Privacy Policy (GDPR Data Protection)
Contact details
Name: Duncan Stoddart Counselling, Psychotherapy & Supervision
Address: 24 St John’s Hill, Shrewsbury SY1 1JJ
Phone number: 07900 307903
Email: mail@duncanstoddart.com
Duncan Stoddart is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Register of Data Controllers (ICO) and as such is required to be transparent about how and why personal data is gathered, recorded, stored, and how and when it is deleted.
The type of personal information Duncan Stoddart collects
Duncan Stoddart currently collects and processes the following information:
- personal identifiers, contacts and characteristics (for example, name and contact details)
- information contained in emails, website contact forms, texts or other messaging services
- information recorded on voicemail or audio messages
- anonymised therapy session notes
- counselling and psychotherapy agreements
- GDPR Privacy Policy Consent forms
- other necessary consent forms
How Duncan Stoddart gets the personal information and why he has it
Duncan Stoddart collects your personal information via the following ways:
- emails, website contact forms, texts or other messaging services
- voicemail or audio messages
- therapy session notes
- counselling and psychotherapy contracts (i.e. agreements)
- GDPR Privacy Policy Consent forms
- other necessary consent forms
Most of the personal information Duncan Stoddart processes is provided to him directly by you for one of the following reasons:
- initial enquiry for counselling, psychotherapy or supervision
- enquiry for general, non-personal advice
- your decision to engage in the therapeutic service that Duncan Stoddart offers
Duncan Stoddart also occasionally receives personal information indirectly. For example, when an individual or organisation enquires into counselling or psychotherapy on behalf of an individual. He collects this information in order to make contact with that individual directly so that he may ascertain whether or not they wish to engage in counselling or psychotherapy.
Duncan Stoddart uses the information you have given him in order to:
- contact you and explain the introductory process to counselling and psychotherapy
- arrange and send confirmation of your initial consultation
- answer any questions you may have that may relate to your needs
- write therapy session notes in order to maintain a record of your sessions, and to enhance and improve the quality of the therapeutic experience
- continue his professional development (CPD) or for marketing purposes
- analyse data trends within his practice, such as numbers of clients per year and duration of therapy
I may share your information with GPs and healthcare agencies in cases where ethical issues make it necessary to do so (see under “Confidentiality”, below).
Lawful Basis
Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR, 2018), the lawful bases Duncan Stoddart relies on for processing this information are:
(i) Legitimate interest:
- providing a counselling, psychotherapy and supervision service to the public
- operating this practice as a business to generate a livelihood
- promoting and marketing this business
- protecting Duncan Stoddart’s professional and ethical reputation as a therapist where necessary
- pursuing and fulfilling a vocation
(ii) Contract: data processing is necessary for a contract Duncan Stoddart has with a client or supervisee. Contracts include a Counselling & Psychotherapy Agreement that sets out ethical boundaries, confidentiality, client and supervisee rights, agreed fees, etc.
Special Category Condition
As a counsellor, psychotherapist and supervisor, Duncan Stoddart processes personal information and data under a Special Category Condition in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018. This special category identifies a Substantial Public Interest condition which includes counselling and psychotherapy. See Data Protection Act 2018, Article 9(g), DPA 2018 condition of Schedule 1, Part 1, Paragraph 17: Counselling, etc.
How Duncan Stoddart stores your personal information
Duncan Stoddart will protect your information securely in any or all of the following ways:
- assigned client codes to anonymise data
- computer, phone or device access passwords
- encrypted documentation
- password-protected back-ups on local drives
- ultimate back-ups automatically deleted after approximately 18 months
- all information on paper will be secured in a locked filing cabinet
Duncan Stoddart will dispose your information in the following ways:
- anonymised session notes written by hand will usually be shredded within 8 months of the last session. A summary sheet of such notes will be kept electronically and encrypted. These will be retained for the legal requirement of 7 years after which time they will be deleted.
- emails will be deleted within 24 months
- personal contact details will be deleted after 7 years
Your data protection rights
Under data protection law, you have rights including:
- Your right of access: You have the right to ask Duncan Stoddart for copies of your personal information.
- Your right to rectification: You have the right to ask Duncan Stoddart to rectify personal information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask Duncan Stoddart to complete information you think is incomplete.
- Your right to erasure: You have the right to ask Duncan Stoddart to erase your personal information in certain circumstances.
- Your right to restriction of processing: You have the right to ask Duncan Stoddart 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.
You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. If you make a request, Duncan Stoddart has one month to respond to you. If you wish to make a request please write to Duncan Stoddart at the contact details above.
Confidentiality
All therapy sessions will be conducted in confidence. The date, time, session number and brief notes will be documented anonymously.
Confidentiality, in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation 2018 (GDPR), will be maintained and applied to all records with the exception of the following:
- when compelled to give evidence by a court of law
- if it is considered there is a real possibility of harm to yourself or others, or in such instances when information is of such a gravity that confidentiality cannot be maintained, for example:
– safeguarding adults (adult protection)
– safeguarding children (child protection)
– offences involving children under the age of 18
– in cases of terrorism, fraud or money laundering
Website
This Privacy Policy sets out how Duncan Stoddart Counselling & Psychotherapy uses and protects any information that you provide when you use the www.dscounselling.net website. By visiting the www.dscounselling.net website you accept and consent to the terms described in this privacy policy. Duncan is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected.
Security
Transmission of data and information via the website is not a secure or an encrypted transmission method for sending your personal data, unless otherwise indicated on the website. Your attention is therefore drawn to the fact that any information and personal data carried over the internet is not secure. Information and personal data may be intercepted, lost, corrupted or accessed by other people.
Cookies
A cookie is a small file which asks permission to be placed on your computer’s hard drive. Once you agree, the file is added and the cookie helps analyse web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site. Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.
Duncan Stoddart may use traffic log cookies to identify which pages are being used. This helps analyse web page traffic and improve the website in order to tailor it to customer needs.
Overall, cookies help Duncan provide you with a better website, by enabling him to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not. A cookie in no way gives Duncan Stoddart access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with him.
You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. This may prevent you from taking full advantage of the website.
Links to external websites
Duncan Stoddart’s website may contain links to other websites of interest. However, once you have used these links to leave www.dscounselling.net you should note that Duncan Stoddart does not have any control over that other website. Therefore, he cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy policy. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.
Controlling your personal information
Duncan Stoddart will not sell, distribute or lease your personal information to third parties unless he has your permission or is required by law to do so.
Duncan Stoddart aims to keep all personal data up to date. If you believe that any information he is holding about you is incorrect or incomplete, please write to Duncan Stoddart as soon as possible, at the above address and he will promptly correct any information found to be incorrect.
Amendments and updates
Duncan Stoddart may amend and/or update this privacy policy from time to time without notice, in which case he will publish the amended version on the website. Duncan Stoddart shall not be liable to you or any third party for any changes made to this privacy policy. It is your responsibility to check this page from time to time to ensure that you understand and accept any changes.
How to complain
If you have any concerns about Duncan Stoddart’s use of your personal information, you can make a complaint to him by writing to the contact details above.
You can also complain to the ICO if you are unhappy with how we have used your data. The ICO’s address:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Helpline number: 0303 123 1113
ICO website: https://www.ico.org.uk
September 2022