Data Protection
Under the changes to Data Protection Law, 25th May 2018 we are obliged to let all clients and students know these facts:
We record the following types of information electronically:
· For the purpose of maintaining contact and promoting services: Name, Address, Telephone number, Email address
· For the purpose of financial accounting: Details of payments that have been made to us for goods or services and payments that we may make to you – name, amount, date and type of payment only. We do not hold your bank account or card details.
· For training, certification and accreditation purposes: Levels, dates, types of training, assessment records, levels and dates of certification awarded.
All of this information is password protected and is never passed to third parties unless you have given us verbal or written permission to share information.
For clients we also record the following information on paper, kept securely in a locked filing cabinet:
· For the purpose of maintaining contact: Name, Address, Telephone number, Email address
· For therapeutic purposes: dates and type of sessions, family details, lifestyle and social circumstances, employment and education details, responses to work done, recommendations for future work.
· Only if relevant to a client`s case we may also record some sensitive classes of information: details of physical, emotional or mental status, religious or other beliefs, sexual life, offences or alleged offences
· For safeguarding purposes: contact details for your GP and your Next of Kin
For Insurance purposes:
We are required to maintain your therapeutic records safely and securely for 7 years after your last session with us (or to age 21 in the case of a minor). After that, or on the death or retirement of your therapist, the records will be securely destroyed.
Sharing of Information:
We sometimes need to share the personal information we process with the individual client or student and also with other individuals or organisations. Where this is necessary we are required to comply with all aspects of the Data Protection Act (DPA). Normally information is not shared unless you have given us written or verbal permission to share information with named third parties. If safeguarding issues are involved for yourself or others we may need to share information without your direct consent.
If necessary or required by law we may sometimes share information with:
• Police
• Healthcare professionals
• Social and welfare organisations
• Business associates such as other complementary therapists
• Family, associates and representatives of the person whose personal data we are processing
• Professional organisations and examining bodies.
You have a right to see copies of information which is held about you if requested in writing.
We are obliged to provide that information within 40 days of the request being received.
You have a right to ask us to delete or destroy all of the information that we may hold about you.
If we are not required by law or for safeguarding purposes to maintain that information we will comply with your request.