Privacy Policy

Young Minds Counselling CIC

Last updated: 01/10/2025

1. Who we are

Young Minds Counselling CIC (“we”, “us”, “our”) is a community interest company providing counselling and mental health support. We are the data controller, which means we decide how your personal data is collected, used and stored.

Our details:

Organisation: Young Minds Counselling CIC

Website: www.youngmindscounselling.com

Email: youngmindsccs@gmail.com

Phone: 07849113356

Address: CDC Cosy hub, S402SW

2. What data we collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:

Contact details: name, email, phone number, postal address

Personal details: date of birth, emergency contact

Health / therapy information: case notes, assessments, history, progress

Payment information: invoices, receipts

Website data: IP address, browser type, cookies/analytics (see section 6)

Correspondence: emails, forms, messages

As a counselling service, we may collect special category data such as health and mental health information. This is handled with extra care.

3. How we use your data

We use your personal data to:

Arrange and provide counselling sessions

Keep appropriate clinical records

Send confirmations, reminders, and updates about appointments

Manage payments and invoices

Respond to enquiries or complaints

Meet our legal, ethical and safeguarding responsibilities

Improve our website and services (via analytics and feedback)

We only collect what we need and keep it confidential.

4. Legal basis

Under UK-GDPR, we must have a legal reason to process your data. We rely on:

Contract – to deliver counselling you have agreed to

Consent – e.g. if you opt-in to marketing or communications

Legitimate interest – to manage enquiries and administration

Legal obligation – safeguarding, tax, accounting requirements

Vital interests – in case of serious risk of harm to you or others

5. Confidentiality & limits

Counselling is confidential, but there are some exceptions where we may need to share information:

If there is a serious risk of harm to you or others

Child protection or safeguarding concerns

If required by law or court order

In clinical supervision (where information is anonymised as far as possible)

Wherever possible, we will discuss this with you first.

6. Cookies & website data

Our website may use cookies to improve your browsing experience and collect anonymous statistics (e.g. via Google Analytics). You can manage or disable cookies in your browser settings.

7. Sharing your data

We will not sell or rent your information. We may share it with:

IT and secure storage providers (bound by confidentiality agreements)

Payment processors (for invoices and receipts)

Regulators, safeguarding bodies, or courts (only if legally required)

8. Data retention

We only keep data for as long as necessary:

Client records / case notes: usually 6 years after counselling ends (professional guideline)

Financial records: 6 years (for accounting law)

Enquiries not taken forward: usually deleted within 12 months

Website analytics: anonymised data, kept short-term (12–24 months)

After this, data is securely deleted or anonymised.

9. Your rights

You have the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you

Ask us to correct any mistakes

Request deletion (in certain circumstances)

Restrict or object to processing

Ask for a copy of your data in a portable format

Withdraw consent (where processing is based on consent)

To exercise your rights, contact us (see section 11).

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at www.ico.org.uk.

10. Security

We protect your data with:

Encrypted storage and password-protected systems

Secure communication methods (e.g. encrypted email where possible)

Limiting access only to authorised staff

Regular review of security practices

11. Contact us

For questions, requests, or concerns about this Privacy Policy:

Young Minds Counselling CIC

Email: youngmindsccs@gmail.com

Phone: 07849113356

Address: CDC Cosy hub, S402SW