User Privacy Notice

Green Bud Counselling, is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. In line with the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which came into effect on 25th May 2018, please find below Green Bud Counselling privacy notice. This explains how, when and why I collect, store and handle your personal data and sets out your rights in relation to your personal data. It also explains the conditions under which I may disclose your personal data to others and how I keep it secure. Please feel free to ask, if you have any questions about this privacy notice or information, I hold about you.

1. What information do I collect about you?

I collect personal information about you in relation to the service I provide to you, to contact you regarding any appointment changes or other administrative issues The personal information I collect includes:

• Name and date of birth: basic identifying information.

• Address, email and phone number.

• Phone number of an emergency contact: for use if something were to happen to you during a counselling session.

• Name, address, telephone number and email of your GP: for use if I have serious concerns about you, or with your permission, about a medical matter.

• Any medical history that you feel is relevant to disclose: to inform our work together.

• Any current or previous experience of risk of harm to self or others: to assess for risk.

• Anonymised personal notes.

2. How will Green Bud Counselling use the information about you?

The information is used only by Green Bud Counselling to communicate with you and provide personal therapy.

3. Will Green Bud Counselling share your information with anyone else?

I will not share or sell your information for mailing or marketing purposes with organisations or individuals outside of Green Bud Counselling. I may however disclose your personal information to third parties, where; - Green Bud Counselling is under a duty to disclose or share your personal information in order to comply with a legal obligation.

I am a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), and in accordance with the BACP code of ethics, my work is supervised. My supervisor’s role is to ensure that I am working ethically and professionally, so I do discuss my case work with my supervisor. These conversations are confidential. If paying by bank transfer then your name will visible to the bank and on bank statements.

4. How long do I keep your personal information?

Green Bud Counselling will only keep your personal information for as long as it is reasonably necessary. These personal details are kept in a locked folder and any notes I take are stored in a locked filing cabinet, accessed only by me. They will be shredded after we have finished working together. The exception to this is a set of very brief, and anonymous, session summaries, which I am required to keep for 7 years before shredding.

5. Access to your information and correction

You have the right to request a copy of the information Green Bud Counselling holds about you. If you would like a copy of the personal data held about yourself, please email or write to Green Bud Counselling at charlotte@greenbudcounselling.co.uk

6. Security precautions

I have put in measures to ensure the security of the personal information that Green Bud Counselling collects and stores about you and will use reasonable endeavours to protect your personal data from unauthorised disclosure and/or access.

7. Acceptance of policy when signed by you in the working agreement document at commencement of counselling.