you provide will be used, stored and destroyed. At times, it may also be necessary to share this information. If you do not want your information shared, you can state this. However, there are certain circumstances when I may still need to share it, for example:
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For any purposes discussed with you when you supply your information for example your private health insurer
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In order to protect a child, vulnerable adult, yourself or the public from harm or abuse
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For the prevention and detection of a crime
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If I am legally compelled to by a court or law.
What information is collected
When using the services of SLS Counselling you may give personal information, including:
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Personal details including your GP name and address
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Family, lifestyle and social circumstances
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Financial details
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Employment and education details.
You may also provide sensitive personal information, which might be obtained in person, by phone, text or by email including:
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Physical or mental health details including medication and medical diagnosis/ health condition
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Racial or ethnic origin
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Religious or other beliefs of a similar nature
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Offences and alleged offences
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Sexual preferences
Each time you visit my website, the following information may be automatically collected:
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Technical information - including the Internet Protocol (IP) address used to connect your computer to the internet; your browser type and version; the time zone setting; and your operating system and platform
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Information about your visit - including your clicks to, through and from this site; the pages you view or search for; the length of your visit to certain pages; your page interaction information, such as scrolling and link clicks and any contact to me via my “contact form”.
What your information is used for
Your information may be used to:
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Respond to any enquiries you make
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Provide information and services you request
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Carry out the contract agreed between us
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Contact you regarding appointments and cancellations
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Identify and protect those at risk of harm or abuse, including yourself
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Maintain accurate records to operate my business
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Meet statutory obligations, for example by insurers or professional bodies
How your information is protected
Any information you provide is confidential, except when I have a professional or legal obligation to share it (as outlined above in the section ‘Gaining your consent’) or in circumstances where you authorise it to be shared. Your information is stored securely and access to it is controlled and restricted. Information is securely destroyed in accordance with the minimum time period stated by legal and professional regulations.
My professional liability insurer advises that I keep all data for seven years. My clinical supervisor will destroy all data when you and I end our work
The transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure. Although I endeavour to protect your personal data, the security of information transmitted to the website or via email, text message or voicemail message cannot be guaranteed. Any personal information you send is at your own risk. Once I have received your information, I will use strict procedures and security features to try to prevent unauthorised access.
How to access and amend your information
You can request access to the information held about you. You may also ask for this personal information to be amended or deleted. I will support this, except in circumstances where I am required to keep the information for legal or professional purposes. Any requests for your information to be accessed, shared, amended or deleted must be made in writing.
Who to contact
In accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), I am the data controller for SLS Counselling. I am responsible for collecting and processing your personal information. Processing includes the retrieval, organisation, use, protection, and deletion or destruction of information, and its disclosure to other agencies.
A full list of what information I control and process, and for what purposes, is set out in the Information Commissioner's Office register of data controllers.