This statement confirms how Wellspring Counselling Ltd uses and protects any information that you give to the organisation whilst using this service.
Wellspring is committed to safeguarding and protecting your information. If a member of staff asks you for any information it will only be used according to this privacy statement.
Wellspring may change this policy from time to time in line with legislation and whilst you are still using our services, will provide you with a copy of any change. If you have ceased using our services and you would like a copy of Wellspring’s up to date privacy policy you will be provided with one on request. Wellspring will also update the organisation’s website www.wellspringsomerset.btck.co.uk and would advise that you check that from time to time to be aware of any changes. This policy is effective from 25 May 2018.
For the purposes of the Data Protection Act 1998 and General Data Protection Regulation 2016 The Director of Wellspring Counselling Ltd is the data controller of Wellspring Counselling Ltd, Chapel Precinct, 74 Silver Street, Nailsea, Bristol, BS48 2DS.
Your data
Information Wellspring collects: Wellspring stores your name, telephone number and email address and other personal information that you provide to Wellspring, including payments made. Counsellors will also write brief notes of sessions.
How Wellspring stores information: Wellspring Counsellors keep brief notes recording the themes of your counselling sessions. These are stored in a locked filing cabinet and destroyed 7 years after your counselling sessions end unless agreed otherwise. Payments made by cheque will be stored in a locked filing cabinet for no more than 3 weeks. Any information stored online will be kept securely on a password protected computer. Your contact and appointment details will be kept for 7 years after your counselling sessions end and then destroyed unless agreed otherwise. Any emails, texts messages or other communications will be deleted at any time but not later than three months after receipt unless they form part of your notes or are needed for tax purposes in which case they will be kept for 7 years as above. Your telephone number will be stored on your Counsellor’s mobile phone under your initials or your first name only until your sessions end at which point it will be deleted. If your Counsellor changes telephones then your details will be deleted on the old phone. If any reports are provided on your behalf then these will be stored electronically for 7 years password protected, and/or in a locked filing cabinet. Wellspring stores a note of your appointments in the Wellspring paper diary and database which is end-to-end encrypted. Your personal details will also be stored on Wellspring’s database which is end-to-end encrypted. This is kept for 7 years. At the end of these periods respectively Wellspring will confidentially shred all paper copies and will use a specialist software programme to delete any data stored digitally.
How Wellspring uses this information: Wellspring will use your contact details to engage in the work with you according to Wellspring’s contract with you including contacting you about appointments, keeping records such as appointments, running and maintaining the organisation. Wellspring Counsellors also keep brief notes of counselling sessions in order to support them in offering you counselling. Wellspring will not use contact information or your session notes for any other purpose other than in this notice and the contract. If for any reason Wellspring is asked to provide a report of the sessions – eg at your request then this will be sent to you, password protected for your approval before it is provided to the person requesting it. It will also be stored for 7 years. Anonymised information will be used for reporting to funding bodies, NHS England and in promotional talks and literature, unless agreed otherwise. Trainee Counsellors may use anonymised information for assessment purposes. All Counsellors will use anonymised information in clinical supervision.
Your rights and Access to Information: You have the right to ask to see any information that Wellspring holds about you. Unless prevented from doing so by legal reasons, Wellspring will provide this information to you within a month of your request. Wellspring can arrange for you to look at this in a session with a Counsellor. You also have the right to ask Wellspring to change any information that is held that is incorrect and to ask for any information held about you to be deleted. Wellspring will do this except for any information that needs to be held for legal purposes such as tax purposes.
Complaints: If you wish to complain about how Wellspring holds your data in any way then in the first instance please contact the Director of Wellspring who is the data controller of Wellspring Counselling Ltd at Chapel Precinct, 74 Silver Street, Nailsea, Bristol, BS48 2DS. If you have any further concerns which are not addressed then you should contact the Chair of Trustees at Wellspring Counselling Ltd at Chapel Precinct, 74 Silver Street, Nailsea, Bristol, BS48 2DS. If you have any further concerns which are not addressed then you should contact Information Commissioner’s Office at https://ico.org/concerns/handling/ or 0303 123 1113.
Breaches: Wellspring will report any data breach to the Information Commissioner, to BACP and to yourself within 72 hours if it becomes apparent that any data is stolen. Wellspring’s data protection registration reference is A8157338.
Contact: If you wish to contact Wellspring with questions, concerns, complaints or request for your information then please contact the Director of Wellspring, Wellspring Counselling Ltd at Chapel Precinct, 74 Silver Street, Nailsea, Bristol, BS48 2DS, telephone number 01275810879.
Date: May 2018