Privacy Policy

The General Data Protection Regulation

This privacy policy governs the way in which Kevyn Hopkins-Hall uses, maintains, and discloses information collected from clients using Kevyn Hopkins-Hall of Hedgehog Counselling. This policy applies to the practice, website and services offered by Kevyn Hopkins-Hall, online, by telephone or within his private practice.

 

Clients seeking therapy will be issued with this policy at prior to the initial session which you will be asked to sign that you understand and agree with how information is collected, stored and used.

 

When you start therapy with me I will collect some personal information. This will be your name, address, contact details, GP and other professionals that you may already be working with and other relevant history. I keep basic factual clinical notes of our sessions. These notes are kept separate to the above contact information and will not contain name or any identifiable details. I do not share these notes with anyone. The only exception to this, is if my notes are subpoenaed by a court of law.

 

How I store your information 

I keep basic factual clinical notes of our sessions. These notes are kept separate to the above contact information and will not contain name or any identifiable details.

 

All the above information and notes are kept on a password protected drive.

 

Your contact number will be saved in my smartphone with your first name only for calls and text messages about appointments. My smartphone is secured with a password and is separate to my personal phone.

 

Your email and correspondence between us is stored on my computer which is password protected.

 

 

Documents Held

If you start therapy with me I will keep some documents relating to you. These are:

 

Contract of Work and Privacy Statement - You will be asked to sign this and return a copy prior to the first session

 

Clinical session notes – These are anonymised and kept separately from your information in a password protected folder, accessible only to me.

 

 

 

How I may share your information

Supervision - I attend regular clinical supervision to ensure I am working to my best ability for you and the work we have undertaken together. I will not identify you there but will talk about the work we are exploring.

 

Therapeutic will - Your name and contact details will be shared with my therapeutic executor in the unlikely event of my sudden death or inability to work so you can be contacted, informed and supported in exploring other arrangements for your therapy. 

 

Emergencies - If in our sessions I become concerned for your health or risk of harm to yourself or to someone else, I will with your knowledge and wherever possible your consent share this information on a need-to-know basis with someone in a position to help such as a Emergency service, Healthcare service, GP or Mental Health Crisis Team.

 

Child Protection Issues - If through our sessions you disclose to me a child is currently at risk of abuse, (not historical abuse) I have an ethical requirement to report to the appropriate authorities. This will not be undertaken without your knowledge and wherever possible your consent. The aim will always be to work with you in terms of who, where when and how the disclosure is made. 

 

Legal Order - If I am legally required to share my notes by a court of law.

 

Act of Terrorism - I am legally required to report any acts of terrorism disclosed to me.

 

  

Erasing your information

Electronic enquiries are erased after 3 months. All texts and contact numbers in my phone are also erased after 3 months of finishing therapy/supervision with me.

I hold your written information for 5 years after finishing therapy/supervision as is common practice in line with guidance from my professional bodies.

 

Your rights

Right to access - You have the right to ask for a copy of your personal information. You also have the right to ask me to amend or change any incorrect information about you.

 

Right to be forgotten - You have the right to ask me to erase any personal information that I hold about you if it is no longer relevant to original purposes, or if you wish to withdraw consent. When considering these requests, these rights are respected unless I have a legal obligation to retain.

 

Data Portability - As a client you have the right to receive your personal information which you have previously provided, you also have the right to transfer that information to another party.

 

How you can complain

If you are not happy with any aspect of how I collect or use your data, or how I have responded to a request about it, you have the right to complain to the information commissioner’s office. The UK supervisory authority for data protection issues at www.ico.org.uk/concerns Tel 03031231113. If you do have my concerns, I would invite you to contact me in the first instance, so I can endeavour to resolve your concern. 

 

For the purposes of the General Data Protection Regulation 2018 The data controller is Kevyn Hopkins-Hall (Hedgehog Counselling) and the legal basis for collecting and processing data is Consent, Contract, Legal obligation, Vital interests and Legitimate interests.