Privacy Notice

The GDPR is concerned with the personal information about you that I collect, store, and share. Your privacy is very important to me and you can be confident that your personal information will be kept safe and secure and only used for the purpose it was given to me. I am registered with the Information Commissioner's Office - Registration Ref: ZB039984

PERSONAL INFORMATION I WILL COLLECT

  • Name.

  • Date of Birth.

  • Address.

  • Mobile phone number. 

  • Email address (generally for administrative communications).

  • GP Details.

  • Emergency Contact.

  • Medical Conditions.

  • Reason for referral.

  • Session summary/notes.

  • Signed Contract.

HOW I WILL STORE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

  • Paper: None

  • Smartphone: If you text me, or agree to me sending you a text, your number will stay in my phone during your period of counselling.  I do not store your name or save to contacts.  My phone is passcode protected.

  • Email: Your email address and correspondence will be stored in my business email account (currently Gmail/Google Workspace) by nature of you contacting me.  Auto appointment email reminders may be sent unless you request otherwise.

  • Website: none of your personal information is stored on my website, other than to momentarily collect & send it to my email account for the purposes of our initial contact.  The website's host may collect analytics that I don't see such as how long you are on the page for, and where you navigated from and to. www.squarespace.com. If you click any third party links on my website please see their privacy policy.

  • I keep your basic details in a double password encrypted cloud platform operated by Google Workspace who are GDPR compliant.  I store brief reflective notes after each session as a reminder to myself of key points.  No one has access to any of your information other than myself, Beverley Downings.

  • Bank account - when paying me your name will appear on my bank account statement which is electronic only, and password protected. Financial services may request statements (and you name will be visible) from me in rare circumstances however I would ensure they are also GDPR compliant before agreeing.

THERAPEUTIC WILL

My Therapeutic Executor will have access, by password, to the names of anyone currently receiving therapy from myself, should the need arise to advise you of my death or incapacitation. This access will only be used in these extreme circumstances and for no  other reason.

ERASING YOUR INFORMATION

I will hold onto your electronic information i.e. contact details and notes for three years past the end of our working together. This is so that I have a reference of our work should you return, and to comply with any legal requirements. For accounting purposes I am required to keep copies of invoices which include your name for 7 years.

You have the following rights

  • To be informed what information I hold (i.e. this document).

  • To see the information I hold about you (free of charge for the initial request).

  • To rectify any inaccurate or incomplete personal information.

  • To withdraw consent to me using your personal information.