Please scroll through to see our key policies and documents
- Data Protection
- Confidentiality
- Safeguarding (adults)
- Safeguarding (children and young people)
- Inclusion statement
- Contract example (adult)
- Contract example (child or young person)
- Agreement example (child or young person)
Data Protection
We are committed to and comply with the requirements of the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). We record information that is relevant to our business needs and the provision of effective counselling and psychotherapy services with the explicit consent of our clients.
Any client may withdraw their consent for information to be recorded at any time and has the right to access information about them. All electronic data is encrypted, password protected and securely stored online using the Microsoft One Drive facility. Any hard copy data is securely stored in a locked, steel filing cabinet. All hard copy and electronic data that is no longer needed is securely destroyed after an appropriate period.
The Interspiral Company Ltd is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office and has appointed Julia Gillies as its Data Manager and Data Protection Officer.
Confidentiality
We adhere to the strictest standards of confidentiality and will not pass on any information about our clients or the content of our work with them, unless:
- We believe that the there is a significant risk of harm to a client or another person.
- There is a legal requirement to do so, including being compelled to give evidence in criminal proceedings.
- It is for the purposes of clinical supervision or Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
- There is a legitimate need to contact a client and as a result of incapacitation we are unable to do so
NB. Any client information used for supervision or CPD will be anonymised to ensure that the client’s identity is protected.
Safeguarding (adults)
We are committed to keeping adults safe and free from harm. We will take an appropriate course of action if we believe that there is a significant risk of harm to them or to others, this may include informing a statutory agency. We are also committed to safeguarding adult clients who are considered to be vulnerable and subscribe to the BACP’s guidance in this respect.
Safeguarding (children and young people)
We are committed to keeping children and young people safe and free from harm. We will take an appropriate course of action if we believe that there is a significant risk of harm to them or to others, this may include informing a statutory agency. We subscribe to the Working Together to Safeguard Children statutory guidance.
Inclusion statement
We are committed to equality and value diversity. As part of our commitment we will actively challenge all forms of discrimination.
Contract example (adult)
This agreement is between The Interspiral Company Limited and xxxx for the provision of counselling services by xxxx (your counsellor).
The Interspiral Company Limited uses the trading names of Interspiral and Interspiral Counselling and Psychotherapy. It is a private limited company registered at Companies House under registration number 11660696. Its registered office address is 66 Old Station Road, Hampton-in-Arden B92 0EY.
Regulation and ethics
Your counsellor is a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (membership number 01010132). They comply with and are committed to the Association’s Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions. A copy of the framework can be downloaded from www.bacp.co.uk
Data management and confidentiality
Your counsellor will maintain a record of your attendance and will make brief notes after each session. In line with best practice, these notes will be kept securely during the course of the counselling relationship and for 6 years afterwards. At that point they will be securely destroyed.
Your record of attendance and notes will be stored under your Client Identification Code, separate from any personally identifiable data that you provide. All information will be kept under lock and key and / or will be password protected and encrypted.
1. Access
Under the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) you have the right to access your notes and any other information held about you. In the unlikely event the notes include information that would identify somebody else, this information will be removed to protect their confidentiality unless they give consent for it to be included.
2. Confidentiality
Your counsellor adheres to the strictest standards of confidentiality and will not pass on any information about you or the content of your work with them, with the following exceptions:
- Your counsellor discusses their work with a clinical supervisor. This is standard practice and helps the counsellor to work as well as they can with you. The counsellor’s supervisor is bound by the same Code of Ethics and confidentiality as the counsellor.
- If your counsellor believes you are at risk of harming yourself or others, they might need to break confidentiality in order to prevent harm. However, they would only do this in extreme circumstances and would always try and discuss it with you before taking any action.
- If required by law (such as a genuine threat of terrorism) or if compelled to give evidence in criminal proceedings.
- If your counsellor is unable to attend a session and is not able to contact you, a trusted colleague will contact you. They will only have access to your name and contact details.
- In line with their professional requirements, your counsellor may discuss the content of your sessions with other counsellors, therapists and clinical supervisors. In these discussions, your identity will not be revealed.
If you have any questions or concerns about data management or confidentiality, please do discuss them with your counsellor.
The DPA and UK GDPR require your explicit consent to use your contact details for the sole purpose of counselling to be obtained. Please tick to provide consent to be contacted in any or all of the following ways:
Email
Phone
Text
The DPA also requires your explicit consent for all record keeping to be obtained. You may withdraw your consent at any time.
Signed:
Date:
Use of material
For the purpose of further accreditation, continuing professional development or research, your counsellor may wish to submit anonymised written or taped material from some of your sessions. They will seek your explicit consent to do so. Please do not feel obliged in any way to provide your consent if you do not wish to do so.
Safety
A safe and comfortable environment will be provided for all sessions. The work you are doing with your counsellor requires you both be present and not intoxicated in any way. If your counsellor suspects you are intoxicated the session will be cancelled. Equally, if your counsellor feels threatened or intimidated at any time the session will be halted. In either circumstance, full payment will be required.
Duration
This agreement is for an initial course of six fifty minute sessions. It may be extended by mutual agreement at any time.
Fees
Fees are charged at the rate of £60 per session and are payable by bank transfer at least 24 hours in advance of each session.
Account name: The Interspiral Company Ltd
Sort code: xxxx
Account number: xxxx
Non-attendance
24 hours’ notice is required if you or your counsellor are unable to attend a session. If either of you gives less notice than this another time within the same week that is convenient to both of you will try to be found. If this is not possible then, depending on who was initially unable to attend the session, the full fee will be charged or paid in compensation.
I have read, understand and agree to all the above:
Client:
Signature:
Date:
Counsellor:
Signature:
Date:
Contract example (child or young person)
This agreement is between The Interspiral Company Limited and xxxx for the provision of counselling services to xxxx, for whom I am legally responsible, by xxxx (the child or young person’s counsellor).
The Interspiral Company Limited uses the trading name of Interspiral and is a private limited company registered at Companies House under registration number 11660696. Its registered office address is 66 Old Station Road, Hampton-in-Arden B92 0EY.
Regulation and ethics
The child or young person’s counsellor is a member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. They comply with and are committed to the Association’s Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions. A copy of the framework can be downloaded from www.bacp.co.uk
Data management and confidentiality
The child or young person’s counsellor will maintain a record of the child or young person’s attendance and will make brief notes after each session. In line with best practice, these notes will be kept securely during the course of the counselling relationship and for 6 years afterwards. At that point they will be securely destroyed.
The child or young person’s record of attendance and notes will be stored under their Client Identification Code, separate from any personally identifiable data that you or they provide. All information will be kept under lock and key and / or will be password protected and encrypted.
1. Access
Under the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) the child or young person has the right to access their notes and any other information held about them. In the unlikely event the notes include information that would identify somebody else, this information will be removed to protect their confidentiality unless they give consent for it to be included.
2. Confidentiality
The child or young person’s counsellor adheres to the strictest standards of confidentiality and will not pass on any information about the child or the young person or the content of their work with them, with the following exceptions:
- The child or young person’s counsellor discusses their work with a clinical supervisor. This is standard practice and helps the counsellor to work as well as they can with the child or young person. The counsellor’s supervisor is bound by the same Code of Ethics and confidentiality as the counsellor.
- If the child or young person’s counsellor believes that the child or young person is at risk of harming themself or others, they might need to break confidentiality in order to prevent harm. However, they would only do this in extreme circumstances and would always try and discuss it with the child or young person before taking any action.
- If required by law (such as a genuine threat of terrorism) or if compelled to give evidence in criminal proceedings.
- If the child or young person’s counsellor is unable to attend a session and is not able to contact you, a trusted colleague will contact you. They will only have access to the child or young person’s name and your name and contact details.
- In line with their professional requirements, the child or young person’s counsellor may discuss the content of their sessions with other counsellors, therapists and clinical supervisors. In these discussions, the child or young person’s identity will not be revealed.
If you have any questions or concerns about data management or confidentiality, please do discuss them with the child or young person’s counsellor.
The DPA and UK GDPR require your explicit consent to use your contact details for the sole purpose of counselling a child or young person for whom you are legally responsible to be obtained. Please tick to provide consent to be contacted in any or all of the following ways:
Email
Phone
Text
The DPA also requires your explicit consent for all record keeping to be obtained. You may withdraw your consent at any time.
Signed:
Date:
Use of material
For the purpose of further accreditation, continuing professional development or research, the child or young person’s counsellor may wish to submit anonymised written or taped material from some of their sessions. They will seek your and the child or young person’s explicit consent to do so. Please do not feel obliged in any way to provide your consent if you do not wish to do so.
Safety
A safe and comfortable environment will be provided for all sessions. The work the child or young person is doing with their counsellor requires them both be fully present. If the child or young person’s counsellor suspects that the child or young person is under the influence of alcohol or drugs the session will be cancelled. Equally, if the child or young person’s counsellor feels threatened or intimidated at any time the session will be halted. In either circumstance, full payment will be required.
Duration
This agreement is for an initial course of six fifty minute sessions. It may be extended by mutual agreement at any time.
Fees
Fees are charged at the rate of £60 per session and are payable by bank transfer at least 24 hours in advance of each session.
Account name: The Interspiral Company Ltd
Sort code: xxxx
Account number: xxxx
Non-attendance
24 hours’ notice is required if the child or young person or their counsellor are unable to attend a session. If either you or the child or young person’s counsellor gives less notice than this another time within the same week that is mutually convenient will try to be found. If this is not possible then, depending on who was initially unable to attend the session, the full fee will be charged or paid in compensation.
I have read, understand and agree to all the above:
Person legally responsible for the child or young person:
Signature:
Date:
Counsellor:
Signature:
Date:
Agreement example (child or young person)
This agreement is between The Interspiral Company Limited and first name last name (the client) for the provision of counselling services by John Gillies-Wilkes (your counsellor). It sets out what you should and can expect from counselling.
Confidentiality
Your counsellor will not talk to anyone else about anything talked about in counselling unless you agree that they may do so or:
- You have been hurt, harmed or treated in any way that is inappropriate
- There is a risk of harm to you or anyone else
- Your counsellor hears anything that makes them think the law has been or will be broken.
If it becomes necessary for your counsellor to talk to someone else, they will first discuss it with you and talk about all of the things that are likely to happen. Your counsellor will then ask you to sign a form giving them permission to talk to other people.
Releasing information
Your counsellor will not tell anyone who does not need to know that you are coming to counselling. Sometimes people such as a teacher. doctor or social worker will ask about your counselling. Your counsellor will not tell them anything unless you agree that they can do so. Your counsellor will ask you what you would like them to say and ask you to sign a form giving them permission before saying anything.
If there is a court case about you, the court may ask to see the notes that your counsellor makes. Your counsellor has no choice and has to show the court these notes.
Supervision
Your counsellor has a supervisor, another counsellor who helps them think about the things that happen in counselling. When your counsellor talks about their work with their supervisor they will never use your name or say anything that might identify you.
Records
After each session your counsellor makes notes about what you did or talked about. Your client identification rather than your name is used in these notes and they are securely stored online. They may give permission to someone such as their manager to see these notes but no one else will be able to see them.
Complaints
If you are not happy about any aspect of your counselling, you can and should raise your concerns with an adult that you trust.
I have read, understand and agree to all the above:
Client:
Signature: Date:
Counsellor:
Signature: Date:
Interspiral 