Our Policies

Our Privacy Policy for Service Users

Please find below details of what information we collect from you, what we do with it and who it might be shared with as a service user.

What information do we collect from you?

We collect your name, address, date of birth, email address, telephone number, GP name and surgery, How you heard about our service; Clinical or sessional notes; feedback; appointment dates; Service Confidentiality Agreement; planned work contracts and agreements and any letters or communication notes.

Why do we collect this information?

Name, address, date of birth, email address and telephone number– We collect this information, to be able to identify you and know how to contact you
GP name and surgery– If we have a concern about your wellbeing we may need to contact them or clarify a reason for referral
How you heard about our service – So we are able to know if our advertising is effective
Clinical notes– We have an ethical duty to record brief notes outlining the themes of sessions, and to record any risk, and any safeguarding concerns, and outcomes.
Sessional notes – these will outline the course of the work being undertaken with evaluation and review of progress
Feedback– It is important we monitor how our service is doing, and ensure people are receiving a good service.
Appointment dates – So we know what work has taken place and when.
Service Confidentiality Agreement- We need to ensure anyone who uses our services has been fully informed of the limits of confidentiality and understands the times when we might break confidentiality, and how we respect their confidentiality.
Planned work or Counselling Contracts/work Agreements – It is important we have a signed copy of the counselling contract, to ensure anyone who uses the counselling service understands our cancellation policy, and has agreed to the sessions taking place. Other Services may plan sessions ahead to provide a framework and timed response to issues. These may be informal agreements recorded between the client and their Worker
Letters– We keep copies of the letters sent out, to ensure we are communicating in a proper and timely manner.
Communication notes– This is to ensure we have continuity within our services, and can track any communication.

Who might we share your information with?

This information is only shared with the person working with you, and the small team who need to contact you regarding the services you access. The exceptions to this is if there is a reason to break confidentiality which are outlined in more detail in the Confidentiality Agreement.

We may be contacted to share your information with Authorised bodies where and if appropriate. This may include the Police or Social Care. We will not do this without informing you first and/or seeking your consent (unless the risk over-rides this).

What do we do with your information?

We store all your information on a secure client management system, which is secure and only people working with you, the service manager and the admin staff, can access your details. Feedback is anonymised and kept to monitor our service.

How long do we keep hold of your information?

For all NHS Talking Therapies (Therapy for You) counselling information we adhere to NHS guidance on record keeping and keep all details for 20 years for adults. For all fee paying adult counselling information we keep this for 20 years. After this time it is professionally deleted. Feedback is anonymised and kept to monitor our service.

Information and data held on Children & Young People will be kept for a period of 25 years. In the case of Child Protection/Safeguarding, this information is retained for a period of 70 years.

Adult Services data is retained for a period of 7 years.

How can I access the information you hold about me?

If you wish to have access to your records, you would complete a records request form, where we confirm your identity and consent for the information to be released. If you have accessed counselling through the IAPT NHS service then you can send a request to Hertfordshire primary care trust.

For a full list of all your rights under the General Data Protection Regulation please visit the Information Commissioner’s Office website.

If you have any questions please call 01206 764600 or email enquiries@mnessexmind.org.