We understand how important your privacy is. We take care to maintain your confidentiality in accordance with current data protection laws and codes of practice from the Health Care Professionals Council (HCPC).

It is a professional requirement that attendance records and brief written notes of contact are made. These are kept to a minimum and are maintained in accordance with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR, 2018). Dr Jen Breen is registered as the data controller with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for Collective Minds Psychology Ltd. Additional staff working with Collective Minds Psychology Ltd are data controllers for the patients they work with directly.  All associates are required to sign a contract agreeing to comply with GDPR.

By submitting personal data to us and/or by using our website you give your consent that all personal data that you submit may be processed by us in the manner and for the purposes described below. The legal basis for this is a legitimate interest.

What information do we collect and why?
For Collective Minds Psychology Ltd to provide you with services, we need to collect the following information:

• Name

• Contact details including a postal address, telephone number(s) and electronic contact such as email address.

• Date of birth

• Payment details

• GP details

• Nature of the difficulty

• Diagnostic instrument data

We collect this information directly from you. We also keep sensitive data (notes from sessions, letters and reports, other outcome measures, history of the difficulty) to enable us to deliver the service you have sought from us. With your permission, we may also collect information about you/ your child from third parties; such as another health professional (like your GP) or your child’s school to provide a complete assessment. If you complete a web-based enquiry form, we will also collect any information you provide to us this way.

How do we use the information we collect about you?
We will use your personal information to provide the services you have requested from us. Collecting this data helps us to:

• Communicate with you 

• Deliver the correct service to you/your child

• Conduct a thorough and appropriate assessment

• Invoice you for the services we provide 

• Communicate (when necessary and agreed with you) with relevant third parties to support your treatment and manage risk

Your information is shared with appropriate staff members working with Collective Minds Psychology Ltd and involved in your care.  These professionals understand their legal responsibility to maintain confidentiality and follow practice procedures to ensure this. We may also share your information with your/your child’s GP, school, CAMHS, social services, or other professionals such as a psychiatrist. We will ask for your consent to do this.

There may be instances when we need to share information such as, when there is a legal obligation for us to do so or when the information concerns risk of harm to the patient, or risk of harm to another child or adult. We will discuss such a proposed disclosure with you unless we believe that to do so could increase the level of risk to you or someone else.

We will not share your personal information with third-parties for marketing purposes.

Where do we keep the information and for how long?

Data may be stored in a variety of ways; online cloud, laptop, paperfile, mobile phone, email system. Paper-based patient records and notes are kept to a minimum and stored in a locked filing cabinet by the lead clinician involved in your care. Access to your personal information is restricted on a ‘need-to-know’ basis only i.e. for those concerned directly with your care and with your account. Sensitive personal information will only be sent to patients/parents by email if they have given prior consent for us to do so. Any computers or mobile devices containing personal information are password protected. All data is backed up regularly.

If you contact us via the website contact form or directly by email, we will keep the information in an online filing system which is compliant with General Data Protection Regulations.

Information is retained in line with Department of Health recommendations. Information on a child will be kept until their 25th birthday or 26th if the young person was 17 at the conclusion of treatment, or 8 years after death. Medical records of adult patients are retained for a period of seven years. Electronic invoices are also kept for seven years, as this is the required length to comply with the HMRC requirements. 

How can I see the information you have about me?

You have a right to access the information that we hold about you/your child and to receive a copy. You should submit your request via email. We will aim to provide the relevant data within 30 days and this may be subject to a small admin fee.

We may withhold such personal information to the extent permitted by law. In practice, this means that we may not provide information if we consider that providing the information will violate your vital interests.

What if my information is incorrect or I wish for it to be removed?
Please submit your request to us via email. You have the right to request that we correct any information that you believe is inaccurate or incomplete. If we have disclosed that information to a third party, we will let them know about the change. If you want to have your data removed, we will need to first determine if we need to keep the data (e.g. for legal reasons such as information about your medical treatment). If we decide that we should delete the data, we will do so without undue delay. 

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This site has the discretion to update this privacy policy at any time. We encourage users to frequently check this page for any changes to stay informed about how we are helping to protect the personal information we collect. You acknowledge and agree that it is your responsibility to review this privacy policy periodically and become aware of modifications.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, the practices of this site, or your dealings with this site, please contact us. You can complain to a regulator if you think we have not complied with data protection laws. You can make this complaint to ICO, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF. 

This document was last updated on March 24, 2024.