TMC Psychology needs to gather and use certain information about clients and prospective clients in order to provide a therapy service. This statement describes how this personal data is collected, handled and stored to meet data protection standards and to comply with the law.

Key details

TMC Psychology protects and makes use of the information you provide us. If you provide, or are asked to provide, information when contacting us, it will only be used in the ways described in this Privacy Statement.

This Privacy Statement was last updated on 17th September 2020 and may be updated from time to time. If you have any questions about this policy, please email tmc.psychology@gmail.com

The data we gather

We may collect the following information to enable us to work with you safely and effectively:

• Name and address
• Contact telephone number
• Email address
• Date of birth
• GP details

During the course of therapy, we will inevitably also collect other personal information relevant to your assessment and treatment plan.

How we use this data

Collecting this data helps us:

• Contact you to set up assessment and therapy sessions
• Conduct a thorough psychological assessment
• Devise and implement and effective treatment plan (therapy)
• Communicate (when necessary and with your consent) with relevant third parties to support your treatment and manage risk
• Invoice for services rendered 

Information about you

Any personal information we hold about you is stored and processed in line with The Data Protection Act 1998 and the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) adopted on 27th April 2016 and enforceable from 25th May 2018.

Your data will be kept for the lifetime of your status as a client with us. When you cease to be a client with us, your data will be kept for a minimum period of five years and a maximum period of 10 years, in accordance with the General Medical Council Guidelines. You have the right to ask for your data to be destroyed after the minimum period of five years, but not before then.

TMC Psychology has the right to retain your data for the five year period so that it can respond effectively to any questions or complaints that may later be raised by you or your representatives.

Security

We will always hold your information securely:

• All client files and therapy notes are kept secure in a locked filing cabinet
• Access to your personal information is restricted on a need to know basis only (i.e. for those concerned directly with your care and your account).
• Data is backed up regularly

In the unlikely event of a data protection breach, we will notify the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) so that their procedures can be followed. We will also notify all individuals whose data may have been accessed to alert them to the breach and any potential risks.

Data accuracy

Should, during the course of your contact with us, any personal data be subject to change (e.g. if you change GPs or address) we would be grateful if you could notify us at the earliest opportunity so we can ensure our records are up to date.

Subject access requests

All individual who are the subject of personal data held by TMC Psychology are entitled to:

• Ask what information the company holds about them and why
• Ask how to gain access to it
• Be informed how to keep it up to date
• Be informed how the company is meeting its data protection obligations

If you would like to request a copy of the data we hold about you, this is called a subject access request. Subject access requests should be made in writing on email to tmc.psychology@gmail.com. We will aim to provide the relevant data within 30 days. We will always verify the identity of anyone making a subject access request before handing over any information.

Disclosing data for any other reasons

In certain circumstances the Data Protection Act (1998) allows TMC Psychology to disclose data (including sensitive data) without the data subject’s consent. These are:

• Carrying out a legal duty or as authorised by the Secretary of State
• Protecting vital interests of a data subject or other person
• If the data subject has already made the information public (e.g. through the use of social media)
• Conducting any legal proceedings, obtaining legal advice or defending any legal rights
• Monitoring for equal opportunities purposes – i.e. race, disability or religion
• Providing a confidential service where the data subject’s consent cannot be obtained or where it is reasonable to process without consent: e.g. where we would wish to avoid forcing stressed or ill data subjects to provide consent signatures

Other Websites

This website contains links to other websites. The TMC Psychology policy only applies to this website and not to other websites you visit. 
Email: Tmc.psychology@gmail.com

Complaints or Queries

TMC psychology woud welcome any suggestions for improving our procedures. If you do have a complaint, please contact the Data Protection Officer, Dr Tanya McDonnaugh, who will investigate the matter on your behalf.
If you are not satisfied with the response you have the right to raise your complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):

Website: https://ico.org.uk/concerns/
Email: casework@ico.org.uk
Telephone: +44 (0) 303 123 1113