Privacy Policy

Introduction

This Privacy Policy outlines how I, Lee Roberts, a trainee coaching psychologist, collect, use, store, and protect your personal information in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and University of Chichester guidelines. Your privacy and the protection of your personal data are of the utmost importance to me, and I am committed to ensuring its confidentiality and security.

1. Data Controller Information

As a trainee coaching psychologist, I act as the Data Controller for any personal data you provide. If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or the handling of your personal data, you can contact me at:

Name: Lee Roberts

Email: lee@coachingpsychologists.co.uk

2. Personal Data I Collect

I may collect the following personal data from you during our coaching sessions or through related communications:

Basic Information: Name, contact details (phone number, email).

Sensitive Personal Data: Information about your mental and physical health, well-being, and personal goals, which may be necessary for coaching purposes. Personal data notes and session notes will be coded with a unique identifier to ensure full confidentiality.

Session Notes: Notes taken during or after our sessions, including any insights, observations, or feedback provided.

3. How I Collect Your Data

Personal data is collected in the following ways:

Directly from you, during consultations, assessments, or coaching sessions.

Through email, phone, or written correspondence.

Through any assessment tools or questionnaires completed as part of the coaching process.

4. Lawful Basis for Processing

I will only collect and process your personal data when I have a lawful basis to do so under GDPR. The lawful bases relevant to my practice include:

Consent: By providing your personal information, you consent to its use for the purposes described in this policy.

Contract: Processing may be necessary to fulfill the coaching contract or agreement between us.

Legal Obligation: In some cases, I may need to retain data for compliance with legal obligations, such as record-keeping for tax purposes if coaching services is paid for.

5. How I Use Your Personal Data

Your personal data will be used to:

Provide coaching services tailored to your needs.

Communicate with you about your coaching sessions.

Maintain records for future sessions and follow-up.

Assess your progress and provide feedback or advice.

Meet any legal or regulatory obligations required of me as a trainee coaching psychologist.

6. Data Sharing

I do not share your personal data with third parties except in the following circumstances:

University of Chichester Programme staff. This is a course requirement to ensure that the experience of the coaching process can be assessed. The staff may contact you directly to find out more about how you are experiencing the coaching.

Supervision: I may share anonymized information with my supervisor as part of my training, in accordance with best practice. Your identity will remain confidential during this process.

Legal Requirements: If required by law, I may be obligated to disclose your personal data to legal authorities.

Consent: With your explicit consent, data may be shared for purposes you agree to (e.g., referrals to other healthcare professionals).

7. Data Security

I take the security of your personal data very seriously. Appropriate technical and organizational measures are in place to safeguard your data against unauthorized access, alteration, or loss. These measures include:

Secure storage of physical files in locked cabinets.

Password-protected digital files and systems.

Encryption of emails containing sensitive information.

8. Data Retention

I will only retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. Typically, data will be retained for 7 years following the conclusion of your coaching sessions, unless a longer retention period is required by legal obligations.

9. Your Rights Under GDPR

Under GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

Right to Access: You may request a copy of the personal data I hold about you.

Right to Rectification: You have the right to request corrections to any inaccurate or incomplete data.

Right to Erasure: In certain circumstances, you can request the deletion of your personal data.

Right to Restriction of Processing: You can request a limitation on how your data is processed in specific situations.

Right to Data Portability: You may request your data to be transferred to another data controller in a structured, commonly used format.

Right to Withdraw Consent: Where consent has been provided for the processing of your data, you can withdraw it at any time.

Right to Object: You can object to the processing of your data for direct marketing or other purposes.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact me at lee@coachingpsychologists.co.uk.

10. Complaints

If you have concerns about how your personal data has been handled, you can file a complaint with me directly, or with the relevant supervisory authority in your country. In the UK, this is the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

ICO Contact Details:

Website: https://ico.org.uk/

Phone: +44 303 123 1113

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

I may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any significant changes will be communicated to you, and the latest version will always be available upon request.

Acknowledgment and Consent

By continuing to engage in coaching sessions, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy and agree to the processing of your personal data as described above.