This Privacy Policy sets out how I use and protect any information that you provide when you use my websites, correspond by email or text, or share during our sessions. The website through which I provide coaching services is drforbescoaching.co.uk.

Controller’s contact details

Controller’s Name: Dr Lois Alexander Forbes

Address: c/o David Butterworth, Wheawill & Sudworth, 35, Westgate, Huddersfield, HD1 1PB

Phone Number: 078108 76400
E-mail: info@drforbescoaching.co.uk

I may make changes to this Policy from time to time by updating this page. This policy is effective from 27th March, 2024.

The type of personal information I collect

I currently collect and process the following information:

•   Personal identifiers, contacts and characteristics (for example, name and contact details)
•   Special category information including but not limited to:
•   Health and mental health information
•   Religious and other philosophical beliefs
•   Race and ethnicity
•   Sex life or sexual orientation
•   Other information supplied by you in the course of sessions
•   Brief handwritten notes taken during and/or after the session

Provision of personal information and reason for collecting it

Most of the personal information I process is provided to me directly by you for one of the following reasons:

•  For contact purposes
•  In order to work as coach and client

I use the information that you have given me for:

•  Internal record keeping
•  Making brief handwritten notes
•  Correspondence regarding appointment arrangements

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the lawful bases we rely on for processing this information are:

(a) Legal obligation: for the legal purposes of providing tax records as a sole trader
(b) Contractual obligation: the processing is necessary for a contract you have with me
(c) Substantial public interest - counselling

Confidentiality

Your data will be kept confidential. In exceptional circumstances, for example if somebody’s safety is at risk, relevant information may be discussed with a relevant person, or if there is a legal obligation to disclose. Normally, disclosure would occur in consultation with you and would be limited to the relevant information.

The handwritten notes kept are read only by me, although their anonymized contents may be disclosed to my supervisor in line with good practice. The supervisor is also bound by confidentiality.

How I store your personal information

Your information is securely stored. The handwritten notes I take are codified and assigned a number so that your name does not appear on them. They are kept in a separate, locked filing cabinet in my office to which only I have access. Electronic data, such as emails confirming appointments, are kept securely on devices protected by password.

I keep data for six years after the coaching work has ended. After that time, all data will be shredded. Data sent electronically may be deleted before that time.

Your data protection rights

Under data protection law, you have rights including:

Your right of access - You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information.

Your right to rectification - You have the right to ask us to rectify personal information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete.

Your right to erasure - You have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances.

Your right to restriction of processing - You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.

Your right to object to processing - You have the the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.

Your right to data portability - You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances.

You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. If you make a request, we have one month to respond to you.

Please contact me at info@drforbescoaching.co.uk if you wish to make a request.

How to complain

If you have any concerns about our use of your personal information, you can make a complaint to me at info@drforbescoaching.co.uk

You can also complain to the ICO if you are unhappy with how we have used your data.

The ICO’s address:

Information Commissioner’s Office Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow

Cheshire SK9 5AF

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113
ICO website: https://www.ico.org.uk