Active Play Therapies is an independent therapy service that provides a variety of services including assessments, therapy and training across Dorset and the surrounding areas. Our Privacy Notice sets out what information we gather and how we use it. The Data Protection Act 1998, Human Rights Act 1998 and General Data Protection Regulation 2018 (GDPR) inform how we do this. Alongside this, our therapists are all registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT) who also lay out procedures that we must follow when processing personal information. We are also registered with ICO (Information Commissioner’s Office).
Information you share with us will be kept confidential unless you indicate otherwise, or in the event of us having concerns about an individual’s safety and welfare.
- What information we hold
Personal information is collected and held securely. Examples of this information are:
- Name, date of birth, GP, address, contact details
- Family members, family history, early developmental history
- Skill development, assessment information and results, reports
- Reports and records from other professionals (EHCPs, letters, emails)
- Details of assessment, intervention, meetings and communications are recorded in ‘patient notes’, or care records, as required by the HCPC.
- Where we gather information from
Information is gathered from various platforms including:
- Emails, phone calls, texts
- Facebook (messenger, reviews, page comments, posts to our page)
- Forms provided by us (e.g. Pre assessment forms)
- Reports, letters and documents from other professionals
- Communications with other professionals (where consent has been gained)
- Contact form on activeplaytherapies.com
- Why we hold information
We are required to hold personal information relevant to clients. It is a requirement of being a health care professional to keep accurate and up to date records (HCPC, RCOT).
- How we use information
- To inform decisions about assessment and intervention
- To ensure therapy is safe and effective
- To work effectively with other organisations where consent is provided
- To monitor and review services
- To provide services that are desired, effective and safe
- To keep individuals safe
- How we hold information
We use a secure encrypted system to store electronic information. Paper documents with personal information on are stored in locked areas. We use a secure method of electronically sending reports and documents containing personal information.
Information is also shared with us via email, social media and other methods. These systems aren’t 100% secure, however, by communicating with us using these methods, implied consent is given to use these less secure options for quick communication.
We hold medical records (patient notes, reports, assessments, communications) until a child’s 25th birthday. After this time, the records may be securely destroyed.
- Sharing your information: Consent
Personal information is kept confidential. We will never sell or rent personal information. For us to work safely and effectively, we ask for consent to speak to relevant agencies involved with a child or adult. These agencies can include, but are not limited to, schools, NHS teams, education teams, social care teams and other professionals involved with the child. Parents and carers of those with children under 16 years old will be provided with a consent form to consider prior to us speaking to external agencies. Consent can be withdrawn at any time in writing.
We have a duty of care to report any safeguarding concerns to the relevant professionals under the Children’s Act 1989 and 2004. We use the procedures as outlined by the Dorset Safeguarding Children Board and Bournemouth and Poole’s Local Safeguarding Children Board. Whenever possible we will notify you before doing so unless we believe that this would increase the risk towards a child.
- Your Rights
We always try to keep the families who use our services updated. Reports are always sent to those who have parental responsibility for the child.
Under the GDPR you have the right to be informed, access information and rectify any errors in information. We will provide the information in a commonly used format such as an email, PDF or word document.
- Subject access request
Under the Data Protection Act 1998, you can make a subject access request to see information that an organisation holds relating to you. For children, this information belongs to the child, regardless of age. If a child is able to understand their rights, we will respond to the child. The welfare of the child will be at the centre of our decision making.
If you would like to make a subject access request, please write to us stating clearly that you wish to do so. We will respond within 30 days. If we refuse a request, we will tell you why. You have the right to complain as laid out below.
- Updates
We reserve the right to modify this privacy notice at any time. Our current privacy notice can be found on our website and updates can be found there.
- Making a complaint
If you have any concerns with the way we process personal information, please contact us in the first instance [email protected] . If we are unable to resolve this, please contact ICO https://ico.org.uk/concerns/.
- Contact details
For further information, you can contact us in the following ways:
Email: [email protected]
Address:
Active Play Therapies
Unit 68, Basepoint Business Centre
Aviation Park
Enterprise Close
Hurn
Dorset
BH23 6NX
- References
- Health and Care Professions Council, 2017. Confidentiality – guidance for registrants. http://www.hcpc-uk.co.uk/assets/documents/100023F1GuidanceonconfidentialityFINAL.pdf [Accessed 22/5/18].
- Health and Care Professions Council, 2013. Standards of proficiency: Occupational therapists. Section 10. http://www.hcpc-uk.co.uk/assets/documents/10000512Standards_of_Proficiency_Occupational_Therapists.pdf [Accessed 22/5/18].
- Information Commisioner’s Office, 2018. Preparing for the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR): 12 Steps to take now. https://ico.org.uk/media/1624219/preparing-for-the-gdpr-12-steps.pdf [Accessed 22/5/18].
- Information Commisioner’s Office, 2017. Subject access code of practice. Version 1.2. https://ico.org.uk/media/for-organisations/documents/2014223/subject-access-code-of-practice.pdf [Accessed 22/5/18].
- Royal College of Occupational Therapy, 2017. Keeping Records, 3rd https://www.rcot.co.uk/practice-resources/rcot-publications/downloads/keeping-records [Accessed 22/5/18].