Your Privacy
About this privacy policy
This policy is effective from 1 September 2024.
This privacy policy sets out how Fraser Hamilton (as the Data Controller) uses and protects any information that you give me when you use the counselling service.
I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office. The regulations require me to inform you of your rights and to gain your informed consent.
Your rights
- To be informed of what information I hold
- To see the information I hold about you
- To rectify any inaccurate or incomplete personal information
- To withdraw consent to me using your personal information
- To request your personal information be erased
- To complain to the ICO (Information Comissioners Office) www.ico.org.uk
The personal information I collect
- Name
- Age
- Gender
- Date of birth
- Telephone numbers
- Email address
- Address
- Brief outline of mental health history
- Relevant medical conditions (e.g. chronic illness etc)
- Relevant prescribed medications (e.g. anti-depressants)
- Dates of attendance
- Brief session notes
The information I store
- Signed counselling agreement
- Brief session notes
- Contact name & telephone
- Emails and texts
- Payment information
How I store this information
- Computer: I have a computer which is password protected. I use Google Workspace which is also password protected.
- Smart phone: I have a smart phone which is secured by a pin that only I know. I will store your contact information such as name and telephone number, call logs and texts.
- Email: Your email address and any messages will automatically be stored in my email account. This is password protected.
- Paper: Documents are stored in a locked safe in my apartment.
- SignWell: The PDF service for signing your counselling agreement.
- YouCanBookMe: An online appointment booking service that some clients use.
- Website: My website provider collects and stores general information such as IP address, country and a tally of visitor numbers. This information is not supplied to me with any personal names or street addresses but is there to provide me with generalised statistics on website traffic.
Controlling your personal information
You may request details of personal information which I hold about you. If you would like a copy of the information held on you please contact me.
If you believe that any information I am holding on you is incorrect or incomplete, please tell me as soon as possible. I will promptly correct any information found to be incorrect.
Sharing your personal information
In line with the BACP guidelines I receive regular supervision. Not every supervision session is used for discussion of client issues but if there is any discussion about you personally then your anonymity is considered and my supervisor will only be told your first name.
I must pass on any information to the relevant authorities in cases where human safety is concerned including the following cases:
- If you threaten to harm another person
- If I believe a child or protected adult is at risk of harm or abuse
- If the courts instruct me to give information
- If you share information about a proposed act of terrorism or other illegal act
If I feel that either someone else is in danger or at risk of harm I would first try to discuss with you my decision for breaking confidentiality. However, I retain the right to break confidentiality without prior consultation with you should I consider that the urgency of the situation requires me to act immediately to safeguard the physical safety of others.
I will not distribute your personal information to third parties not already mentioned within this privacy statement. I will not contact you with marketing or promotional material.
