Privacy Policy

In order for us to be able to fulfill our role we will need to record personal information about you.

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If you contact us for information or support from our Helpline we will keep a note of your name, phone and/or email, and address if supplied.  We will also record a brief summary of your contact with only a code and no personal identification, and store it separately from the personal identifying details. Both are stored securely.  Where information is relayed electronically it is sent securely, via two separate means (identifying and non-identifying), printed off then stored as paper files.  If you engage in further contact, for example, for support or counselling, then we will require to have some more information.  This will be explained at the time.

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Your contact details will be accessible by the Lead Counsellor, administrative staff or the director who would only access them for a legitimate purpose and who are bound by confidentiality.

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Your contact details will be shared only with your permission for an agreed purpose, along with the minimum necessary information, or in the case of risk or legal obligations.

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If you contact us by phone our phone system will store your number for a limited period.  If you would like it to be deleted as soon as possible, please ask.  Emails will be deleted as soon as any information has been acquired from them.

Notes from a call or email will be taken under an identifying code. These notes will be a brief factual record. The notes are held in paper files stored securely in a locked location. These notes will be held for a period of one year except where we agree with you to retain them for longer or where I believe that it is in our best professional interests to do so. You can also request that they be kept for a shorter period. Information from these notes may be made available to legitimate third parties under the following conditions:

• Receipt of a request from you or your representative, and where the release of the notes is not judged as likely to cause you significant harm or harm to another person

• Where there is a specific legal requirement to do so

• Where there is an ethical duty to do so, for example to avoid serious harm to yourself or another person, including the safeguarding of children or vulnerable adults.

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You have the right to ask to see any information held about you. To do this please either ask us, or submit a request by writing. You also have the right to ask for information that you believe to be incorrect to be rectified. We will endeavour to provide you with the information requested within four weeks. If we become aware of a situation where your personal information may have accidentally or maliciously been obtained by a third party we will notify you within three days. If you are concerned about the way that your information is being held please discuss this with us. If you are still unhappy you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioners Office.