Privacy Policy

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 Karen Bolton Counselling Privacy Notice

My contact details 

Name: Karen Bolton 

Phone Number: 07940 715030

E-mail: contact@karenboltoncounselling.co.uk

ICO registration: ZA562860

When you trust me with your personal information, I take my responsibility to protect it very seriously. I respect privacy, and your rights to control your personal information. This privacy notice explains how I use any personal information I collect about you as part of providing a counselling service. As a sole trader who does not employ anyone else, I will manage all information collection and storage. 

Please read this Privacy Notice carefully to understand my views and practices regarding your personal information, and make sure you understand it. Your acceptance of my Privacy Notice is deemed to occur upon your first use of my website and/or acceptance of a counselling service, so if you do not accept and agree with it you must stop using my website or counselling service immediately. 

How I get information about you

I collect and process information about you when: 

• you voluntarily complete an enquiry form on my website karenboltoncounselling.co.uk 
• you voluntarily complete an enquiry form on a third party website on which I am listed
• you voluntarily contact me via phone, WhatsApp or email 
• you voluntarily complete a counselling contract and at your first counselling session 
• I  complete an assessment form with your consent at your first counselling session 
• I write anonymised notes with your consent following each counselling session you attend

What information I collect about you

I collect and process personal and sensitive information about you which includes:

• Personal contact details including name, address, postcode, telephone contact,  email contact, GP contact 
• Contract details includes consent to receive counselling as set out in the working  agreement details 
• Assessment details includes reasons for attending counselling, health &  medication where applicable to reasons for attending counselling, what you want to gain from counselling 
• Session note details include concise and factual summaries of issues discussed
• My website provider uses cookies which are text files placed on your computer to collect visitor behaviour information; my website provider makes uses of Google Analytics, which does not store any personal information, to  provide stats on how the website is being used 

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the lawful bases I rely on for processing this information are: 

(a) Your consent for one or more specific purposes e.g. receiving information about the counselling service I offer and attending counselling sessions 

You have the right to withdraw consent for your processing of information at any time. Please contact contact@karenboltoncounselling.co.uk to request this.

(b) We have a contractual obligation e.g. attending counselling sessions 

How I will use the information you have given

• Personal contact details - to be able to contact you      between sessions to confirm arrangements including payments and      cancellations
• Contract details – to gain consent for counselling to be provided      within the boundaries of the working agreement and use this      to refer back to where necessary
• Assessment details – to gain greater understanding of  your reasons and expectations of counselling and help inform my  counselling approach
• Session notes – to have an aide memoir of session content
• Supervision – to refer to client work at regular professional supervision which is a requirement for all registered member  of the BACP; information will be anonymised and supervisors are subject to      the same confidentiality requirements with the BACP ethical framework 

I do not and will not sell your information to third parties. I may share your information if I had concerns about serious harm to yourself or another or where there is a statutory obligation for me to disclose. 

How I store your information

• Personal contact details – these are stored electronically on a mobile phone  protected by pin and computer protected by password; these devices are only in use by me
• Personal contact, contract, assessment & session notes – these are stored in print in a locked, fire-proof filing cabinet in a domestic residence

In line with BACP guidelines and insurance requirements, I keep your information for 36 months following the end of our contract/counselling sessions after which they are confidentially destroyed.

How you can access your information

You have the right to request copies of your information at any time. 

Please submit your request in writing to contact@karenboltoncounselling.co.uk and providing your request is not manifestly unfounded or excessive, I will ensure you receive the information no later than 28 days after the request has been made. 

If for any reason I refuse your request I will explain why and you have the right to contact the Information Commission’s Office (ICO) to complain. Contact details for the ICO can be found below. 

Your rights under data protection law

• Your right of access - You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information. 
• Your right to rectification - You have the right to ask us to rectify information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete. 
• Your right to erasure - You have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances. 
• Your right to restriction of processing - You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your information in  certain circumstances. 
• Your right to object to processing - You have the right to object      to the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.
• Your right to data portability - You have the right to ask that we transfer the information you gave us to  another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances.
• You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you.

Please contact me at contact@karenboltoncounselling.co.uk if you wish to make a request.

How you can complain

You can also complain to the ICO if you are unhappy with how I have used your data.

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113

Website: ico.org.uk/global/contact-us