Lesley Abel is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office as a Data Controller (Registration number Z8786915) This privacy policy outlines how Lesley Abel processes personal data in line with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The aim of the document is to explain what personal data Lesley Abel holds, why she holds and processes it, who she might share it with and your rights and freedoms under the law. Lesley Abel provides independent speech and language therapy to children in the home, in educational settings and online. Lesley is registered with the Health and Care Professional Council (HCPC), and is a registered member of both the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) and the Association of Speech and Language Therapists in Independent Practice (ASLTIP)
The lawful basis for processing personal information The lawful basis for processing and storing personal information is one of ‘legitimate interest’ (under article 6 of GDPR) Lesley Abel cannot adequately deliver a service to your child without processing their personal information. As it is both necessary for her service delivery and of benefit to your child, she has a legitimate interest in processing and storing your child’s data. Once you have entered into an agreement with Lesley Abel to provide speech and language therapy services, she has a ‘legal obligation’ under GDPR Article 6 to collect and process your child’s information. As a speech and language therapist, Lesley Abel is legally obliged to collect, store and process your data in order to plan and deliver therapy, communicate appropriately and effectively with parents, carers and key professionals, and to keep a record of her work.
Meeting professional obligations It is a legal requirement for all speech and language therapists to be registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). The HCPC has clear standards of conduct, performance and ethics to which all registrants must adhere. These standards affect the way in which we process and share information. Specifically: Standard 8: be able to communicate effectively. Standard 10: be able to maintain records appropriately. For full details, the document can be found at: https://www.hcpc-uk.org/globalassets/resources/standards/standards-of-proficiency---speech-and-language-therapists.pdf?v=637018072470000000
Types of personal data Lesley Abel collects, stores and processes the following types of data:
How does Lesley Abel collect your data? Lesley collects healthcare data from you as the child’s parent or guardian. She may also collect information from other professionals involved with your child e.g. teachers, consultants, NHS speech and language therapists. Clinical information may be collected during face-to-face consultations, online consultations, telephone or email conversations, during therapy sessions, observation sessions or review meetings. By providing information for initial contact by text, voicemail, email or website enquiry, you are consenting to personal details being held temporarily by Lesley Abel, until your enquiry has been dealt with. Following the initial consultation, if your child is taken on by Lesley Abel, then these details will be added to their case notes. It is possible to use www.speech-and-language-therapy.com without providing personal information. Should you wish to make an enquiry via the contact form, then you will be required to provide contact information so that Lesley can respond to your query. www.speech-and-language-therapy.com contains links to other internet sites which are outside of her control and are not covered by this privacy policy. Lesley Abel is not responsible for data that you provide through any such linked websites.
How does Lesley Abel use the data she collects? The data collected is primarily used to provide a speech and language therapy service that is appropriate for your child’s needs and to communicate effectively with you. Information may be used for research or training purposes but only with further written consent from yourself. Financial information is used to report her accounts to HMRC.
How does Lesley Abel store personal information? Lesley Abel keeps both electronic and physical records in order to provide a service. MyTherapyTracker is used to store case notes electronically. This is a web-based tool that is GDPR compliant. It utilises end-to-end encryption when sharing information between yourself and Lesley Abel.
| Type of Information | Where is it stored? | How long is it stored for? |
| Initial enquiry by telephone. | Handwritten form stored in locked filing cabinet. | Form transferred to electronic casenotes* or immediately shredded if child is not taken on. |
| Initial enquiry by email/website. | Password protected email account. | Email transferred to electronic case notes* or deleted if child is not taken on. |
| Other email information. | Deleted or transferred to electronic casenotes. | *see electronic casenotes below. |
| Documents from third parties e.g. school reports. | Locked filing cabinet then scanned and saved to electronic casenotes. | Shredded immediately following transfer to electronic casenotes* below. |
| Assessment forms and treatment plans. | Locked filing cabinet then scanned and saved to electronic casenotes. | Shredded immediately following transfer to electronic casenotes* below. |
| Video and audio recordings. | Deleted immediately post-use or saved to electronic casenotes or protected on an external harddrive in a locked filing cabinet. | Where recordings form part of the ongoing record of assessment/therapy and are used to inform clinical decision-making, they are kept for the retention period of the electronic casenotes*. If they are a tool within a therapy activity or session, they are deleted as soon as their purpose is served. |
| Therapist’s handwritten notes made during or immediately following the session or conversation. | Kept in locked filing cabinet prior to transfer to electronic casenotes. | Destroyed immediately following transfer to electronic casenotes* |
| *Electronic casenotes. | MyTherapyTracker | Casenotes for children, including contact data, are retained until their 25th birthday, or 26th birthday if they were 17 at the time of discharge. |
| Invoices to parents/guardians. | MyTherapyTracker | Deleted 6 years following the financial year to which they pertain. |
| Invoices to Local authority | Password protected email account prior to being printed for financial records and stored in locked filing cabinet. | Deleted 6 years following the financial year to which they pertain. |
How does Lesley Abel share information? Lesley Abel will not share your child’s personal data with individuals, companies or organisations except in the following circumstances:
How does Lesley Abel Protect your data? Lesley Abel will protect your data by:
Your rights Data protection legislation gives you, the parent, various rights. The most important of these is as follows:
There is one facet in which UK regulations relating to health service professionals constitute a waiver to the provisions of the GDPR. This concerns the so-called "right to be forgotten", under which clients may request that all data relating to them be deleted. Health service regulations require that all notes describing treatment and therapy be retained by the practitioner until the child’s 25th birthday, or 26th birthday if they were 17 at the time of discharge.
How to access your child’s records You can access the information Lesley Abel holds about your child by writing to her at the above address. Please apply in writing rather than email, so that she receives an original signature to compare against the records held. Lesley Abel will provide access to your child’s records within 30 days of receipt of all necessary information. Should you have any questions about how Lesley Abel uses your information, then please contact: lesley.abel@hotmail.co.uk