The information below outlines the GDPR Privacy and Data protection policies and complaints procedure for therapist Ciaccio Therapist and the website cookie and privacy policies.
Website Cookie and Privacy policies can also be found on the cookie pop-up window and clicking on the Data Protection and Privacy Policy, the same information can be found on the GDPR tab on the website footer.
PRIVACY POLICY
Scope of the policy
This privacy policy applies to the work of therapist Maria Ciaccio (hereafter referred to as ‘MC’). The policy sets out how MC deals with your ‘personal information’ gathered; that is, information that could identify, or is related to the identity of, an individual.
This policy should be read in tandem with MC’s Data Protection Policy.
What personal information does MC collect?
To treat you, MC will ask you to provide certain information. This includes:
- Name
- Gender
- Date of birth
- Home address
- Email address
- Telephone number
- Emergency contact details
- Medical history and health information
- Information relating to your consultations and treatment
- Correspondence between us
- Payment and appointment information.
How does MC collect this personal information?
All the information collected is obtained directly from you via an initial discovery call or email enquiry, subsequent telephone calls and your therapeutic consultation. At the point at which you provide your personal information, MC will also request that you provide consent for her to store and use your data. Your consent is required to ensure her compliance with data protection legislation. This consent applies to first contact, emails, telephone calls and consultations.
How does MC use this personal information?
MC collects information so that she can:
- Assess your health needs.
• Provide treatment and advice.
• Maintain accurate clinical records.
• Arrange and manage appointments.
• Communicate with you regarding your care.
• Meet my professional, ethical and legal obligations.
Where required, she will also rely upon your consent for specific activities.
With whom does MC share your personal information?
Your information will be treated as confidential. MC may share relevant information where appropriate with:
- Other healthcare professionals involved in your care.
- Clinical supervisors.
- Professional advisers.
- Regulatory, legal or public authorities where required by law.
- Service providers who support the operation of my practice.
Information will only be shared where there is a lawful basis to do so.
Clinical Supervision
As part of maintaining professional standards, MC may discuss cases with a clinical supervisor.
Where possible, identifying information will be minimised and only information relevant to the supervision process will be shared.
All supervisors are expected to maintain appropriate standards of confidentiality.
Online Consultations and Digital Communication
Where consultations take place online, or where email and other digital communication methods are used, reasonable steps will be taken to protect the security and confidentiality of your information.
However, no electronic communication system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
AI and Digital Systems
MC may use secure digital tools to assist with administrative tasks, record management or communication.
Where AI or digital systems are used, MC remains responsible for the accuracy, confidentiality and security of your information.
Any records generated through such systems will be reviewed and verified before being relied upon or retained.
How long does MC keep your personal information?
Discovery call information, namely your name, phone, email address, and the reason for contact will be collected and stored electronically or in paper format. If you decide not to receive treatment or if you are still contemplating whether you want to receive treatment, your information will be held for up to 6 months and then your health information will be destroyed. Your name and contact details will held as a record or point of enquiry and date of destruction of health information in order to be compliant with GDPR privacy regulations.
Patient records are retained in accordance with Code of Ethics for each therapy offered and any applicable legal, professional or regulatory requirements.
In most cases, adult records will be retained for at least seven years following your last consultation. Records relating to children who do not continue to receive treatment, their records will normally be retained for at least seven years after their eighteenth birthday.
After the relevant retention period has expired, records will be securely destroyed or deleted.
How your information can be updated or corrected
To ensure that MC has accurate and up-to-date information, you need to inform her of any changes you believe she should make to the personal information she holds. You can do this by contacting her by any of the methods previously described.
Under data protection legislation, you have the right to inspect the personal information MC holds about you. You can make a request to do so by contacting her and she will endeavour to respond within 14 working days.
How does MC store your personal information?
MC takes reasonable steps to protect personal information against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, disclosure or alteration.
Patient files are paper-based and are held securely within a locked filing cabinet within a locked room to protect your personal information against loss or theft, as well as unauthorised access, disclosure, copying, use, or modification. Information may also be stored in secure, password protected, electronic systems, encrypted devices or secure cloud-based services.
Your email address, if you have one, is held securely on the servers of MC’s email providers and on your paper-based file.
Your Rights
Under data protection law, you have a number of rights, which may include:
- The right to be informed about how your information is used.
• The right to request access to your personal information.
• The right to request correction of inaccurate information.
• The right to object to certain types of processing.
• The right to request erasure of information in certain circumstances.
• The right to raise a concern or complaint.
Some of these rights are subject to legal and professional obligations that may require records to be retained.
Changes to this policy
This policy may change from time to time. If MC makes any material changes, she will make you aware of them.
Contact
If you have any queries about this policy, need it in an alternative format, or have any complaints about MC’s privacy practices, please contact her:
Maria Ciaccio
07771 611 506
Policy review date – June 2028
Data Protection Complaints
Purpose
MC is committed to providing a professional, respectful and high-quality service.
If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of the service she provides, MC encourages you to raise your concerns so they can be considered fairly and, where possible, resolved promptly.
Informal Resolution
In the first instance, MC will encourage you to discuss any concerns directly with her.
Many concerns can be resolved quickly through discussion and clarification, without the need for a formal complaint.
Making a formal complaint
If a concern cannot be resolved informally, you may make a formal complaint.
Complaints should be submitted in writing by email or post and should include:
- Your name and contact details
- A description of your complaint
- Relevant dates and circumstances
- Any supporting information you wish to provide
- The outcome you are seeking
Acknowledgement
MC will normally acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 7 working days.
Investigation and response
MC will investigate your complaint fairly, objectively and confidentially.
A written response will normally be provided within 28 days of acknowledgement.
Where additional time is required, MC will explain the reason for the delay and provide and updated time frame.
Further Action
If you remain dissatisfied after MC has responded to your complaint, or if are unable to resolve the matter, you may seek further guidance from her professional bodies or therapy memberships, listed below, in accordance with their published complaints procedures.
Society of Homeopaths
10 Cheyne Walk, Northampton NN1 5PT.
Telephone: 01604 817890
Email:
The Healing Trust
Nene Business Centre, Waterside House, Wellingborough,
Northamptonshire, NN9 5QF, United Kingdom
Telephone: 01604 603247
Email:
The Bowen Association
Telephone: 01205 401916
Email:
Balens Insurance (for other therapies),
Balens Ltd, Bridge House, Portland Road, Malvern, WR14 2TA
Telephone: 01684 893 006
Email:
If you remain dissatisfied, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) by visiting https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/
Legal Rights
Nothing in this procedure affects your statutory or legal rights.
Changes to this policy
This policy may change from time to time. If MC makes any material changes, she will make you aware of them.
Contact
If you have any queries about this policy, need it in an alternative format, or have any complaints about my privacy practices, please contact me:
Maria Ciaccio
07771 611 506
Policy review date: June 2028
DATA PROTECTION POLICY
Scope of the policy
This policy applies to the work of therapist Maria Ciaccio (hereafter referred to as ‘MC’). The policy sets out the requirements that MC has in order to gather personal information for professional purposes. The policy details how personal information will be gathered, stored and managed in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), tailored by the Data Protection Act 2018. The policy is reviewed on an ongoing basis to ensure that it is compliant. This policy should be read in tandem with MC’s Privacy Policy.
Why this policy exists
This data protection policy ensures that MC:
- complies with data protection law and follows good practice
- protects the rights of patients
- is open about how she stores and processes patients’ data
- protects herself from the risks of a data breach
Data protection principles
The General Data Protection Regulation identifies 8 data protection principles.
Principle 1 - Personal data shall be processed lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner
Principle 2 - Personal data can only be collected for specified, explicit and legitimate purposes and not further processed in a manner that is incompatible with those purposes.
Principle 3 - The collection of personal data must be adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary compared to the purpose(s) data is collected for.
Principle 4 – Personal data held should be accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date. Every reasonable step must be taken to ensure that personal data that are inaccurate are erased or rectified without delay.
Principle 5 – Personal data which is kept in a form which permits identification of individuals shall not be kept for longer than is necessary.
Principle 6 - Personal data must be processed in accordance with the individuals’ rights.
Principle 7 - Personal data must be processed in a manner that ensures appropriate security of the personal data, including protection against unauthorised or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction or damage, using appropriate technical or organisational measures.
Principle 8 - Personal data cannot be transferred to a country or territory outside the European Union unless that country or territory ensures an adequate level of protection for the rights and freedoms of individuals in relation to the processing of personal data.
Certain of these principles are expanded upon in the sections that follow.
Lawful, fair and transparent data processing
MC requests personal information from patients and potential patients for the purpose of consulting with them and providing them with advice and guidance on treatments. Please refer to the policies held in main menu labelled ‘Data protection privacy’ on MC’s website https://www.bodyandsoulherts.co.uk for a full explanation of why the information is being requested and what the information will be used for. Patients should be asked to provide consent for their data to be held and a record of this consent along with patient information will be securely held. Patients will be informed that they can, at any time, remove their consent and will be informed as to what to do should they wish to do so.
Processed for Specified, Explicit and Legitimate Purposes
Patients will be informed how their information will be used and MC will seek to ensure that patients’ information is not used inappropriately. Appropriate use of information provided by patients includes:
- Communicating with patients to make, change or cancel consultations
- Assessing the conditions and issues reported by patients and devising and prescribing relevant treatment.
MC will ensure that patients’ information is managed in such a way as to not infringe an individual’s rights which include:
- The right to be informed
- The right of access
- The right to rectification
- The right to restrict processing
- The right to data portability
- The right to object.
Adequate, Relevant and Limited Data Processing
MC’s patients will only be asked to provide information that is relevant to support consultations and prescription. This includes:
- Name
- Date of birth
- Gender
- Postal address
- Email address
- Telephone number
- Emergency contact details
- Medical history and health information
- Information relating to your consultations and treatment
- Correspondence between us
- Payment and appointment information.
Where additional information may be required, this will be obtained with the specific consent of the patient who will be informed as to why this information is required and the purpose for which it will be used.
There may be occasional instances where a patient’s information needs to be shared with a third party due to an accident or incident involving statutory authorities. Where it is in the best interests of the patient or of MC, in these instances where MC has a substantiated concern then consent does not have to be sought from the individual.
Accuracy of Data and Keeping Data up to Date
MC has a responsibility to ensure that patients’ information is kept up to date. Patients will be required to let MC know if any of their personal information changes.
Accountability and Governance
MC is responsible for ensuring that her practice remains compliant with data protection requirements and can provide evidence that it has. For this purpose, those from whom data is required will be asked to provide written consent. The evidence of this consent will then be securely held as evidence of compliance.
Secure Processing
MC has a responsibility to ensure that data is both securely held and processed. This includes:
- using strong passwords for information held within computer systems
- restricting access to computer and paper-based files
- using password protection on laptops and PCs that contain or access personal information
- using password protection or secure cloud systems
- providing adequate virus-protection and firewall software to secure computer-based systems.
Subject Access Request
MC’s patients are entitled to request access to the information that is held by MC. The request needs to be received in the form of a written request to MC.
On receipt of the request, the request will be formally acknowledged and dealt with within 14 days unless there are exceptional circumstances as to why the request cannot be granted. MC will provide a written response detailing all information held on the individual. A record shall be kept of the date of the request and the date of the response.
Data Breach Notification
Were a data breach to occur, action shall be taken to minimise the harm. MC will inform any patients where she believes their personal information has been compromised. Where necessary, the Information Commissioner's Office will be notified.
If a patient contacts MC to say that they feel that there has been a breach by MC, she will ask the patient to provide an outline of their concerns. If the initial contact is by telephone, MC will ask the patient to follow this up with an email or a letter detailing their concern. The concern will then be investigated fully and a response made to the patient. Breach matters will be subject to a full investigation; records will be kept and all those involved notified of the outcome. In the unlikely event that a Patient is unhappy with MC’s response to any complaint regarding a Data Breach they may contact the ICO at:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Fax: 01625 524510
Policy review date: June 2028
To find out how my services may help you please contact me:
By phone on: 07771 611 506
Email me at:
Website GDPR Policies
Privacy Policy and GDPR
This Privacy Policy explains how we use and protect any information that you give to us when you use our services.
We are committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using our services, this will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement.
This policy may change from time to time. You are requested to please check this page to ensure that you continue to be comfortable with the measures that we take to protect your privacy. This policy is effective from 25th May 2018.
By visiting this website you are accepting and consenting to the practices described in this policy.
By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to the use of cookies as described below.
What is GDPR?
On the 25th May 2018 General Data Protection Regulation (GDRP) legislation came into effect. GDPR replaces current data protection legislation, the Data Protection Act 1998.
It is designed to give individuals control back over personal information and to simplify regulation for business.
The 6 Principles of GDPR
Information is:
a) processed lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner in relation to individuals;
b) collected for specified, explicit and legitimate purposes and not further processed in a manner that is incompatible with those purposes; further processing for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes shall not be considered to be incompatible with the initial purposes;
c) adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary in relation to the purposes for which processed;
d) accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date; every reasonable step must be taken to
ensure that personal data that are inaccurate, having regard to the purposes for which they are
processed, are erased or rectified without delay;
e) kept in a form which permits identification of data subjects for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which the personal data are processed; personal data may be stored for longer periods insofar as the personal data will be processed solely for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes subject to implementation of the appropriate technical and organisational measures required by the GDPR in order to safeguard the rights and freedoms of individuals; and
f) processed in a manner that ensures appropriate security of the personal data, including
protection against unauthorised or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction or damage, using appropriate technical or organisational measures.
The controller shall be responsible for and be able to demonstrate compliance with all of these principles.
Information we may collect
You may give us information about you such as name, address and phone number, by filling in forms on our website or by corresponding by phone, e-mail or otherwise. We may receive information about you from other sources, such as Google Analytics,
With regard to each of your visits to our site, we may automatically collect the following information:
- Technical information, including the Internet protocol (IP) address used to connect your computer to the Internet, browser type and version, time zone setting, browser plug-in types and versions, operating system and platform;
- Information about your visit, including the full Uniform Resource Locators (URL) through and from our site (including date and time); services you viewed or searched for; page response times, download errors, length of visits to certain pages, page interaction information (such as scrolling, clicks, and mouse-overs), and methods used to browse away from the page.
- Any personal information such as name, postal address, telephone number, and email address given via the website will only be used to provide a requested service, and will not be disclosed to any other third party without your prior permission, or unless required to do so by law, such as terrorism, money laundering, drug trafficking, radicalisation or safeguarding concerns.
How we use your information
We may use your information:
- To carry out our obligations arising from any contracts entered into between you and us and to provide you with the information and services that you request from us.
- To notify you about changes to our services;
- To administer our site and for internal operations, including troubleshooting, data analysis, testing, research, statistical and survey purposes;
- To operate our business efficiently including financial records
Links
The website may have links to third party sites we have no control over. If you visit those sites you should check you are happy with their own privacy policies and terms of use before providing any personal information. In addition, if you are linked to our website from a third party, we cannot be responsible for the privacy policies and practices of that third party site.
Where your data is stored
The data collected will be stored securely online, presently hosted by EU and UK based servers.
We use Transport Layer Security (TLS) to encrypt and protect email traffic. If your email service does not support TLS, you should be aware that any emails we send or receive may not be protected in transit.
We will also monitor any emails sent to us, including file attachments, for viruses or malicious software. Please be aware that you have a responsibility to ensure that any email you send is within the bounds of the law.
Should you choose to contact us using an email link, or our contact form none of the data that you supply will be stored by this website or passed to / be processed by any of the third party data processors.
Instead the data will be collated into an email and sent to us over the Transport Layer Security (TLS).
This website is hosted by 3rd party servers located in the UK and EU which are compliant with EU legislation.
Website Legal Disclaimer
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. Whilst we endeavour to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.
In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the use of this website.
Access to information
You can request access to the personal information that we hold about you.
You may request amendments to the personal information we hold about you that is inaccurate or out-of-date. If you request that we delete your personal information, we will take all reasonable steps to do so unless we need to keep it for legal, auditing or internal business purposes.
Your acceptance
By using the website, you consent to the collection and use of the information by us in accordance with our privacy policy.
Your rights
Any personal information submitted via our website is treated in accordance with the data protection Act 1998, including compliance with GDPR 2018. To find out more about your entitlements under this legislation, visit the Information Commissioner’s website at https://ico.org.uk/
