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PRIVACY NOTICE

TERRI-ANN FAIRCLOUGH COUNSELLING is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information lawfully, fairly and transparently.

This Privacy Notice explains what personal information I collect, why I collect it, how it is used, who it may be shared with, how long it is kept and your rights.

I am registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and comply with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.

Information I Collect

To provide counselling safely and effectively, I may collect and process:

  • Your personal details including your name, address, date of birth, telephone number and email address.

  • Emergency contact details.

  • GP details.

  • Information about your physical and mental health, wellbeing and presenting concerns.

  • Assessment forms, counselling records and session notes.

  • Risk and safeguarding information where appropriate.

  • Attendance records and appointment history.

  • Payment information where applicable.

This information is collected directly from you.

Why I Collect Your Information

Your information is collected to:

  • Provide counselling safely and effectively.

  • Assess and manage risk where necessary.

  • Contact you regarding appointments.

  • Maintain accurate counselling records.

  • Meet legal, professional and insurance obligations.

  • Manage my counselling practice and financial records.

Lawful Basis for Processing

Your personal information is processed under the UK GDPR using the following lawful bases:

  • Article 6(1)(b) – processing necessary to provide counselling services.

  • Article 6(1)(c) – where necessary to comply with legal obligations.

  • Article 6(1)(f) – legitimate interests in managing my counselling practice.

As counselling involves processing special category (health) data, I also rely on:

  • Article 9(2)(a) – your explicit consent to process health-related information for the purposes of providing counselling.

Sharing Your Information

Your information will be treated confidentially and will only be shared where necessary:

  • with your consent;

  • where required by law;

  • where there is a safeguarding concern or serious risk of harm to yourself or another person;

  • where disclosure is required by a court order or other legal obligation;

  • where necessary to prevent or detect serious crime.

Where possible, I will discuss any proposed disclosure with you beforehand unless doing so would increase the risk of harm or is not legally permitted.

As part of safe and ethical practice, I regularly discuss my work with a clinical supervisor. Information shared during supervision is anonymised wherever possible, and my supervisor is bound by professional confidentiality.

My accountant may have access to limited personal information, including client names, where necessary for accounting and financial record-keeping purposes. They do not have access to counselling records or session notes and are required to maintain confidentiality.

Storage and Security

I take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information.

Paper records are stored securely in locked storage.

Electronic records are stored on password-protected devices using encryption and other appropriate security measures where applicable.

Access to your information is restricted to those who require it for legitimate professional purposes.

Website and Cookies

If you contact me through my website, I collect the information you choose to provide, such as your name, email address and telephone number.

The website may also collect limited technical information, such as your IP address, for security purposes.

Only essential cookies required for the operation and security of the website are used.

Retention of Records

Counselling records are normally retained for seven years after counselling has ended, in accordance with professional guidance, insurance requirements and legal limitation periods.

Records may be retained for longer where there is a legal, regulatory or safeguarding reason to do so.

Once the retention period has expired, paper records will be securely shredded and electronic records permanently deleted.

Your Rights

Under UK GDPR you have the right to:

  • Be informed about how your information is used.

  • Request access to your personal information.

  • Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.

  • Request erasure of your information where applicable.

  • Request restriction of processing.

  • Object to processing where appropriate.

  • Request data portability where applicable.

  • Withdraw consent where consent is the lawful basis for processing.

These rights are not absolute and may be limited where I have legal, ethical or professional obligations to retain information.

Requests for access to your information will normally be responded to within one calendar month.

Complaints

If you have any concerns about how your personal information has been handled, please contact me in the first instance so I have the opportunity to resolve the matter.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you remain dissatisfied.

Contact Details

Counsellor: TERRI-ANN FAIRCLOUGH

Email: contactme@terri-ann.co.uk

Telephone: 07464 686899

ICO Registration Number: ZA578599

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