Privacy Notice
Please read this notice carefully. There is also a General Data Protection Regulation Policy (GDPR) available which should be read together with this notice.
I, Sharon Baker, am the data controller and am registered with the Information Commissioners officer. ICO registration reference: ZA465105
Any communications made over the internet can not be guaranteed as 100% secure. Please bear this in mind when communicating information to me. Any information you chose to send to me using this format is your responsibility.
The information you provide to me will be used to carry out my professional obligation to you.
If you wish to obtain further information about GDPR and your rights, please visit the Information Commissioners Office website on https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/
Or by telephone on 0303 123 1113
This notice was written by Sharon Baker and will be reviewed in September 2021
GDPR Policy
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force in May 2018. This policy explains how I will handle, process and store your data. Please read it carefully and ask me any questions you may have about it. I am the data controller and am registered with the Information Commissioners officer. ICO registration reference: ZA465105
I will collect personal information about you and our sessions together. This will include, but is not limited to:
Your name and contact details (address, telephone number and email)
Your date of birth
Your registered GP surgery
Your occupation
Your marital status and number of children
Details regarding your physical and mental health
Details regarding your life experiences.
This information will be used to carry out my professional and contractual obligation to you. Your actual first name only will be used in my diary to book appointments.
Any records that I keep about you will be held securely in a locked filing cabinet. Your sessions notes and any associated documentation will use a pseudonym and will be kept in a separate locked filing cabinet from your real identity. Your records will be stored for 8 years after your last therapy session. After this period, your records will be destroyed.
When not in use, the audio recording device is locked away securely.
I will not tell anyone what we talk about in sessions except in the context of my professional supervision and training. The only time I will involve a third party will be to maintain the safety of yourself or another person, for example, if I thought you were in danger of harming yourself or another person. I will endeavour to negotiate with you regarding the involvement of a third party.
Your basic contact details may need to be released if requested by Public Health England for example: a pandemic. This will not give away your identity as a client nor mine as a psychotherapist.
I am required to have clinical supervision. This is a requirement for all counsellors and psychotherapists whether they are fully qualified or a trainee. It forms part of our ethical practice and ensures that you, the client, receive the most appropriate care. My clinical supervisor is also bound by GDPR and confidentiality regulations.
In the event of telephone or online counselling sessions, I will ensure that I am in a room where I will not be disturbed or overheard for the length of our session. Please ensure that you are able to do the same. If this is not possible, please contact me to discuss/
To aid confidentiality, I will wear earphones with an attached microphone for these sessions.
I will use an online platform recommended by an e-safety consultant as being secure for therapy purposes. Where WriteUpp is used for the purpose of video consultation, your name and contact details (telephone number and email) will be kept on this platform. This platform is ISO27001 certified and registered with the Information Commissioners officer. ICO registration reference: Z2865352. If you require more information about the privacy policy of WriteUpp, please contact me and I will happily provide this information.
You will be contacted by the executor or a co-executer of my professional will. They will contact you only in the event of my death or if I suddenly become incapacitated or admitted to hospital and am unable to do this myself. The executor and co-executers are within the psychotherapy field and are bound by GDPR and confidentiality regulations.
You have the right to view or obtain copies of any information that I hold about you. This is to be provided free of charge, within 28 days of your request and in either electronic or paper format.
You have the right to ask for any incorrect information to be amended.
You have the right to ask for any information that I hold about you to be erased. This is not an absolute right and only applies in certain circumstances.
If you wish to implement any of these rights, please discuss with me or contact me via email: hello@sharonbakerwellbeing.co.uk
Any communications made over email or text can not be guaranteed as 100% secure. Please bear this in mind when communicating information to me. Any information you chose to send to me using these formats is your responsibility.
My mobile telephone, laptop and email are password protected. My laptop is protected from viruses and spyware using Norton Security.
If you wish to obtain further information about GDPR and your rights, please visit the Information Commissioners Office website on https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/
Or by telephone on 0303 123 1113
This policy was written by Sharon Baker and will be reviewed in September 2024