Sarah Comerford

COUNSELLING & SUPERVISION IN BERKSHIRE

Privacy Notice for Email Enquiries

The privacy and safety of your personal information is of utmost importance. By using the email contact form on this website, you are agreeing for your email address, name and information you send in the email to be held securely by Sarah Comerford (the data controller). Your email and any other contact details will only be used to respond to your enquiry by Sarah Comerford. Your details will NOT be used for any marketing purposes or shared with any other person, organisation or company.

Please be assured that enquiries submitted through this contact form are sent directly to Sarah Comerford's email. Webhealer, the website management organisation delete all enquires from their system and do not view or retain any information sent through the contact form.

Counselling Agreement

Please find below the counselling agreement between Sarah Comerford and yourself as the client. This details practice around confidentiality, data protection, fees and privacy once we start working together.

Sessions

  • Your counselling sessions will take place at the same time, day and place each week, unless a change is agreed in advance by counsellor and client.
  • Each session will last 50 minutes.
  • The number of sessions will be reviewed by us together, with an appropriate time given for ending counselling.

Fees

  • Fees are £65 per session.
  • You will be required to pay by bank transfer.
  • Fees are payable at the end of each session or you can pay for sessions in advance.

Missed Sessions and cancellations

  • Kindly be aware, I maintain a 24 hour cancellation policy for counselling sessions. Any cancellation made within less than 24 hours of our scheduled appointment will incur the full session fee. Your cooperation and understanding regarding this policy are greatly appreciated, as it ensures the efficient management of appointment times.
  • The agreed timeslot is allocated to you for the duration of your counselling on the understanding that you will attend all sessions.
  • If I am unable to attend a session, I will always try and give you as much notice as possible and will not charge you for the missed session.

Safety measures

  • During our counselling appointments and while on the property of the counselling service, you agree you will not harm yourself, the property and its contents, or me.
  • Alcohol or recreational drugs should not be used prior to our session. If you are under the influence of recreational drugs or alcohol, I will end the session immediately and you will be charged the full fee.

Confidentiality and ethical framework

  • I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and work within the guidelines, codes and ethical frameworks of this organisation.
  • My work is fully insured.
  • Everything discussed in our session will remain private and confidential to us.

This confidentiality will not be upheld in exceptional circumstances where:

  • There is a risk you may seriously harm yourself or someone else.
  • I have a child safeguarding concern.
  • A risk that a serious illegal act may take place; this includes an act of terrorism, drug trafficking and money laundering.

Should these circumstances arise, I will always endeavour to discuss this with you and inform you if I need to share something we have discussed. I may need to share with an agreed emergency contact, GP, children’s social services, emergency services.

All counsellors are required to work under supervision; this improves my ability to work effectively with clients. I meet with my supervisor on a regular basis. My supervisor is bound by the same agreement of confidentiality and BACP code of conduct.

Working online and social media

  • When working remotely, either on the phone or online, confidentiality is maintained as it is working face to face. I will be working in a confidential space that will not be interrupted or overheard by anyone else.
  • I use Zoom to work online; I have enabled end to end encryption security and a waiting room, where only you will be admitted to the session. Whilst I have made every effort to ensure the highest level of security when using online technology, I hold no responsibility should a security breach occur by Zoom or any other online platform we choose to use.
  • In order to work effectively and safely, neither you nor I will attempt to record a session or part of a session without prior permission.
  • It is important when you attend our sessions, that you find a space that you will not be interrupted or overheard and feel able to talk freely.
  • If you are going to attend the session in a public space or outside, we will need to ensure confidentiality can be maintained and there is limited disruption from outside influences, such as the weather and noise.
  • In the event that our session is disrupted or cut short due to issues relating to internet/electricity/phone signal, we will discuss how you would like to proceed. This may involve continuing the session over the phone or rescheduling the session.
  • In relation to all social media, I will not receive or accept friend requests in order to protect the boundaries of our therapeutic relationship.
  • If working with clients who are outside of the UK, my contract is subject to English Law with the Exclusive Jurisdiction of the Courts of England and Wales.
  • If we are working online and you will be outside of the UK and your normal space for therapy, you will give me advance notice of this.

Your data

It is important that you know and formally consent to the information I will hold about you and our sessions together; how I will hold and store this information and why I am holding this information. This is in line with the Data Protection Act (GDPR, 2018).

What data I hold about you; how I record and store this; and why I require this information

In order to work safely, ethically and professionally with you, I need to hold certain information about you and our work together. This is likely to include the following:

  • Your name and address
  • Your phone number and email address
  • An emergency contact’s name and phone number
  • Your GP’s name and contact details
  • Relevant medical and/or psychiatric information
  • Your payment information
  • Communications we have outside of sessions, including texts and emails
  • Session notes

In order to keep a record of our work together, I will keep brief session notes. These are kept confidential and are securely stored, either in a locked filing cabinet or on a secure GDPR compliant online system. Your payment information and any identifying details you use, may identify you in my banking records, these may be requested by my accountant and/or the Inland Revenue.


Emails are sent and received via password-protected email accounts. Whilst reasonable steps are taken to protect electronic communications, email cannot be guaranteed to be completely secure and clients should be mindful of this when sharing personal information electronically.


All records are kept as long as is reasonable for the purpose for which they were prepared, in most cases for 7 years after we have stopped working together, and are then securely destroyed. I am registered with the ICO; my registration is ZB059269.

Access to Your Information

You have the right to request access to personal information I hold about you. Such requests should be made in writing. I may request proof of identity before releasing any information. Requests will be responded to within the timescales required under UK GDPR legislation.

Where appropriate, information may be redacted or withheld where disclosure would adversely affect the rights and freedoms of another person or where legal or professional exemptions apply.


Rarely, permission is asked by clients, their solicitors, the police and/or the courts to access counselling records. Any request to provide a written report made by the aforementioned will be considered on a case by case basis on receipt of written consent by you, if this is required. Any report provided will not refer to specialist diagnosis or other matters outside my training and will be restricted to brief details of each session, dates and number of sessions attended.


In the event of my death or my mental or long term physical incapacity, In line with ethical guidelines, a named trusted colleague, who is also a therapist and registered member of the BACP will inform you. This colleague will securely and confidentially hold your name and contact details for the duration of our work together.

Data Protection Complaints

If you have concerns regarding how your personal information has been collected, stored, used, shared or otherwise processed, please contact me in writing using the contact details provided within this agreement.

I will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 30 days and aim to investigate and respond as promptly as possible. Following investigation, I will provide a written response outlining the outcome and any action taken.

If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome, you have the right to raise your concerns with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

Information Commissioner's Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF


Website: www.ico.org.uk

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

Data protection and your rights

I process personal information in accordance with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 to provide counselling services safely, ethically and professionally.


The information I hold is necessary for the provision of counselling, safeguarding responsibilities, professional supervision requirements, administration of the service and compliance with legal, regulatory and insurance obligations.


Under UK GDPR you have a number of rights regarding your personal information, including:

  • The right to request access to information I hold about you.
  • The right to request correction of inaccurate information.
  • The right to request restriction of processing in certain circumstances.
  • The right to object to certain processing activities.
  • The right to lodge a complaint regarding the handling of your personal information.

Some rights may be subject to legal, ethical or professional limitations. Requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis and responded to in accordance with UK GDPR requirements.

By signing this agreement, you confirm that you have read and understood how your information will be collected, stored, used and retained as described within this agreement.

Signed: Date:

Print Name: