Privacy Policy

Who I am

I am Lesley Jones, a BACP-registered counsellor trading as Lesley Jones Counselling. I am the data controller for the personal information you share with me. This means I am responsible for deciding how and why your data is used, and for keeping it safe.

I am registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), registration number ZC270136. If you have any questions about how I handle your data, please contact me at lesley@lesleyjones.co.uk or via lesleyjones.co.uk.

What personal data I collect

When you make an enquiry or book a session through this website, I may collect your name, email address, phone number, and any information you share in your message. During our counselling work together, I may also hold session notes, relevant personal history, and any information you choose to share with me.

I do not collect sensitive personal data through this website without your explicit consent.

Why I collect your data and the lawful basis

I collect and process your personal data for the following purposes:

To respond to your enquiry and arrange counselling sessions — lawful basis: contract (Article 6(1)(b) GDPR).

To maintain records required by my professional body (BACP) and to fulfil my duty of care — lawful basis: legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR).

Where I process special category data (such as health information shared during sessions) — lawful basis: explicit consent (Article 9(2)(a) GDPR) and, where applicable, the provision of health or social care (Article 9(2)(h) GDPR).

Client confidentiality

Everything you share with me in sessions is treated with the strictest confidence. I will not disclose information about you to anyone else without your consent, except in exceptional circumstances where I believe there is a serious risk of harm to you or others, or where I am required to do so by law. In such cases, I would always aim to discuss this with you first, unless doing so would put you or others at risk.

I work within the BACP Ethical Framework, which includes receiving regular clinical supervision. My supervisor is bound by the same duty of confidentiality.

How long I keep your data

Client records (including session notes and contact details) are retained for 7 years after the end of our work together, in line with BACP guidance. After this period, records are securely destroyed.

Enquiries that do not lead to counselling are retained for 6 months and then securely deleted.

How I keep your data safe

I take the security of your personal data seriously. Digital records are stored securely with appropriate access controls. Paper records, if any, are kept in a locked location. I do not share your data with third parties except as described in this policy.

Your rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to access the personal data I hold about you, to request correction of inaccurate data, to request erasure of your data (subject to my legal and professional obligations), to object to or restrict processing, and to data portability.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact me at lesley@lesleyjones.co.uk. I will respond within one month.

If you are unhappy with how I have handled your data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.

Cookies and website data

This website may use essential cookies to ensure it functions correctly. No tracking or advertising cookies are used without your consent.

Changes to this policy

I may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated date.