Privacy Policy

My Contact Details

‍If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how your information is handled, please contact:
Clare Finn
Curlew Counselling
Email: clare@curlewcounselling.co.uk
‍Telephone: 07776513937
‍Website: curlewcounselling.co.uk

1. What Information I Collect

I may collect and process the following information when you contact me through my website, by email, telephone, text message or social media.

1.1 Contact and personal details

• Name
• Date of birth
• Address
• Email address
• Telephone number
• Emergency contact details
• GP details (with your consent)

1.2 Information shared during counselling (once you become a client)

• Information you share in sessions
• Relevant medical or wellbeing information
• Safeguarding or risk-related information (where appropriate)

1.3 Administrative information

• Payment details
• Appointment records
• Emails, texts, or messages relating to your therapy

2. Why I Collect Your Information

Your personal information is collected to:
• Respond to enquiries
• Arrange and provide counselling sessions
• Maintain appropriate clinical records
• Manage appointments, invoicing, and payments
• Meet legal, ethical, and insurance obligations
• Safeguard clients where necessary
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The lawful bases for processing your data include:
• Legitimate interests (providing counselling safely and effectively)
• Legal obligation (recordkeeping, safeguarding, insurance)
• Vital interests (protecting you or another person from serious harm)
• Consent (where required)

3. Confidentiality in practice

Everything you share in counselling is treated as confidential. Confidentiality may be broken only if:
• There is a serious risk of harm to you or someone else
• There are safeguarding concerns involving a child or vulnerable adult
• Disclosure is required by law
• Information is requested by a court order
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Where possible, I will discuss this with you before sharing any information. Please note I receive regular clinical supervision. I may discuss aspects of our work to support safe and ethical practice. I avoid identifying you wherever possible, and my supervisor is also bound by confidentiality.

4. How Your Information Is Stored

I take appropriate measures to keep your information secure. This may include:
• Password-protected electronic systems
• Encrypted devices
• Locked physical storage
• Separation of identifying information from session notes
Emails, texts, and digital communications are stored on password-protected devices.

5. How Long Your Information Is Kept

Retention periods follow professional and legal guidelines:
• Adult client records: kept for 7–8 years after therapy ends
• Children and young people: kept until age 25, or 7–8 years after therapy ends (whichever is longer)
• Financial records: kept for at least 6 years (HMRC requirement)
• Enquiry information: deleted within one month if no therapy begins
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Personal information is only retained for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose for which it was collected and to meet professional, legal and insurance obligations.

6. Sharing information

Your personal information will not be sold or shared with third parties for marketing purposes. Information will only be shared where:​
• You have provided consent
• There is a legal obligation to do so
• There is a serious concern regarding safety or safeguarding
• Professional requirements make disclosure necessary
• Where possible, any disclosure will be discussed with you first.

7. Your Rights Under UK GDPR

You have the right to:
• Request access to your personal information
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request erasure where appropriate
• Restrict or object to processing in certain circumstances
• Request data portability where applicable
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
• Requests can be made using the contact details above.
• Lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
ICO website: www.ico.org.uk

8. Lawful basis for processing

Under UK GDPR, I process personal information under one or more of the following lawful bases:
• Consent
• Contract
• Legitimate interests
• Legal obligation
• Where special category data (including health & related information) is processed, additional safeguards apply in accordance with UK GDPR requirements.

9. Use of Cookies

This website does not use advertising or behavioural tracking cookies. Essential technical storage, security logs or hosting records may still be created by the website host or by your browser. The contact form is processed through Webflow and delivered to my professional Microsoft email account.

10. How to make a complaint

If you have concerns about how your personal information is handled, please contact me in the first instance so I can attempt to resolve the matter.You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office ICO.

11. Updates to This Policy

This privacy notice may be updated from time to time to reflect legal, regulatory or operational changes. The most recent version will always be available on this website and will be dated accordingly.

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