Confidentiality Notice

The following information relates to what and how information is handled in the context of providing therapeutic services. Please read the Website Privacy Policy for full details on how data collected via the website is stored and processed. 

Data Protection 

I adhere to current data protection legislation, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office. When it came into effect in May 2018, GDPR set new standards for data protection.  GDPR sets down in law what companies of all sizes can and can’t do with your personal data.

I also follow the standards and codes of practice outlined by the regulatory body, the Health and Care Professionals Council (HCPC), and the representative body for Clinical Psychologists, the British Psychological Society (BPS).

The data we collect

You are entitled to know what information has been collected about you and you can request this free of charge. If there are mistakes in your data, you can request to have them corrected.

Personal data that is required to undertake therapeutic practice will be collected. This includes name, address, email, phone number and GP surgery. In addition to this, I keep brief notes on the main themes discussed during therapy. I cannot offer a service if I cannot keep these records, as it is a requirement of my professional registration. 

Transaction data, including details about payments to and from you. Payments are made via bank transfer. We do not collect or process your bank account or payment card details.


How this data is handled

All personal data, transaction data and session notes are kept on password-protected electronic files on a secure device. These are deleted after 7 years, from the date of last involvement of the practice. This is in line with guidelines and requirements laid down by the BPS and HCPC. Personal data will not be shared for any reason other than for the purposes of undertaking therapeutic practice.  In line with professional requirements, I discuss anonymised details of the families I work with in supervision. 

Patient Confidentiality

When offering therapy to children and young people, there is a need to manage the tricky balance of protecting the child/young person’s privacy with the right of the parent/guardian to information. With this in mind, it is helpful to establish these boundaries at the outset of therapy. 

Young people aged over 16 years have the automatic right to confidentiality which means it is up to them to decide who they tell about the content of their therapy sessions. For children aged under 16 years, the rules of “Gillick Competency” apply. As indicated on the NHS website, Gillick Competency means “children under the age of 16 can consent to their own treatment if they're believed to have enough intelligence, competence and understanding to fully appreciate what's involved in their treatment.” For further information, please see https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/consent-to-treatment/children/ 

The right to confidentiality is extremely important, even if the client is a child/young person. Keeping the content of sessions confidential typically enables a trusting therapeutic relationship to form between therapist and client. This relationship is the cornerstone to any successful therapeutic intervention and is therefore important to protect wherever possible and safe to do so. Therapy should be a safe space for the child/young person and knowing that they can speak freely helps children and young people to be open and honest about their thoughts, feelings and concerns. The rules of Gillick Competency will apply should a parent request information about the content of a therapy session and the child/young person does not want to share this information. 

There will be times when parents may need to be aware of the themes discussed in the session. For example, so that parents can support the child/young person with therapeutic tasks between sessions. It may also be helpful for the parent to be involved in some therapy sessions. If it is felt that sharing information from sessions would be helpful, this will be discussed with the child/young person beforehand. 

Consent to share information with parents and offer professionals/services is not needed in the event of safeguarding concerns [please see below]. 


Limits of Confidentiality 

The rules of confidentiality do not apply when there are safeguarding concerns. Wherever possible, I will inform the child/young person/parent of my intent to share information, however, consent is not needed to share information when: 

  • The child/young person discloses information suggesting that they are at risk of significant self-harm or harm from others 

  • The child/young person discloses information suggesting that they are a risk to others 

  • Any other safeguarding information or information where disclosure would be in public interest

  • Where there is a legal duty to disclose information e.g. through Court Order


Acknowledgment and Consent

Before proceeding with therapy for your child, you will be asked to sign a consent form indicating that you give your consent for your child/adolescent to be in therapy with Dr Laura Barnes, and that you have read and understood our Confidentiality Notice and Website Privacy Notice. You can view an example of this consent form here.