terms & conditions
Please note that all services are provided only under the following terms and conditions, which are subject to revision and may change.
Contact & Correspondence
I am contactable outside of appointments however, please note, my availability is limited and I cannot guarantee a response due to the high volume of communications I receive.
Please note also that additional communications, liaison, and correspondence may incur fees (please refer to Fees & Payment below).
Emergencies & Urgent Help
I do not, and cannot, provide a crisis service.
If you need help urgently, please follow the advice under Urgent Help (link in the menubar above).
Ethics & Confidentiality
I follow a strict code of ethics detailed by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC). I have included links to some of the relevant documents below.
Everything you say to me is confidential and will not be discussed with other people except in the following specific circumstances:
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I am required by the BPS and HCPC to discuss my work with another psychologist. This is referred to as 'clinical supervision'. All discussions are anonymous and confidential.
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It is good practice to communicate with your referring GP, psychiatrist or mental health team. However, I do not have to include the content of what we talk about in our sessions and will not do so without your consent.
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In the event that there is serious risk of harm to you or to others, I may need to share this information to keep you or others safe. I will always try to discuss this with you first, unless to do so would increase the level of risk.
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If I am required to share information where there is a legal duty to do so, such as a Court Order.
I store a minimum of identifying information and ensure the utmost confidentiality in the storage and treatment of such information (please refer to the data privacy policy below).
Fees & Payment
A single responsible party will be identified for invoicing and payments. It is that party's sole responsibility to pay all invoices and manage the account in accordance with the Terms and Conditions. Unless otherwise agreed, I will assume the individual or organisation requesting the initial consultation is also the nominated responsible party.
Unless otherwise agreed:
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The first meeting, or consultation is payable in advance upon booking. In the event that payment is not received at least seven days in advance, the appointment will be automatically cancelled.
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Subsequent appointments (excluding groups) are invoiced automatically and sent via email on the following day.
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Groups sessions are paid in advance in blocks of sessions (the number of sessions/block varies by group)
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All invoices must be paid in full within seven days of the date of invoice.
Payment is via BACS bank transfer. Payment details are included on invoices. Please quote the invoice number as the payment reference.
Additional administration, liaison, and correspondence will be charged for, calculated by time spent. This includes telephone calls, writing reports and referrals, attending meetings, liaison with other professionals, and responding to emails and communications.
Please note that services may be suspended with immediate effect in the event of late or non-payment.
Overdue and overpayments on accounts may also incur additional fees to cover administration, legal, and accounting costs, interest, dept collection fees; etc.
Professional contracts, bespoke projects and programs, team/organisation consultancy, as well as charitable and non-profit work is subject to contract.
Fees are subject to change.
Cancellations & Missed Appointments
Please contact me as soon as possible should you wish to cancel/reschedule an appointment.
Cancellations made with less than 2 business days' notice will be charged for in full. Non-attended appointments will also be charged for in full.
I will provide you with as much notice as possible in the rare event I need to cancel or reschedule an appointment. You will not be charged for any appointments that are cancelled by me.
Data & Privacy Policy (GDPR)
As a clinical psychologist I am required by the BPS and HCPC to keep records of my work. I am unable to provide a service to clients without consent to record and retain data. This privacy policy outlines how your personal data is used and stored.
The legal part
I have what is known as a ‘legitimate interest’ for keeping data, and I am registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) in order to do so. I also follow the guidelines for record keeping, privacy and confidentiality set out by the Health and Care Professions Council and British Psychological Society.
What information I keep
I keep ‘personal data’ such as your name, date of birth and contact details. I also keep ‘sensitive data’ such as notes from our sessions, completed questionnaires, correspondence (e.g. text messages, emails and letters), and video recordings (only where you have opted-in and given written consent for video recording of sessions).
You will be the primary source of the information I receive about you. If you have been referred to me, I will also receive information from the referring professional. If you are under 18, I will usually speak to and get some information from your parents or carers. If you are over 18, occasionally and with your permission, I may speak to and get further information from family members or other professionals involved in your care.
What I do with the information
I use information about you for three reasons: (i) to provide you with a service, (ii) for billing and processing payments, and (iii) to prevent serious harm.
How long I keep information
In accordance with professional guidance, I keep clinical records for the duration of our work together, and for a minimum of seven years thereafter.
Where and how I store data
The majority of data will be stored on a locked personal computer (password and fingerprint-protected) and iPad (password and facial recognition). Telephone numbers may also be stored on my locked personal mobile phone (password and facial recognition). Please be aware that I use secure iCloud Services to backup all my data. Information about Apple’s security and privacy policy can be found here: https://www.apple.com/uk/privacy/, https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/en-ww/ and https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202303
I use two-factor authentication on Gmail, and an encrypted NHS email address where required to send/receive personal data from other professionals. Information about Google’s privacy policy can be found here: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en-US.
I use an application called NotePlan for recording notes from our sessions. (Please note that I am required to record notes by the BPS and HCPC). The application is accessible only via locked devices (as above) and all files are scored securely and locally on my own computer. See here for more information about NotePlan’s security and privacy policy: https://noteplan.co/privacy/
I use Zoom for online meetings and video recording (where applicable, and only with your consent). Details of their privacy policy can be found here: https://explore.zoom.us/en/privacy/
Clients have my contact details and you are free to choose how you wish to contact me and what you choose to share via email/text message etc. Please ensure you are satisfied with these service provider's data protection and privacy policies.
Your data protection rights
You have the right to request details of all the information I keep on you.
You have the right to have information corrected if you consider it inaccurate or incomplete.
You have the right to complain to the Information Commissioners Office: (website) ico.org.uk/concerns or (telephone) 0303 123 1113.