PRIVACY POLICY
What data will I hold?
If you complete the website contact form, I will collect the necessary information to allow me to answer your query. This information will be held electronically for booking and administrative purposes only and will not be shared with any third party services. Once the query has been dealt with, I will delete electronic messages within 7 days.
If you make an appointment with Casselden Psychology Services I will keep a record of your name, contact details and appointment details for administration purposes. Your contact details will be stored in my Protonmail contact list, which is a highly encrypted, GDPR-compliant service.
New clients will be asked to fill out a self-referral form to gather relevant information regarding your current difficulties, hopes and expectations from the service, as well as details regarding your GP and emergency contact information. This information will help to make sure that Casselden Psychology Services is the correct one for you, and for risk management purposes. Any information collected from this stage onwards, including session notes, will be stored electronically in a password-protected file.
How will my data be stored?
All client information will be stored electronically in a password-protected file.
Casselden Psychology Services uses a Protonmail email address. Protonmail is GDPR-compliant and a highly encrypted email service. Protonmail servers are encrypted which means that data cannot be accessed by others, including Protonmail.
It is important to note, however, that I have no responsibility for how you store or protect emails you send or receive from me, or how you dispose of notes that you take during our sessions together.
During our sessions I may take some notes about the content of the session. Any notes recorded will be factual records only. Notes will be kept electronically in a password-protected file, and stored securely in accordance with GDPR (2018). These notes will only be viewed by me and will not be shared with any third parties. It is a professional requirement that notes are stored for 7 years, after which time they will be destroyed. Any paper notes taken during the session will be shredded after the session ends.
Can I access my records?
You have the right to request access to your records. If you make a data request there will be an admin fee and I may request additional proof of identity. Notes will remain confidential except where there is a legal requirement to share them such as a Court Order.
I take no responsibility for notes that you choose to take during our sessions, how you decide to store them or who you share information regarding the content of our sessions with.
Who might information be shared with and why?
Our relationship is a professional one and any information that you share with me will be maintained in accordance with the codes of conduct and legal requirements of my profession. Effectively this means that any information that you share with me will be kept confidential EXCEPT in the following circumstances:
If I consider that there is a risk that you may harm yourself or someone else.
When disclosure if in the public interest to prevent a miscarriage of justice or where there is a legal duty, e.g. a Court Order.
When there is need-to-know information for another health provider, such as your GP.
In the exceptional circumstance where I may be considering breaching confidentiality, you will normally be consulted first. Where I have concerns about your immediate safety, I will contact your named next of kin and/or your GP. Where possible I will let you know that I am planning to do this and will only share information relevant to the immediate emergency.
If concerns arise about a disclosure relating to acts of terrorism, vulnerable adult or child protection issues or drug trafficking, confidentiality will be breached, and such disclosures will be passed onto the relevant authority without delay. Due consideration should be exercised before disclosing anything of a previously unreported criminal nature, as I am legally bound to contact relevant authorities.
As a Clinical Psychologist I am required to engage in regular clinical supervision, in order to ensure that I am providing the best care possible to my clients. I will discuss my cases in supervision but I will not share any personal identifying information regarding individual clients. My clinical supervisor will be bound to the same confidentiality requirements as I am.