Privacy Policy

Contact Us:

If you have any questions about this privacy notice or how we handle your personal information, please contact us:

Email: eloise.maguire@thecompassionwell.co.uk

What Information We Collect and Why We Use It:

We collect personal information as we have a legitimate interest to do so when providing effective therapeutic support and services. We also have a responsibility to ensure your safety and the safety of others, as well as to comply with legal obligations to store your information. For this purpose, we may collect:

• Your name, address, and contact details
• Your gender
• Your date of birth
• Emergency contact information
• GP details 
• Name and contact details of other professionals in your support network if relevant

In order to provide you with the most effective and safe support, we also have an obligation under national policy and legislation to keep written records of our work together. Such information may include, but is not limited to: 

• Appointment dates and times
• Any past or current medical conditions and/or medication prescribed 
• Mental health past history 
• Current mental health difficulties 
• Past and current family and relationship history 

In order to process payments for the service, we may also process your payment details. 

All information provided to us is stored securely on an encrypted and GDPR (General Data Protection Regulations) UK compliant database which is not accessible to anyone outside of The Compassion Well Psychology Service. 

The Legal Reasons We Use Your Information and Your Rights:

Under UK data protection law, we need a valid legal reason ("lawful basis") to collect and use your personal information. The lawful basis we rely on can affect the rights you have over your data. You can find more detailed information about lawful bases and your rights on the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) website.

Here's a summary of your key data protection rights:

• Your right to access: You can ask us for a copy of the personal information we hold about you, as well as details about where it came from and who we share it with. There might be some situations where we can't provide all the information.
• Your right to correction (rectification): If you believe any of the personal information we have about you is wrong or incomplete, you have the right to ask us to correct it.
• Your right to deletion (erasure): You can ask us to delete your personal information in certain circumstances.
• Your right to limit use (restriction of processing): You can ask us to limit how we use your personal information in specific situations.
• Your right to object: You have the right to object to the way we use your personal information in certain circumstances.
• Your right to data portability: You can ask us to transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation or directly to you in a usable format.
• Your right to withdraw consent: If we are using your consent as the legal basis for using your information, you have the right to change your mind and withdraw your consent at any time.

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details at the top of this privacy notice. We will respond to your request within one month.

Where We Get Your Personal Information From:

In most cases, all the personal information we hold will be provided directly by you. In some cases however, we may receive information from other sources such as other health and care providers (e.g., your GP or other specialists) or social services. In these cases you will be made aware of the information that has been shared with us unless it is felt that this may increase the risk of harm towards yourself or somebody else. The information will be stored securely in line with GDPR UK regulations. 

How Long We Keep Your Information:

We only store data for as long as necessary. In line with the British Psychological Society guidance your data will be stored for up to 7 years and then destroyed. This is to ensure continuity should you return to therapy, and to ensure a record of support is available should there be questions that arise after therapy has ended. 

Our Duty of Confidentiality:

We have a professional duty to keep your information confidential. However, there are specific circumstances where we may need to share relevant health and care information. These include:

• When you have given us your consent (this might be implied for your direct care or explicitly given for other reasons).
• If there is reason to believe that you or someone else is in danger. In this case only the necessary information will be shared with individuals who can support in reducing this risk. We will always try to discuss this with you prior to sharing the information where possible. This may include sharing information with:
  • Your GP 
  • Emergency services 
  • Social care 
  • Other health professionals 
• When we have a legal obligation to share the information (including court orders).

Clinical Psychologists are required to have regular supervision with another HCPC registered Chartered Psychologist in order to continue to develop their skills and reflect on their work. Your Clinical Psychologist will take care in maintaining your confidentiality as much as possible during these sessions, however certain identifiable information may be shared such as your first name and the topic of the sessions. Supervisors are also required to comply with confidentiality requirements. 

How to Complain:

If you have any concerns about how we use your personal information, please contact us using the details at the top of this privacy notice.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):

Information Commissioner’s Office Wycliffe House Water Lane Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113 Website: https://www.ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint