Privacy, Data and our Policy

Ameliorate Counselling is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected.

Collecting only relevant information related to the services we provide, and for counselling purposes only,

I am registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO registered) - Formerly called Data Protection Registrar - who upholds information rights in the public interest, promoting openness by public bodies and data privacy for individuals.

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Our Payment and Cancellation Policy

I understand that somethings are avoidable, and try to understand where ever possible.

Sadly, due to did not attend (DNA), counsellors require payment to be completed at least 48 hours before your session is due in order to secure your session, and at least 48 hour’s notice for cancellations.

If payment is not received within (48 hours before session) counsellors reserve the right to cancel the session (at counsellors discretion, the full or part fee may be charged).

Please bear in mind that a DNA/cancelled appointment can have the following affects

It can pause or slow down therapy, or that of another client who could have potentially used this time slot. Sessions are scheduled in advance and are reserved for our clients.

When a session is a DNA/cancelled without adequate notice, we are unable to fill those time slots with short notice, or fill these with a client on the waiting list.

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I am afraid we are not a crisis service, however if you are experiencing distressing thoughts and feel you may be at risk of harming yourself or someone else, please contact one of the following:

The Samaritans on 116 123 https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/talk-us-phone/

Your doctors surgery

NHS direct on 111, or in an emergency dial 999 or go to your local hospital A&E department.

We also have useful website links, such as NHS crisis team, refuge and forward thinking crisis which can be found on our home page under more, then useful links.

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Ameliorate Counselling client privacy notice

This privacy notice tells you what to expect us to do with your personal information.

· What information we collect, use, and why

· Lawful bases and data protection rights

· Where we get personal information from

· How long we keep information

· Who we share information with

· How to complain

· Contact us at https://amelioratecounselling.co.uk/contact-us or via our main contact page

What information we collect, use, and why

Counselling sessions: We take confidentiality seriously and pride ourselves in placing client protection at the forefront. Any session notes - counselling records or information we use within a counselling sessions, or by the counsellor at any point, will be kept safe, secure, and confidential.

Any information collected will be protected, encrypted using secure passwords and stored securely following the Data Protection Act 2018.

Counsellors are legally required to inform the relevant authorities if - there is a threat of harm to yourself or others, or where we believe you are at risk of harm, and/or safeguarding issues arise.

Counsellors are required to complete regular supervision, which we undertake as members of the BACP and NCPS, adhering to set guidelines, for good practice, and to work as best as we can for our clients.

Only in exceptional circumstances would information be shared with relevant authorities, or as a legal requirement:

We collect or use the following information for safeguarding or public protection reasons:

· Name, address and contact details

· Emergency contact details

· Health information (including medical conditions, allergies, medical requirements and medical history)

We also collect the following information for safeguarding or public protection reasons:

· Health information

We collect or use the following personal information to comply with legal requirements:

· Name

· Contact information

· Health and safety information

· Safeguarding information

Lawful bases and data protection rights

Under UK data protection law, we must have a “lawful basis” for collecting and using your personal information. There is a list of possible lawful bases in the UK GDPR. You can find out more about lawful bases on the ICO’s website.

Which lawful basis we rely on may affect your data protection rights which are in brief set out below. You can find out more about your data protection rights and the exemptions which may apply on the ICO’s website:

· Your right of access - You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information. You can request other information such as details about where we get personal information from and who we share personal information with. There are some exemptions which means you may not receive all the information you ask for. You can read more about this right here.

· Your right to rectification - You have the right to ask us to correct or delete personal information you think is inaccurate or incomplete. You can read more about this right here.

· Your right to erasure - You have the right to ask us to delete your personal information. You can read more about this right here.

· Your right to restriction of processing - You have the right to ask us to limit how we can use your personal information. You can read more about this right here.

· Your right to object to processing - You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data. You can read more about this right here.

· Your right to data portability - You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or to you. You can read more about this right here.

· Your right to withdraw consent – When we use consent as our lawful basis you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. You can read more about this right here.

If you make a request, we must respond to you without undue delay and in any event within one month.

To make a data protection rights request, please contact us using the contact details at the top of this privacy notice.

Our lawful bases for the collection and use of your data

Our lawful bases for collecting or using personal information for safeguarding or public protection reasons are:

· Contract – we have to collect or use the information so we can enter into or carry out a contract with you. All of your data protection rights may apply except the right to object.

· Legal obligation – we have to collect or use your information so we can comply with the law. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to erasure, the right to object and the right to data portability.

· Vital interests – collecting or using the information is needed when someone’s physical or mental health or wellbeing is at urgent or serious risk. This includes an urgent need for life sustaining food, water, clothing or shelter. All of your data protection rights may apply, except the right to object and the right to portability.

Our lawful bases for collecting or using personal information to comply with legal requirements are:

· Contract – we have to collect or use the information so we can enter into or carry out a contract with you. All of your data protection rights may apply except the right to object.

Where we get personal information from

· Directly from you

· Other health and care providers

· Doctor / GP

Who we share information with - Others we share personal information with

· Other health providers (eg GPs and consultants)

· Organisations we need to share information with for safeguarding reasons

· Emergency services

Duty of confidentiality

We are subject to a common law duty of confidentiality. However, there are circumstances where we will share relevant health and care information. These are where:

· you’ve provided us with your consent (we have taken it as implied to provide you with care, or you have given it explicitly for other uses);

· we have a legal requirement (including court orders) to collect, share or use the data;

· on a case-by-case basis, the public interest to collect, share and use the data overrides the public interest served by protecting the duty of confidentiality (for example sharing information with the police to support the detection or prevention of serious crime);

· If in England or Wales – the requirements of The Health Service (Control of Patient Information) Regulations 2002 are satisfied; or

· If in Scotland – we have the authority to share provided by the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland, the Chief Executive of NHS Scotland, the Public Benefit and Privacy Panel for Health and Social Care or other similar governance and scrutiny process.

How to complain

If you have any concerns about our use of your personal data, you can make a complaint to us using the contact details at the top of this privacy notice.

If you remain unhappy with how we’ve used your data after raising a complaint with us, you can also complain to the ICO.

The ICO’s address:

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113

Website: https://www.ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint

Privacy, Data and our Policy

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