security and privacy policy

BARRY HILL - COUNSELLOR - SECURITY AND PRIVACY POLICY

This privacy policy sets out how Barry Hill working as a Counsellor uses and protects any information gathered from you as a Client. Barry Hill is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected and that information about you will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement. This policy is effective from May 25th 2018 and will be published on the website www.barry-hill-south-bristol-counselling.co.uk. Please check that page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes. 



COUNSELLING CONTRACTS

When you agree to work with Barry Hill as a Client you will be asked to complete a Counselling Contract which clarifies how you and Barry will work together. The contract requests information which allows Barry Hill to contact you, if required, and safeguard your wellbeing, including:

  • Your name, address, phone number and email address
  • Name and Surgery of your GP
  • The date counselling started (and ended after the contract has ended)
  • Agreed hourly fee
  • Your signature and date the contract was signed
  • Counselling contracts are completely confidential and stored securely and privately.

Sharing details of the contract is optional if requested by the police or solicitors and can only be done with written consent from the Client. The Contracts can, however, be subpoenaed to be used in evidence if requested by a Court of Law.

If it comes to light during Counselling that the Client is intending self harm or harm to others, or engaged in criminal activity then this may result with contract details being shared with the police, social services or court of law in order to safeguard the Client or others. This would be discussed firstly with the Client unless it is felt necessary to share the notes without consent in the interests of Client or public safety.

The details of the Counselling Contract will never be transferred to a computer, scanned or used in any other medium.

SUPERVISION

Barry Hill has regular Counselling and Mindfulness Supervision where he and his Supervisors discuss his Clients in order to monitor how Counselling and Mindfulness work is going and make decisions for future work.

The Supervisors will only ever know the first name of Clients and are never given any information such as name or place of work, location etc. that might lead to the Supervisors identifying anyone. The Supervisor keeps notes of these sessions and these are kept securely. Client names or other details are not recorded or identifiable.

All Supervisors will be operating their own Privacy and Security Policies according to their circumstances and type of work and these can be made available on request.

NOTES

Barry Hill keeps regular, unstructured notes of all Counselling and Mindfulness sessions. These notes only ever use the first name of Clients and will never record details that could lead to identification of the Client.

The Counselling notes are held by the same boundary and foundation as Counselling or Mindfulness sessions; of being completely confidential, non-judgemental and non-critical. Counselling or Mindfulness notes could be shared with the police or solicitors but this is optional and only with prior written consent from you, the Client unless it is felt necessary to share the notes without consent in the interests of Client or public safety. The notes can also be subpoenaed to be used in evidence if requested by a Court of Law.

 A Client can request for notes not to be taken and is always asked for permission at the beginning of Counselling or Mindfulness work. Clients can request to see Barry Hill’s notes at any time.

The details of the session notes will never be transferred to computer, scanned or used in any other medium.

COUNSELLING DIRECTORY

Some Clients may find Barry Hill via the Counselling Directory website. The Counselling Directory have assured Barry Hill that no personal details are ever recorded on their website when a member of the public uses their services to search for or communicate with a Counsellor or Therapist. If a member of the public sends an email to a Counsellor or Therapist it is encrypted and never stored permanently on the Counselling Directory website. 



BACP (British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy)

Some Clients may find Barry Hill via the BACP website. As there is no emailing or other contact service offered by the BACP, no visitor details or personalised records of searches are ever stored on the BACP website.

BARRY HILL’S COUNSELLING WEBSITE

Cookies

A cookie is a small file which is sometimes placed on your computer’s hard drive whenever someone visits a website. The information stored in the cookie file is then used as a reference when that person revisits the website. In this way, advertisers can collect information about preferences and target advertising that appears on website pages whenever you revisit that site.

Barry Hill’s website: http://www.barry-hill-south-bristol-counselling.co.uk does use cookies and this is flagged by a banner that appears at the top of the home page whenever someone visits the site. This banner states that continued use of the website assents to the use of cookies.

Overall, cookies help to provide you with a better website, by watching which pages you find useful and which you do not. A cookie in no way gives access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share

Security and Privacy Policy
The cookie banner also includes a link to a printable version of this paper.

Links

Barry Hill’s website includes links to 3rd party websites.  The website user follows these links and uses the information found entirely at their own risk. Barry Hill will not be in any way responsible for how this information is used.

If you believe that any information about you is incorrect or incomplete, please contact as soon as possible and the information will be corrected: enquiries@barry-hill-south-bristol-counselling.co.uk or by text: 07904 741524

Website Enquiries

Any enquiries sent via Barry Hill’s Counselling website are not saved in any database.