CONFIDENTIALITY, GDPR AND PRIVACY POLICY

Confidentiality

Relationship support is a private and confidential form of help. We hold information about each of our clients and the services they receive in confidence. This means that we will not normally give your name or any information about you to anyone outside the organisation. However, there are exceptional cases where Piece Into Peace might ethically or legally have to give information to relevant authorities, for example if we had reason to believe that someone, especially a child, is at serious risk of harm or to prevent a miscarriage of justice. We will discuss any proposed disclosure with you unless we believe that to do so could increase the level of risk to you or to someone else.

 

If you come to counselling with a partner or your family, the counsellor may suggest seeing each of you individually. It is important for you to know that what is said in those individual sessions will be confidential and not shared with your partner or family.

 

Reports and client records

Occasionally Piece Into Peace is asked by our clients or by external agencies such as Social Services, Institutions or the NHS to write reports on the progress made in counselling or other services. We are not normally able to do this because of our duty of confidentiality to our clients and because Piece Into Peace practitioners are not trained in the specialist areas of diagnosis or social work assessment. However, we can in some circumstances, and on receipt of written consent from the client(s) who attended a service, provide brief information about the dates and number of sessions attended. In addition, we are also asked by clients, their solicitors, the police and the courts for access to the client records. These are not suitable as evidence in legal proceedings and Piece Into Peace reserves the right to resist legal requests to produce the records in court. We do this in order to protect our duty of confidentiality to all clients and to preserve our reputation as the provider of confidential counselling and relationship support.

 

Data protection

The information about confidentiality in no way contravenes your rights under the General Data Protection Regulation May 2018 to access personal data that we hold on you. Piece Into Peace keeps confidential records and statistics about its clients. All records are kept securely and are only seen by authorised personnel. These records are subject to the General Data Protection Regulation May 2018. Some of the information we may collect is classified as sensitive personal data and we can only use such data where we have your explicit consent. This data may include racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, trade union membership, physical or mental health, sexual life, criminal proceedings and offences. Your personal and sensitive personal data will only be used in order to provide the service to you and for managing and quality assuring the service. Records are kept for a period of seven (7) years and are then destroyed.

 

Piece Into Peace recognises that on rare occasions our clients may wish to exercise their rights under the General Data Protection Regulation May 2018 and make a subject access request in respect of their personal information held by us. Often during counselling and in services, information is provided by more than one individual. In these cases, we will only release information if consent has been given by all the individuals involved. If at any time you wish to exercise your right under the Act you should put your request in writing and provide evidence of your identity such as a copy of your passport or driver’s licence and proof of your address. When we receive your written request and evidence of identity, we will respond to your request within one calendar month. Piece Into Peace’s response to a valid subject access request, will normally be in the form of a schedule listing and describing the personal data we hold on them.

By signing the consent form, you acknowledge that you understand and agree with Piece Into Peace’s subject access policy.

 

Privacy during sessions

Mobile phones

Please switch off your mobile phone during your sessions as it can create an unhelpful distraction and interruption.

Unauthorised electronic recording

For you to work safely and effectively with a practitioner, it is important that the privacy of the work is respected. Please, therefore, do not attempt to record your sessions using any device or app. If it is found that recordings have been made covertly, services for the individual responsible will be discontinued immediately and Piece Into Peace reserves the right to seek legal advice regarding possible further action.

Authorised electronic recording

Occasionally a practitioner, for example one who is undertaking a training course, will be required to record a session with a client or clients. Some practitioners regularly use audio or video recording in their work and in these circumstances, you will be asked to give your written consent for this to happen. The consent will specify all the ways in which the recording will be used (for example training, supervision or research) and will specify how and when the recording will be destroyed.

Privacy Policy – For more information on our Privacy Policy visit here

 

Domestic abuse

Domestic abuse is an issue for many people who come to Piece Into Peace for help with their relationship. We know from our experience that in this situation, working with couples or family members together may not be safe. If this is so, the counsellor will help each person to get individual specialist support from another agency.

 

Cancellation policy

If you intend to cancel your session, at least 48 hours’ notice should be given. Please contact Piece Into Peace for further information.

 

Codes of ethics and practice

All our counsellors and supervisors are required to comply with the code of ethics and practice that is appropriate with the work they undertake.

Relationship and family counselling are covered by the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy’s Ethical Framework for Good Practice.

 

In addition, all Piece Into Peace personnel must comply with our practice policies and guidance which both complement the external codes and set specific organisational standards for ethical working. Please ask your practitioner if you would like to know more about this.

 

Feedback and complaints

If you have any feedback about the service you received at Piece Into Peace, or you are not satisfied with your experience, please let us know. It is possible that we could resolve your complaint, this will allow us to improve the services we provide to clients.