Privacy Notice
Your privacy and confidentiality is important to me and I am committed to the principles of confidentiality and good practice as set out in the Data Protection Act 1998 and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) May 2018. To that end, I would like to set out how I use and protect any information that you give to me via a contact through my website, through a referral from Oxford Therapy and Self-Development (OTS) or as part of our work and conversations. Please be assured that any information that you provide to me, by which you can be identified, will only be used in accordance with this privacy policy. I may change this policy from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes. This policy is effective from 14th June 2018. If you use one of the forms on my website, you may choose to provide the following information:
• name
• contact information including email address
• demographic information such as address & postcode
Why is it being provided? Your information is being provided so that I am able to contact you to discuss session times or changes and in case of any emergency that should arise during our work.
Who will see it? Your name and contact details are kept by me, in a locked filing cabinet in a home office. As soon as we begin our work together, I assign you an individual code which I then use in any written document instead of your name. The only place your name and code appear together is in the locked filing cabinet. I make short notes following each session on an electronic device that is password protected. In these notes, I never use your name or any identifying details, but use the code, instead. These notes are never shared with anyone else, although they may be requested by a court of law.
I will keep your details in this cabinet for up to 5 years following the end of our work together.
Your personal details will never be shared with anyone, apart from me, without your permission. It will never be used or shared for marketing purposes.
Part of my professional registration is a commitment to having regular supervision with a more experienced therapist, with whom I discuss clients. This supervisor is also committed to confidentiality for their supervisees and their clients and I only use first names when discussing clients and will never give this supervisor any further identifying details.
Whilst I am committed to confidentiality in our work together, I am also responsible to legal requirements, which may mean that I have to break that confidentiality.
Circumstances when Confidentiality may be breached:
I would be legally required to disclose certain information should the following circumstances occur:
• Where there is a risk or perceived risk of serious harm to the client or another identifiable person.
• The Terrorism Act 2000. Section 19 requires disclosure of information regarding terrorist offences. Therapists are required to inform on the basis of belief or suspicion of an offence or intended offence. Failure to inform is an offence, which can lead to a fine, imprisonment for up to five years or both.
• The Road Traffic Act 1988 (Section 172) Section 94 of the Act states that if a person knows that s/he is suffering from a relevant or prospective disability, s/he must inform the DVLA. Failure to do so without reasonable excuse is on offence. Therefore: Section 172 states that any person who is aware that the driver of vehicle is committing an offence shall provide information if required that will lead to the identification of the driver. Failure to do so is an offence.
• The Drug Trafficking Act 1994 This Act requires disclosure of information concerning anyone making money through drug trafficking,
• The Children Act 1989, 2004 Current law has moved in the direction of enabling professionals to share information when a need is identified and this is regulated by child protection legislation. There is an ethical requirement to both inform and cooperate with appropriate safeguarding agencies; Child abuse includes physical, emotional or sexual abuse and also applies to children living in a home in which domestic violence occurs, where the abuse on the child may be indirect. The courts can also order disclosure of information in other circumstances. It’s a very complex area so we would always seek advice from professional associations before breaking confidentiality on a legal