My Privacy Policy
Last updated: 13/01/2023
This Privacy Policy describes how I collect, use, store, and disclose your information/data when you use TalkCCT. This policy will tell you what you need to know about your privacy rights and how the law protects you. If you have any doubts about how your information might be used or accessed by anyone, this guide will tell you everything you need to know.
I use your personal data to provide the TalkCCT online counselling service, and to make improvements to the service where possible. By contacting me for counselling services from TalkCCT, this means you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this privacy policy, which is informed by current UK law.
I would like to point out that in order to provide you with this service, I intend to use the following services: a web host, video conferencing software, and an email application. At the current time, those services are Zyro, Skype, and Titan (email platform), although these may be subject to changes at any time, at which point this privacy policy will be updated. Because I use these other services, it is important for you to know that your data will be transferred across these services also. For example, when you contact me through TalkCCT, as Zyro is the website host, your information will be transferred through their service.
If you agree to use TalkCCT, you consent to allowing your data to be transferred through these other services. For your convenience, I will provide external links their respective terms & conditions and policies:
https://www.skype.com/en/legal/
https://zyro.com/privacy-policy
https://support.titan.email/hc/en-us/articles/360038535773-Titan-Privacy-Policy
Tracking Technologies and Cookies
Cookies and similar tracking technologies are used to track the activity on TalkCCT and store certain information. Tracking technologies used are beacons, tags, and scripts that collect and track information, and can be used to improve and analyse TalkCCT. These technologies are:
Cookies or Browser Cookies
A cookie is a small file placed on your device. You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. It may be possible that if you do not accept cookies, you may not be able to use some parts of TalkCCT. Unless you have adjusted your browser setting so that it will refuse cookies, TalkCCT may use cookies.
Flash Cookies
Certain features of TalkCCT may use local stored objects (or flash cookies) to collect and store information about your preferences activity on TalkCCT. Flash cookies are not managed by the same browser settings as those used for browser cookies. If you would like to know how you can delete flash cookies, please read "Where can I change the settings for disabling, or deleting local shared objects?" available at https://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/disable-local-shared-objects-flash.html#main_Where_can_I_change_the_settings_for_disabling__or_deleting_local_shared_objects_
Web Beacons
Certain sections of TalkCCT and our emails may contain small electronic files known as web beacons (also referred to as clear gifs, pixel tags, and single-pixel gifs) that allow me to know the users who have visited pages, or opened an email, and other related website statistics (for example, recording the popularity of a certain section and verifying system and server integrity).Cookies can be persistent" or "session" Cookies. Persistent cookies remain on your personal computer or mobile device when you go offline, while session cookies are deleted as soon as you close Your web browser. Learn more about cookies on the Privacy Policies website article.
Links to Other Websites
TalkCCT may contain links to other websites that are operated by others. This might come from a blog post, or a statistic you found on one of the pages that contains a hyperlink. If you click on a third party link, you will be directed to that third party's site. I have no control over and therefore assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies or practices of any third party sites or services, but I strive to keep a professional service that provides relevant and useful information for my viewers, and would not knowingly and willingly link a visitor from TalkCCT to a site that I would consider to be untrustworthy.
Collecting and Using Your Personal Data Through Using TalkCCT
What Types of Data Do You Collect?
Personal Data
When making contact with me through www.talkcct.co.uk for arranging counselling online, or to make a general enquiry, this entails that you personally provide information that is identifiable to you, that can be used to contact or identify you. This will involve:
. Email address
. First name and last name
. Information you may disclose about yourself in writing a message to me
. Usage data
In the instance where you wish to initiate a counselling session together, I have requested other forms of personal information about you that can be found on the booking form. This information informs how I deliver counselling to you in the best way possible. Some of this information is not mandatory, so you do not have to submit if you wish not to, however in order to deliver a counselling service I will require a minimum of a name and email address.
Usage Data
Usage data is collected automatically when browsing on TalkCCT. Usage Data may include information such as your device's internet protocol address (e.g. IP address), browser type, browser version, the pages of TalkCCT that you visit, the time and date of your visit, the time spent on those pages, unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data. All of this data is consequential of you using the site, and is not used by me personally or to change the way I provide counselling services.
Similarly, when accessing through a mobile device, certain data may be collected automatically, including, but not limited to, the type of mobile device you use, your mobile device unique ID, the IP address of your mobile device, your mobile operating system, the type of mobile internet browser you use, unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data. I may collect information that your browser sends whenever you visit TalkCCT or when you access TalkCCT by or through a mobile device.
Use of Your Personal Data
I intend to use your personal data for the following purposes:
. To determine you appropriate as a paying client with the counselling service who has decided to use this service on your own free will.
. To present to you a counselling contract, that provides a structure that keeps counselling safe, ethical, and clear for both parties.
. To contact you by email, telephone calls, SMS if required, and for meeting through video conferencing software to host online counselling.
. To manage any requests you might have for the service at TalkCCT.
. For bookkeeping needs of TalkCCT as a business organisation
. To talk in supervision about the content and nature of the information that we discuss together from a counselling session. Your name and other sensitive personal information will be protected by using pseudonyms.
. With your ongoing consent and permission, I may ask to record a session together to use for my continuing professional development and review in counselling. You may decline this request without explanation at any time.
Retention of Your Personal Data
TalkCCT will retain your personal data only for a maximum of seven years. This is to ensure that in the incidence that you feel you have been mistreated through the services at TalkCCT, I have safely kept all records that are available for you to see that indicate how events have transpired.
How Your Retained Personal Data is Stored
As an online service, I intend to store your notes and data electronically. This will involve password protecting documents that contain your personal data, and ensuring beyond doubt that they are in no way accessible through a network, but must be accessed on my working computer locally. Destruction of these files will involve permanently removing the files and any temporary files associated with them.
Children's Privacy
TalkCCT does not address anyone under the age of 16. I do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from anyone under the age of 16. If you are a parent or guardian and you are aware that your child has been in contact and therefore provided personal data to TalkCCT, please contact me.
If I become aware that I have collected personal data from anyone under the age of 16 without verification of parental consent, I will take the steps to remove that information from Zyro servers.
Security of Your Personal Data
When communicate with you I am using a dedicated business email that is not subject to personal use. This prevents to a large degree any possibility of phishing/cyber attacks from this email, as I am only concerned with corresponding with clients and will suspect anything that is irrelevant or suspicious.
If in the event that I need to call you from a phone, I will use my personal phone to do this, but for my security and yours, I will not save your number and delete the phone entry to avoid anybody from recovering your number, and I will withhold my number so that any accidental contact cannot be made with me outside of the therapy hour.
What Will You do if Something Goes Wrong?
The security of your personal data is one of my key responsibilities as a counsellor. However, I must bring to your attention that no method of transmission over the internet or telephone, or method of electronic storage is 100% secure, meaning I cannot guarantee that an incident might not take place where something goes wrong with protecting your data.
On discovering that your personal data may a have been accessed by someone other than myself who is unauthorised to view it, I will take the following steps in following due diligence and honesty:
. Contact you to let you know what has happened, including the details and nature of the event
. Contact my supervisor and professional body to make them aware of the issue and follow their recommendations
. Carefully review what happened that resulted in the event, and put measures in place to ensure that I limit as much as possible the same thing happening again, as well as considering other related ways I could prevent data breach
Disclosure of Your Personal Data
Law enforcement
Under certain circumstances, TalkCCT may be required to disclose your personal data if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g. a court or a government agency). This is consistent with the safeguarding role each counsellor is responsible for assuming.
TalkCCT may disclose your personal data in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to:
. Comply with a legal obligation
· Protect and defend the rights or property of TalkCCT
· Prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with TalkCCT
· Protect the personal safety of clients in the service of TalkCCT
. Protect the personal safety of vulnerable members of the public
