Introduction

This privacy policy contains important information about how Stork Psychology collects and processes the information we obtain about you, in compliance with UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The information is regularly reviewed and updated.

Who holds my information? 

Dr Hayley Higson of Stork Psychology is the Data Controller and is responsible for your personal data (referred to as “we”, “our”, “us” in this policy).

Any associates that work with Stork Psychology are data controllers for their own clients. This information would not be available to Dr Higson due to the confidentiality of the therapeutic work.

If you have any questions about this policy, please contact us via email at: hello@storkpsychology.co.uk

Data we collect

We currently collect and process the following information:

• Personal data e.g. your name, date of birth, contact details, GP information, emergency contacts.

• Sensitive data e.g. gender, notes from our meetings, health information and social history, letters and reports.

If you do not wish to provide this information, or allow us to keep relevant records, then unfortunately we cannot provide you with a service.

How we obtain your data and why we have it

Personal and sensitive information will be provided by you directly. This may be collected via email, telephone or face to face (in person or via video calling).  

Stork Psychology processes this data because it is our legitimate interest as a clinical psychology service to do so. We need to see and use this information in order to provide psychological therapy. We are therefore registered with the ICO and follow the rules and regulations set out by our professional regulatory body, the Health and Care Professions Council.

We use your data to provide you with a service, for billing and processing payments, to help prevent serious harm, and for service audit and improvement. We may also use some data to support our own marketing (e.g. how you heard about our service).

Sharing of your data

We do not share or sell your data with any third parties for marketing purposes.

We will not share data with anyone outside of the organisation without your consent, other than when we have concerns about safety (to you or anyone else), concerns about involvement in criminal activity or if we are required to by court order. These details are outlined in our Terms and Conditions.

In order to provide a safe and effective service, and in line with professional guidelines, certain aspects of your data will be discussed with an external clinical supervisor. Details will be anonymised and clinical supervisors adhere to the same aforementioned laws and professional guidelines.

How we store your data

The confidential data you provide will be password protected and stored securely, via two step authentication, on a laptop and in an online cloud, encrypted system. We use Clinix to store your case notes. This is a secure cloud storage system which adheres to UK GDPR guidelines.  

Information may also be stored in our email system, mobile phone and sometimes on paper. Access to emails and the mobile phone is encrypted and must be accessed with a password and/or facial recognition. Paper records will be kept in a locked cabinet and destroyed as soon as they are scanned and stored onto the online system. Any confidential information sent via the internet will be encrypted and password protected. Passwords be agreed upon in session or will be sent separately via text. Any hard copies of letters or reports sent will be marked as confidential.

We use Clinix, MS Teams and Zoom for our online sessions, all of which are secure, end to end encrypted software systems.

Our website uses cookies. Cookies are sent automatically by websites when they are viewed. They are anonymous but provide helpful information on website traffic. You can alter your browser settings to turn off cookies.

How long data is stored

We will only store your data for as long as it is required. All information is kept in line with professional, accountancy and indemnity obligations. Some data held about you will be deleted after a ‘retention period’. This retention period is seven years for therapy cases and one year for those enquiring about therapy (but who do not go onto become clients).

Personal data held on mobile phones and email will be deleted within six months following the end of therapy.

Your data protection rights

Stork Psychology is committed to protecting your rights to privacy as set out in law. These rights include:

Your Right to be informed about what we do with your personal data

Your right of access – You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information.

Your right to rectification – You have the right to ask us to rectify personal information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete.

Your right to erasure – You have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances.

Your right to restriction of processing – You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.

Your right to object to processing – You have the the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.

Your right to data portability – You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances.

For further information please visit www.ico.org.uk

You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you.

Please contact us at Hello@storkpsycholgy.uk.co.uk if you wish to make a request.

How to complain

If you have any concerns about our use of your personal information, you can make a complaint to us at hello@storkpsycholgy.uk.co.uk

You can also complain to the ICO if you are unhappy with how we have used your data.

The ICO’s address:           

Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113
ICO website: https://www.ico.org.uk