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Privacy Policy

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I am committed to safeguarding the confidential nature of my work and the privacy of my clients.  This statement sets out how I process and store the personal data I hold about you.

 

I am registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) as a Controller of Data.

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My contact details:

 

Toni Kearton Counselling

Contact Name: Antonia Kearton

Address: Culreach, Grantown on Spey, PH26 3NH

Telephone: 07760 365958

Email: tonikearton@protonmail.com

Web address: www.tonikeartoncounselling.co.uk

ICO reference no: ZB512809

To find out more about General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and your rights, please see: https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/ or https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/

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What type of information do I collect and hold?


I collect and hold personal information about you. Personal information for data collection purposes includes any information that can be used to identify a living person. This includes your name, address, contact details including telephone numbers and email addresses. If we agree to work together I will also ask for your data of birth, GP name/address, and emergency contact name, address and phone no.

 

I also keep short anonymised notes of client sessions. It’s not a legal requirement for counsellors to keep notes of client sessions, but it’s considered to be good practice. These help me to remember significant areas we have been working on. You have the right to request that I don’t keep notes of my sessions with you, or to see any notes I have in relation to your therapy sessions.

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How I get the information and why I have it

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The personal information I process is provided to me directly by you.

 

Initial enquiries to Toni Kearton Counselling usually contain some personal information such as names, emails and phone numbers. They may be received in person, by phone, text, email or web form. Emails are received direct to myself, or via a webform on my website or on a counselling directory listing. Initial contact may be also be made via social media platforms.

 

Once we agree to work together, I will request that you complete a client details form including your name, email, phone, address, date of birth and GP surgery, as well as an emergency contact. I also request that you sign a Counselling Contract (in hard copy or electronically). These documents are either given to me in hard copy or emailed directly to me.

 

Any client data collected and/or retained by Toni Kearton Counselling (including personal information) is processed in order to make relevant contact with you and to provide you with my therapeutic counselling service. It is also processed in order to comply with any legal or professional body responsibilities that ensue in the delivery of counselling services.

 

I always hold your information securely and use it lawfully. Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the lawful bases I rely on for collecting and holding your personal data are:

  • contractual obligation – I cannot offer you my services without holding data such as name and contact details

  • legal obligation – I need to hold data for legal purposes such as providing tax records

  • legitimate interest – I need to hold and store data for the purposes of running my practice and protecting my interests

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What I do with the information

 

First and foremost your information will be used to provide you with therapeutic support via my counselling service.

 

Your information is never used for any marketing purposes or sold to other individuals or organisations.


Anonymised notes of our sessions are used for the purpose of ongoing therapeutic support. They may also be used for anonymised case studies as required by professional body membership conditions or research purposes. 


If you do not consent to my keeping your data we will record your contact anonymously but will be limited in the level of therapeutic support we may be able to provide.

 

I do not share personal identifying information with anyone or any other business, except in the following rare situations:

  • with your consent – I may share your information with professional carers or others whom you have requested or agreed we should contact.

  • Serious harm – I may share your information with the relevant authorities if I have reason to believe that this may prevent serious harm being cased to you or another person.

  • Compliance with the law – I will share your information where I am required to by law.

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How I store your information

 

Your information is securely stored by Toni Kearton Counselling.

 

Your name, address and identifiable information, and the signed counselling contract, may be stored in hard copy or in electronic copy (depending on how you supply it to me).

 

I store paper records which include personal information in a locked filing box.

 

Clinical notes are recorded electronically.

 

Electronic information is password protected and encrypted (including email, telephone numbers and texts) and held on password protected devices. Documents containing personal details (including name & contact details), and clinical notes, are individually password-protected and encrypted. I store your contact details separately from my clinical notes, and clinical notes are stored anonymously to protect client identity (I give each client a code). I have a separate phone for my counselling work, which is also password-protected.

 

If you contact me to make an enquiry I will hold your details for 6 months. If we work together, session notes will be destroyed 7 years after the end of counselling, in line with legal and professional requirements. After this time, data is disposed of securely and confidentiality via deletion of electronic records, and shredding or incineration of paper records.

 

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Your data protection rights


Under data protection law, you have rights including:

  • 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 personal 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 personal information in certain circumstances.

  • Your right to object to processing - You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.

  • 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, in certain circumstances.


You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. If you make a request, I have one month to respond to you. Please contact me at tonikearton@protonmail.com or telephone 07760 365958 if you wish to make a request.

 

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Third party data collection & processing:


The Toni Kearton Counselling website is hosted by Wix, and contact may be made directly through the website using the web form. You can see Wix’s privacy policy here:

https://www.wix.com/about/privacy

 

The Toni Kearton Counselling website collects visitor information through Google Analytics. This information is anonymised and should not personally identify you. You can see Google’s privacy policy here: Privacy Policy – Privacy & Terms – Google

 

Toni Kearton Counselling is listed on two counselling directories, Psychology Today and Counselling Directory, and contact may be made through these sites. You can see their privacy policies here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/docs/privacy-policy

https://www.counselling-directory.org.uk/privacy.html

 

 

Social Media Statement

 

I engage with Social Media (principally Facebook) both privately and professionally. There is a chance if you use social media yourself you may see some of my activity.

 

You can choose to view my posts without liking or commenting, and that way no-one, including myself, will know you have seen my post. Please bear in mind that if you like or comment on my posts, these can be seen by anyone who visits my page.

 

I have colleagues, family and friends who follow me on social media. I will never identify you as a client.

 

I will reply to comments or messages on my posts, but I will not engage in counselling on social media. If you are seeking counselling, I will invite you to contact me directly by another means (email, phone or text).

 

I do not accept “friend” requests from current clients to my personal social media accounts.

 

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Living Will

 

In the event of my death or incapacitation through illness, a nominated person (also a qualified counsellor) will receive the names and contact details of my current clients. This person will contact my current clients to inform them of my situation.

 

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How to complain


If you have any concerns about my use of your personal information, you can make a complaint to me using the contact details at the top of this privacy policy. You can also complain to the ICO if you are unhappy with how I have used your data.


The ICO’s address:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire SK9 5AF

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ICO Helpline number: 0303 123 1113

website: https://www.ico.org.uk

 

 

 

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Toni Kearton Counselling privacy policy

last updated: April 2023

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