Statement of Understanding & General Data Protection Regulation Statement (GDPR)

You have chosen to enter into counselling with Share Young People’s counselling service and we hope and expect your time with us will be a positive experience.  Share is not a part of the NHS but is a small local organisation.  While we do not ask for a financial contribution toward the cost of your counselling, (but welcome donations) the cost that is born by the organisation is around £50 per hour and so we do request that you make a serious commitment to the counselling process.

Appointments missed – Please be aware there is a high demand for our services.  Appointments that are missed still incur a considerable cost to the organisation and deny an opportunity to others.  We ask that you attempt to attend all appointments but that at a minimum you give 48 hours notice if unable to keep an appointment.  Appointments cancelled or not attended outside of this guideline will be recorded as “Not Attended”.  Should you miss one appointment in this way then Share reserves the right to contact you to discontinue your counselling. This can also be prompted if you cancel frequently as this interrupts the counselling process. You may re-apply later if you wish and your name added to the waiting list.  If you decide not to continue, please notify Share as soon as possible.

If you cannot keep your appointment, please text/ WhatsApp/ :   07928 775 015

GDPR: The General Data Protection Regulation is concerned with the personal information about you and how it is collected, stored and shared. This is the GDPR statement of SHARE Young People’s Counselling Service. Here you find information on how we collect, store, and share information collected. 

Assessment and session notes collection and confidentiality (for the use of counselling work only):

We follow the ethical guidelines of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) to ensure that any information about you is collected and stored securely. When you initially contact us to access counselling, we ensure your anonymity by assigning you a client number for internal processes. We only collect your name, date of birth, and phone number at this stage, which are kept securely at all times. Electronically we only keep records of your appointment dates but not your name or other identifiable information. 

The following information is kept in a locked cabinet: 

At your initial assessment we collect the following information: address, phone number, email address, family relationships, occupation, GP, emergency contact, previous psychological therapy, medical history, and medication, presenting problems and wellbeing assessment. Following each session we make brief notes on the topics covered during the session. The information is kept secure up to 7 years after you have completed working with me for legal reasons and then shredded.

Storage Methods for counselling services:

Paper written notes as described above

Electronic storage as described above

Phone: We use a very basic mobile phone for communication. We store your phone number your client number but not your name so you can never be identified by the information on the phone. SMS and phone calls are used for general communication.

Email: We use Yahoo based email. Any correspondence will be stored in our email account. Email is used mostly for general enquiries not for ongoing client communication

Website: your personal information is not stored on our website.  

Sharing information:

Supervision

As part of ethical practice, all our counsellors are required to seek regular supervision to monitor their professional practice and ensure their fitness to work. The supervision process is also protected by confidentiality and your anonymity is ensured. It takes place verbally. Any notes taken are held securely.

In case of emergency

If we have a reason to believe that you are at risk to you self, to someone else or there are child protection issues we are required to act upon these concerns. In that case we are obliged to breach confidentiality by speaking to e.g. a crisis team (harm to self) or the police (harm to others / an organisation e.g. in case of terrorism) or child protection services. If we have to breach confidentiality, where ever possible we aim to discuss this with you first.

Feedback

We may use any written feedback you give us for promotional purposes (ensuring you remain anonymous). Statistics are kept concerning the usage of the service but these do not contain names and there is no way in which any individual can be identified.

Complaints:

Formal complaints should be addressed to the BACP. However, to prevent matters from escalating, we hope you can establish a therapeutic relationship with your counsellor, which includes open communication and you are able to raise any concerns in the session. All of our counsellors hold individual Professional Indemnity Insurance.

You have the following rights:

To be informed what information is collected and how it is stored

To see the information we hold about you

To rectify any inaccurate or incomplete personal information

To withdraw consent to us using your personal information

To request your personal information be erased (although if the information is needed for us to practise lawfully and ethically we can decline)