GDPR PRIVACY POLICY FOR RUTH VICTORIA CLINICAL HYPNOTHERAPY
Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy website is owned by Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy, which is a data controller of your personal data.
We have adopted this Privacy Policy, which determines how we are processing the information collected by Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy, which also provides the reasons why we must collect certain personal data about you. Therefore, you must read this Privacy Policy before using Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy website.
We take care of your personal data and undertake to guarantee its confidentiality and security.
How will my data be stored?
In May 2018 the Data Protection Act was replaced by the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). Ruth Victoria is GDPR registered. The changes to the Data Protection Act are aimed at ensuring that your personal, confidential and sometimes sensitive data, is held privately and securely. This means that any data you give to Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy must be processed in a way that you agree with. GDPR exists to protect your rights as a consumer. It applies to your identifiable data, e.g. your name and address & any reason you might have for visiting Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy. It also covers any session records, text messages or emails between Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy and yourself.
How long will you hold my information for?
Ruth Victoria Clinical willhold onto your data for 8 years after your final session. However, the rule for children is different and the that their data must be held until their 25th birthday. The exception to this rule applies to young adults whose treatment ends when they are 17 years old, then Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy must keep their records until they reach their 26th birthday. Client records will be destroyed in the January after the dates given above. This is in line with NHS regulations for holding data.
What if I would like my data to be destroyed before this date?
Under the GDPR rules you are able to request the deletion of any of your records at any time. Simply write to Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy requesting that your records are destroyed and once we have confirmed your identity, we will do so. There is no charge for this service. Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy will then ensure that all your paper records are shredded with a cross shredding machine. Any electronic data held by Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy, such as emails or text messages will be permanently deleted from the devices they are stored on. NB. Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy will need to save the written deletion request you sent her but would destroy any other data.
Am I able to see or get a copy of the information held by you?
In line with GDPR if you send Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy a request in writing, specifying the data you wish to see, she will supply you with a copy of your data within 30 days. Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy will need to confirm your identity before sending you the information. There will be no charge for this service. NB. Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy’s insurance company’s legal team may wish to verify any information we send out.
What are your reasons for collecting this information?
Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy is keen to offer the highest quality support to her clients and in order to do so she will collect the following information:
An idea of what you would like to achieve by coming for hypnotherapy
A small amount of medical information
Some information about your important others
Some brief session notes
Your contact details
GP contact details
Research data
This information allows Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy to provide continuity within the sessions, in order to help you towards your goal. This information will allow Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy to refer to content of earlier sessions and previous discussions. Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy will only use your contact details / address and GP’s details with your explicit consent. See client agreement and initial consultation sheet.
How do I know that Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy will store my information securely?
Paper session notes – Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy stores all paperwork within locked cabinets.
Text messages – Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy’s work phone is secured with a pass code.
Emails – Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy’s email account requires a user-name and password.
CORP Research – program password protected on password protected tablet and first initial only used.
Are our discussions within the hypnotherapy sessions confidential?
Everything you discuss with Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy during your sessions remains strictly confidential. Occasionally it may be necessary for Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy to discuss elements of your sessions with her supervisor to ensure that she is helping you in the most effective way. However, no identifying features about you will be disclosed during these discussions. Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy’s supervisor is also registered with GDPR.
How we use cookies
A cookie is a small file which asks permission to be placed on your computer’s hard drive. Once you agree, the file is added, and the cookie helps analyse web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site. Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.
Our website uses Google Analytics as a statistical tool to gather information in order for us to analyse the use of the website. Google Analytics stores this information as a cookie on the visitors’ computer. The statistical information generated by Google Analytics relating to our website is used to create internal reports to help improve the content and user experience of our website. Google’s privacy policy regarding Google Analytics is freely available at: http://www.google.com/privacy/privacy-policy.html
The use of cookies to store information can be disabled in most browsers by the user or you can set your browser to warn you before accepting cookies. Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better website, by enabling us to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not. A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us.
You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. This may prevent you from taking full advantage of the website.
Links to other websites
Our website may contain links to enable you to visit other websites of interest easily. However, once you have used these links to leave our site, you should note that we do not have any control over that other website. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy statement. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.
What if I see Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy outside of a hypnotherapy session?
Ruth is obligated by GDPR to protect your confidentiality at all times. So, for this reason, although she may acknowledge you, it would be ideal if any further conversation could be avoided. However, if you wish to discuss your therapy with other people, that is your choice and you are welcome to do so.
Will Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy discuss information about me with other Health and Social Care Professionals?
Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy is only able to contact other health and social care professionals with your written consent. Should she write to your GP, to notify them that you have entered into a therapeutic relationship with her, or to notify them that your therapy has been satisfactorily concluded, Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy would require your signature in line with GDPR requirements. Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy does have a “Duty of Care” towards her clients, so the only exceptions to this would be if she believed that you were about to harm yourself or others. Should this occur then Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy would be required to inform the relevant authorities”. However, Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy would always aim to discuss this with you before taking any action. Legally, Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy would also have to provide the police with information as set out in a warrant or court order, should the situation arise.
Other information
Data controller is Ruth Victoria Clinical Hypnotherapy, Beulah Farm, Tong Road, Leeds, LS!2 5QS
Information about the use of cookies on my website along with the ability to block them, is available on my website: https://ruthvictoria.co.uk
ICO registration number : C1551240
