Client Data Protection Policy
Dr Tara Cutland Green, Clinical Psychologist, Psuché Consulting
I collect and hold information about you as necessary to perform the services that you contract with me and also as a legitimate interest as defined under the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). This privacy policy explains how I use any personal information I collect about you when you use my services. It also informs you of your rights and my responsibilities in the processing of your personal information under the GDPR.
What information do I collect about you?
I collect potentially identifying information and contact details, including your date of birth, email address, address, phone number and a person to contact in case of emergency.
For the purposes of psychological assessment and/or treatment I collect information about your current and previous psychological and physical health, and your current and previous social and family circumstances, both during your appointments and via voluntarily completed questionnaires. I also may collect sensitive personal information such as your religious/faith beliefs, and your sexual behaviour or orientation.
I also collect correspondence via email and text, on password protected devices. This will be transferred to your electronic case record and the original deleted, within one week of receiving this.
How will I use the information about you?
I will collect information about you to provide you with psychological recommendations or treatment. This information is confidential. I may discuss your personal information in supervision with my supervisor, who is another psychologist or psychotherapist, for the purposes of ensuring that my practice is safe and effective, and as mandated by my professional bodies. I will use a pseudonym when I share your information in supervision. My supervisor will not share your personal information with anyone else. If applicable, I will from time to time write to your referrer or other involved professionals, as relevant, with a summary of your treatment and progress and will always obtain your consent and show you the content of such letters before sending them.
Sharing your personal information with third parties.
I do not discuss your personal information with third parties beyond my supervisor, except if
requested by you, or
in my professional opinion there is an immediate and serious risk that you might harm yourself or someone else;
then I may have to share your personal information with a third party such as your emergency contact, GP or the emergency services without first obtaining your consent. This might be because it is not practically possible to obtain your consent or because attempting to do so might lead to a delay in accessing help and therefore endanger you or another. In situations where I did have to share your personal information with third parties to protect you or another, I will only share your personal information in so far as it is relevant and necessary to protect you or someone else. I will inform you what personal information I shared and to whom.
It is possible that your personal information may be requested by a Court of Law, Coroner’s Office or Professional Body in which circumstances you may have limited or no rights of refusal.
Access to your information and correction.
You have the right to request a copy of the information that I hold about you. If you would like a copy of some or all of your personal information, please use the contact form on this website. I want to make sure that your personal information is accurate and up to date. You may ask me to correct or remove information you think is inaccurate. You have the right to ask me to erase the personal information I hold about you. I can refuse the request if your personal information is needed in the defence or exercise of legal claims.
How to do I store your information.
I keep your personal information in password-protected electronic case records. This information is stored on password-protected computer devices.
Length of storage of your personal information.
I keep your personal information and the record of our work together for seven years. I then erase all but your name, date of birth, number of sessions attended, discharge date, outcome at discharge and save these electronically.
Changes to my privacy policy.
I keep my privacy policy under regular review and this privacy policy was last updated on 1st May 2018
Your rights
You have the right to request information about how I process information about you, to request its erasure and to have inaccurate personal information corrected or completed.
If you believe there is a problem with the way I am handling your data, please do be in touch with me in the first instance. You may also complain to the ICO, who can clarify your rights.
How to contact me.
Please contact me if you have any questions about my privacy policy or information I hold about you.