I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office. (ICO Ref: ZB848244). I will discuss confidentiality with you at our first session to ensure that you feel comfortable with my policies.
Your privacy is very important to me and you can be reassured that your personal information will be kept safe and secure and will only be used for the purpose it was given to me.
I adhere to current data protection legislation, including the General Data Protection Regulation (EU/2016/679) (the GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
This privacy notice tells you what I will do with your personal information from an initial point of contact through to after your counselling has ended.
‘Data controller’ is the term used to describe the person that collects and stores and has responsibility for people’s personal data. In this instance, the data controller is Fiona Christiansen. I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ZB848244).
I am happy to answer any questions you have about this, and you can contact me by telephone or email as follows: My phone number is: 07400 755890. My email address is: fiona.c.counsellor@gmail.com
The GDPR states that I must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. There are different lawful bases depending on the stage at which I am processing your personal data.
When you make an enquiry regarding counselling, I will use legitimate interest as the lawful basis for holding your personal information.
I take the security of the data I hold about you very seriously and as such I take every effort to make sure it is kept secure in a locked filing cabinet.
My website does not collect analytics or use cookies. No user-specific data is collected by me or any third party. If you fill in a form on my website, that data will be temporarily stored before being sent to me. I will download and print the form and securely store it.
I will keep a record of your personal details which includes your name, address, telephone number, email address, date of birth, GP surgery and next of kin details, and any relevant background and medical information. I will keep this record of your personal details to help the counselling service run smoothly. Information is not shared with a third party without your prior consent unless I am required to do so by law, or if I have serious safeguarding concerns around you or others. If possible, I will always try to speak to you about this first.
I will keep brief anonymised written notes of each counselling session. These are a summary record of the work undertaken during the session and stored securely in a locked filing cabinet.
The GDPR also makes sure that I look after sensitive personal information that you may disclose to me appropriately. This type of information is called ‘special category personal information’. The lawful basis for me processing any special categories of personal information is that it is for the provision of counselling.
For online counselling I will use Google Meet which supports compliance with GDPR.
Once counselling has ended, I will then retain any counselling records for six years from the ending of our contract together. After this time these records will be securely destroyed.
I try to be as open as I can be in terms of giving people access to their personal information. You have a right to ask me to correct or update your personal information or stop processing your personal information. You also have a right to ask for a copy of any information that I hold about you. For any requests for information or action regarding personal data held, please contact me by email or telephone.
More information is available at: https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters
If you have any concerns about how I handle your personal data, please do not hesitate to contact me. I welcome all feedback and suggestions for improving my procedures.
The ICO is the statutory body that oversees data protection law in the UK. For more information go to: https://ico.org.uk
The concept of ‘well-being’ is threaded throughout UK legislation and is part of the law about how
health and social care is provided. Our well-being includes our mental and physical health, our
relationships, our connection with our communities and our contribution to society.
Being able to live free from abuse and neglect is a key element of well-being. It is key to take a
person’s whole well-being into account and be proportionate to the risk of harm.
The legislation also recognises that adults make choices that may mean that one part of our well-
being suffers at the expense of another – for example we move away from friends and family to take
a better job. Similarly, adults can choose to risk their personal safety; for example, to provide care
to a partner with dementia who becomes abusive when they are disoriented and anxious.
None of us can make these choices for another adult. If we are supporting someone to make choices
about their own safety we need to understand what matters to them and what outcomes they want
to achieve, along with any actions that agencies may take to help them to protect themselves.
The concept of ‘Person Centred Safeguarding’/’Making Safeguarding Personal’ means engaging the person in a conversation about how best to respond to their situation in a way that enhances their involvement, choice and control, as well as improving their quality of life, well-being and safety.
Organisations work to support adults to achieve the outcomes they want for themselves. The adult’s
views, wishes, feelings and beliefs must be taken into account when decisions are made about how
to support them to be safe.
There may be many different ways to prevent further harm. Working with the person will mean that
actions taken help them to find the solution that is right for them. Treating people with respect,
enhancing their dignity and supporting their ability to make decisions also helps promote people’s
sense of self-worth and supports recovery from abuse.
Safeguarding means actively promoting the health, well-being, and human rights of adults at risk
of abuse or neglect. I am committed to safeguarding all individuals and to upholding the rights of all
adults to live free from harm, abuse, exploitation, and neglect. Safeguarding is integral to creating
an environment where personal and collective empowerment can thrive.
Safeguarding is an essential aspect of a commitment to offering a safe, empowering environment
where individuals can explore personal growth, resilience, and community support.
Adult at Risk
An adult at risk is any person aged 18 years or older who may be vulnerable due to mental or physical disability, illness, or other circumstances that impair their ability to care for themselves or protect themselves from significant harm or exploitation. This definition aligns with NHS England’s guidelines on safeguarding adults.
Abuse
Abuse is harm or mistreatment of any kind including physical, emotional, financial, sexual, or psychological harm.
I believe that every individual has the fundamental right to live free from abuse, neglect, or exploitation, regardless of age, gender identity, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy, disability, race, ethnicity, religion, belief, sex, or sexual orientation. I am committed to fostering a safe, empowering environment where personal growth and community thrive, and where individuals feel comfortable sharing concerns without fear of judgement or retribution. This aligns with our values of integrity, resilience, and mutual respect.
My aim is to act proportionately, and in a way that honours the dignity and voice of each adult
involved. Any actions taken will be carefully considered and discussed with my Supervisor.
Any actions taken in response to safeguarding concerns will be proportionate to the risk of harm,
ensuring fairness and respect for the individual involved.
All safeguarding records will be confidential, detailed, accurate, and securely store in line with my
privacy policy.
I will act in accordance with the best mental health practices, seeking advice from trusted local
bodies.
I hold an Enhanced DBS check and have completed Level 3 Counsellor Safeguarding Training.
Whenever possible, I would seek consent from the adult at risk before making an alert. However, in cases where the individual may be at serious risk or where others may be endangered, I may proceed without explicit consent to ensure their safety and well-being.
Personal information will only be shared when:
Fiona Christiansen Counselling is committed to ensuring that sensitive information is stored securely
and only accessed by those with the appropriate authority.
All allegations of abuse are taken seriously. An alert will be raised when I am made aware of, or
directly observe, any form of abuse, neglect, or exploitation. It is not my responsibility to prove that
abuse has occurred—simply to raise the concern for further investigation.
Throughout the safeguarding process, Fiona Christiansen Counselling is committed to keeping the adult at risk informed where appropriate. Where possible I will communicate clearly about:
Open communication reflects a commitment to fostering trust, transparency, and respect in all aspects of safeguarding.