Privacy Policy
Making Connections Ltd Wellbeing and Counselling Services Website and GDPR Privacy Statement
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is concerned with the personal information about you that Making Connections Ltd collect, store and share. Detailed below is Making Connections Ltd policy.
This policy is set out in accordance with the that set out by the Information Commissioners Office.
General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) information for counselling with Making Connections Ltd
This statement details how personal information is collected, stored, shared and processed including special category data.
Information collected
If you choose to become a client of Making Connections Ltd, we will hold the following information.
- Name
- Contact number
- Address
- Date of birth
- Emergency contact name and number
- GP details
- Financial details (by proxy on Making Connections Ltd bank statement after you have made a payment)
How information is used
The client information collected is used only if there is an emergency during our sessions. GP details will only be used with your permission and / or if there is an immediate safeguarding issue.
The age of under 18’s is stored to assist with the storing of information (7 years after the child turns 18).
Sharing of personal information
Personal data is only used in relation to the delivery of Making Connections Ltd services, and are not used for marketing purposes or sold to third parties. There are very specific limited counselling reasons why your personal data may be shared.
Legitimate interest
The personal data shared will be adequate and proportionate e.g. the minimum required. If Making Connections Ltd believe yours or another person (or group of people’s) safety is at significant risk, we may contact the suitable authority without your permission. This includes your doctor, the emergency services and the mental health crisis team.
In accordance with the law any information relating to acts of terrorism, drug / human trafficking and / or money laundering, ongoing abuse of a minor or vulnerable adult will be passed on to the authorities. Making Connections Ltd will attempt to gain your permission before breaking confidentiality in these instances, however, the right is retained to do so without your permission.
Supervision
In compliance with BACP, Making Connections Ltd therapists are required to attend regular supervision sessions with a suitably qualified therapeutic supervisor. Although aspects of our work together will be discussed, your name and contact details will not be revealed. All our therapeutic supervisors are bound by similar confidentiality and GDPR policies.
Clinical Will
In the event of the death of your Making Connections Ltd counsellor or their becoming incapacitated an appointed person will pass a sealed envelope from our secure storage containing name and contact details of their current clients to Making Connections Ltd’s clinical supervisor. This is to enable the supervisor to make contact regarding the counsellor’s situation and to discuss your counselling options moving forward to maintain your safety. Our clinical supervisor follows the same confidentiality system as Making Connections Ltd.
Legal obligation
Making Connections Ltd may be required to share information in your notes if issued with a court order or similar.
Financial records for the purpose of tax returns are required to be kept for 7 years.
Consent
We will comply with your request if you ask for your notes / information to be shared with other professionals or your legal representatives.
We will comply with your request if you ask to be added to a distribution list for notification of future events.
Data retention schedule
If you choose not to continue with counselling after the initial session your information will be confidentially disposed of 2 weeks later.
If you choose to continue with counselling, client notes are kept anonymised and separately from name / email address for 7 years after the last session. For under 18’s name / contact and anonymised notes will be kept for 7 years after the age of 18 is reached.
If you book onto an event your personal data will be kept for one week after the date of the event. Your name and attendance data will be kept for 7 years.
At the expiry of the above periods, this information will be confidentially destroyed unless subject to a court order or similar.
Your rights under GDPR
- Right to be informed
- Right to access the information held about you
- Right to rectification
- Right to erasure, not applicable to lawful reason legal obligation
- Right to restrict processing
- Right to data portability, not applicable to lawful reasons legal obligation / legitimate interest
- Right to object, not applicable to lawful reason / legal obligation
- Rights related to automated decisions
It should be noted that the ICO state that these are not all absolute rights: https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/individual-rights/
If you are concerned about how your data has been used by Making Connections Ltd, if you feel you are able you should discuss it with us in the first instance. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office ICO: 0303 123 113.
