Privacy policy I aim to handle personal data in a responsible, transparent manner and secure it with industry standard administrative, technical and physical safeguards. I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and follow their guidelines. Your privacy is an important priority, when contacting me regarding information about available counselling. For yourself, another adult, child, young person or with a view to supervision and training. Under the General Data Protection Regulations law (GDPR) I need client and supervisees signed consent to the holding of personal data for the duration of our contract and my note taking. I therefore discuss this with each supervisee or client (and parents if appropriate) in our first meeting whilst discussing the written contracts. However please note by contacting me by email and/or telephone to ask about my services you are allowing me access to personal data (e.g. telephone numbers, email addresses and names) about yourself and/or your child which will be stored securely in a locked secure place, within my home, until our first meeting. If we do not proceed to an initial meeting, then these details/communications will be destroyed. The legal basis for the ongoing holding of personal data is to allow me to contact my clients or supervisees, if necessary, primarily to cancel sessions due to illness or unforeseen circumstances (by text or phone call) or to contact those who have missed sessions. All personal data is kept securely in a locked secure place within my home and destroyed upon completion of our work. All notes and correspondence are kept for 7 years, from the date of the last counselling or supervision session in the case of adults and until children reach the age of 25 in a second locked filing cabinet within my home. Communications received from any source regarding any client or supervisee are securely stored as part of my note, as above. I will never pass your information to a third party, without your consent, unless I am required to do so in law, as part of my duty to protect a child, vulnerable adult or the public or where I am required to do so by any court or law. Please note in the normal cause of events only I have access to my secure locked places. However in the event of my death or incapacity (which renders me unable to work or communicate with my clients and supervisees) my Professional Will makes provision for my Professional Executors to access my client and supervisees personal details with the view to contacting all to advise of my death or incapacity. I try to meet the highest standards when collecting and using all data and take any complaints or concerns very seriously. I encourage you to let me know if you think that my collection or use or storage is unfair, misleading or inappropriate and I welcome any suggestions for improving my procedures. If you wish to make a complaint you can contact the ICO as the statutory body which oversees data protection law. Finally, please note: If you decide to pay for my services using directly from your bank account into my bank account you are also allowing the companies involved to see and store your transactions and personal data. I will, as an independent controller and processor of this data, employ reasonable administrative, technical and physical measures to maintain security and confidentiality of any and all such payments and information but as the banks involved are also controllers and processors, when processing your information, please do see their Privacy Policies for further information. Suzanne Bunt