Emerald CP Privacy and Data/Information Protection Policy for Clients
Emerald CP has legitimate interests in collecting and processing your personal information, in order to ensure and enhance the services it provides.
The personal information collected from you and about you over the course of our association will be processed lawfully and intentionally. We will seek your consent to do this.
The Laws which permit the collection of personal information, and guide its processing and storage are: General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR 2018) and the Data Protection Act (DPA 2018).
Emerald Counselling Psychology Ltd is registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO www.ico.org.uk); the organisation that upholds information rights in the UK. The entry may be checked via ico.org.uk/register.
I undertake to respect your privacy and the promise of confidentiality I make with you. Following your consent, your information will be anonymized and stored in electronic format, encrypted and password protected. This will include a record of the dates of your attendance as well as written details of the matters discussed in each session.
Information derived from psychological measures will also be kept as part of your record.
With your knowledge and expressed consent, I will accept into your record information received from external sources, such as your GP or insurance company.
Paper communications will be scanned into the record and then shredded. Rough notes made during sessions will be shredded immediately after processing. All processing will be completed at the nearest opportunity.
Electronic equipment held by Emerald CP is backed-up regularly and has up-to-date security software.
In compliance with GDPR, I will ensure that the information stored is fair to you, proportionate to purpose and accurate.
I am compliant with the Standards of Conduct, Performance and Ethics of the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC). This means that sometimes, information may need to be shared with other organizations or professionals in order to secure good quality of onward care for yourself and/or others. (HCPC 5.2)
Information may therefore be passed on to the courts, Police, Safeguarding Boards, Local Authorities, schools, GP services and Mental Health services, Insurance Companies.
Generally, your consent to sharing your information is sought before contacting external services/agencies. If, however, you are believed to be at serious risk of harm or pose a serious risk to others, an external agency such as the Police may be contracted without your prior consent (HCPC 7.3 and 7.6).
Your therapy information (data) will be destroyed or deleted during the 7th year following the end of my active contact with you.
Your information relating to financial exchanges will be held only if it is required for business accounting and HMRC purposes. No credit card details are held.
You are under no obligation to consent to providing and authorizing the processing and storage of your personal information. It is important to understand however, that opting-out may affect my ability to work closely with you.
You may ask for copies of your personal information. Emerald CP will provide them within 30 days without charge. Requests for written reports to external agencies will incur a fee and will be supplied in the requested format.
If you have any complaints regarding the protection, use or access to your information, please speak to me, or file a complaint with the ICO.
Please be aware that this information will be updated following changes in law, regulation and guidance in the future.
Contact me via admin@emeraldcp.uk if your contact details change.