GDPR consent
Deanah McCormack Counselling Services policies and procedures comply with data protection law including the General Data Protection Regulation. Deanah McCormack is the controller and processor responsible for the personal information held about clients of the service.
By completeing the assessment forms on our website I agree to the consent, GDPR and Confidentiality policies.
Why Deanah McCormack Counselling Services holds information about you.
Deanah McCormack Counselling Services is a therapy service. Keeping client records appropriate to the service provided is both a professional responsibility and is also necessary to facilitate the therapeutic work. Therefore your consent to the terms on which I keep client records is agreed as part of the therapy contract with you.
What information is held
Deanah McCormack Counselling Services may hold any or all of the following information about parents and children:
- A referral form detailing reasons for referral provided by the referrer
- Background information regarding the child provided by the referrer Contact information i.e. phone numbers, email addresses, postal addresses provided by the referrer
- Information regarding the specific reasons why the family sought therapy and details of current family functioning ( provided at the intake meeting by the parent)
- Assessments and scores
- Records of parent meetings
- Records of child therapy sessions
- Final reports prepared by therapist at the end of the intervention
- Online assessments are completed. For this purpose your child is assigned a numerical code. No identifying information will be used for this purpose.
How information is stored
As a matter of professional responsibility, a file is held on each child or young person that the service works with. This is either a paper file or on electronic file. Paper files are stored in securely locked filing cabinets. Electronic files are stored on encrypted devices. If files are sent using email a secure service is used where files are password protected.
How long information is stored
When a child or young person ceases to receive work from the service the file is securely stored at Deanah McCormack Counselling Services offices for a period appropriate to the standards of the profession. Only session records and Play Therapy Services reports are kept. Everything else is securely shredded.
What information will be shared
Information about clients is regarded as both personal and sensitive and is held on a strictly confidential basis, subject to certain exceptions i.e. disclosures required by the law and disclosure agreed with the client, which are as follows: Every therapist is required to have clinical supervision. Details of the therapy will be shared with the therapist’s clinical supervisor on the same confidential basis as stated in this policy.
Deanah McCormackCounselling Services will provide client information as required by law, i.e. where required by statute law or ordered by a court. Deanah McCormack Counselling Services has a duty to share such client information as may be necessary, with any relevant agencies or organisations, when there is concern for the health, welfare or safety of a client or others. Client consent for the sharing of personal information in the above circumstances will be sought at the start of working with this service, but, where necessary in the public interest, if client consent is subsequently withdrawn, any relevant client information may be shared to safeguard the client or others.
Your rights
You have a number of rights in relation to your personal information, under the data protection law, including a right to:
Access to information
Ask for rectification of anything in your/your child's client record which you feel is incorrect
Be forgotten
Request the restriction of the processing of information about you/your child.
Object to processing as well as the right to data portability
To withdraw your consent to keep records at any time.
Withdrawal of consent
You may withdraw your consent to us holding records about you and our work with you at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of our keeping client records based on your consent given earlier i.e. before it was withdrawn. Please note that, standards of the profession recommend maintaining appropriate records, and that records facilitate the therapeutic work, a withdrawal of consent to keep records may result in Play Therapy Services ceasing to provide you with a therapy service.