Privacy policy

I encourage you to read this carefully because it contains important information about how I collect, use and safeguard your personal information. It also outlines what your rights are regarding your personal data and how you can exercise these rights. I understand the sensitive nature of the information you may share when engaging with this service and so take your privacy and confidentiality seriously.

If you have any questions or require any further information, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

Who I am and what service I am providing

My name is Dr Emily Fulcher and I am a Clinical Psychologist registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). I provide psychological assessment and therapy online and face to face in a clinic space in Wokingham Therapy Clinic (49 Denmark St, Wokingham RG40 2AY).

I ensure my practice adheres to the latest General Data Protection Regulation (GCPR) laws and the codes of practice outlined by the HCPC. I am registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO), the UK’s independent authority set up to uphold information rights in the public interest, promoting openness by public bodies and data privacy for individuals. As a member of the public, you can complain to the ICO if you are unhappy with how an organisation has handled your information. For example, if your information is wrong, lost or has been disclosed to someone else, or if you have not been given access to your personal data.

In addition, I respect and comply with the EU General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) enacted under the UK Data Protection Act 2018. This document outlines how I comply with these regulations.

What information is collected?

I collect and keep:

Personal data - including basic contact information such as name, address, email address, contact number, GP contact details and contact information of next of kin.
Sensitive data - including brief notes from our therapy sessions, questionnaires/outcome measures and any letters or reports
Any information sent to me via email or the website enquiry form

I hold and process only the data that’s absolutely necessary for the completion of our work together (data minimisation).

If you provide information about another person, you confirm that the other person has appointed you to act on their behalf and agreed that you consent on their behalf to the use of their data in accordance with this privacy policy. In general, any third-party providers used by me will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to allow them to perform the services they provide to you. I am not responsible for the privacy practices of other sites and encourage you to read their privacy statements.

Why this information is kept

I am required by my professional body (HCPC) to keep information about clients and our work together. I need to keep certain information in order to respond to further information requests, set up initial assessments and to provide a therapy service. Information is also used for invoicing and processing payments, and in some cases to help prevent serious harm. I only collect and store information which is relevant to our therapeutic work together, and which will enhance your care. I am permitted to collect and keep this information by law.

The lawful basis for processing information: I have a legitimate interest for processing this information in order to provide you with health treatment. Please see the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) if you would like more information about this: www.ico.org.uk

What happens to your information?

Your data is stored in the following ways:

Electronic storage of client material: All electronic records that contain personal information are stored on a secure electronic health record system called WriteUpp. These records can only be opened and amended by myself.
Storage of paper notes: Paper notes taken during sessions will not contain any identifiable personal information. These notes will be stored in a locked filing system which only I have access to.
Questionnaires: We may agree to use questionnaires as outcome measures during treatment. These are stored in a locked filing system and can only be accessed by myself.
Payment: I issue invoices using WriteUpp and accept payment by BACs transfer.
Video calls: I use Microsoft Teams to conduct our therapy or supervision sessions online. All calls are encrypted.
Emails: For general communication such as arranging appointments, please sent email correspondence to emily@dremilyfulcher.co.uk. or secure communication, please use my Proton Mail address: efulcher@protonmail.com. Proton Mail offers end-to-end encryption to help ensure your data remains private and secure.
Appointment scheduling: Initial appointments will be arranged via the email address you provided me when you first got in contact or via telephone.

I have allocated one other person to act on my behalf should I become incapacitated or deceased and unable to provide access to my electronic records or delete them at the appropriate time. This is known as a Therapeutic Executor. This person will only access my records should I become incapacitated or deceased. They are also an HCPC registered professional and are bound by the same professional guidelines as myself, including those of confidentiality.

Will your information be shared?

I keep the information you provide confidential. This means I do not normally share this information with anyone else. I may share information with your doctor, psychiatrist, insurance company or other third party, if you have consented for me to do so. There are exceptional circumstances which mean I may need to share personal information with relevant authorities without your consent:

When the need for disclosure is in the public interest, to prevent a miscarriage of justice or where there is a legal duty such as a Court Order.
Where there is risk of harm to yourself, or to another adult or child. If this need arises, I will try to discuss this with you first, unless doing so leads to an increased risk of harm.

As a Clinical Psychologists I am required to have clinical supervision in order to ensure I am delivering therapy and treatments appropriately. Supervision involves us discussing aspects of the therapy and work we are doing with an appropriately qualified clinical supervisor who must also adhere to the same codes of conduct as we do.

How is your data kept secure?

I use technological and organisational measures to keep your information secure.

Whilst I take all reasonable efforts to secure your personal data, the majority of our work is completed using the internet (e.g. Skype/ Zoom/ MS Teams/ email systems/ website contact forms) and we cannot guarantee sharing of any personal data using the internet will be entirely secure. I take reasonable precautions and follow industry best practices to make sure it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed. If you have any particular concerns about your information, please contact us using the details below.

How long is your data kept for?

I do not keep personal data for any longer than needed. Therefore, I will keep data for the duration of our work and for eight years following the end of any therapy. This is in line with UK best practice for adult health and social care records (IGA, 2016) and enables you to contact us for letters, or in case of needing further sessions. After this time all personal information and notes will be deleted.

Your data protection rights

You have the right to request a copy of the information that I keep about you and to receive this within a month of request. There will be no fee payable for this information.
You have the right to have your personal information corrected if you believe it to be inaccurate.
You have the right to ask to stop being contacted.
You have the right to complain to a regulator if you think I have not complied with data protection laws. You can direct any complaints regarding this to ICO, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

What happens if there is a breach of data security

If for any reason, there is a breach in the way your information is stored or shared then I must take immediate corrective action and also inform the ICO of this breach within 72hours. I would also inform you that a breach has taken place, how that breach occurred, what information was mistakenly disclosed and the steps made to rectify the situation. If you believe I have breached data security in any way, then please notify me immediately via email (emily@dremilyfulcher.co.uk).

The most frequent type of data breach occurs when an email is sent to somebody else by mistake. In order to reduce the likelihood of this happening I ensure I check each email address before sending an email or where practical reply to an email that you have already sent. Generally, I will only use email to correspond about appointment times or to send widely available information sheets that may be useful to you. It is not usual for sensitive personal information to be contained in any emails. An exception to this may be prior arrangement to use email to provide additional personal information within letters or reports. Any reports or letters containing personal information will be sent from a secure email address or password protected.

In the unlikely event that I send an email to the wrong email address I will:

Email the recipient as soon as possible and ask them to delete the email
Refer to ICO within 72hours and follow their guidance
Notify the intended recipient of the breach as soon as possible and within 72hours

Cookie Policy

This cookie policy explains how I use cookies and similar technologies to recognise you when you visit my website at www.dremilyfulcher.co.uk. It explains what these technologies are and why we use them, as well as your rights to control out use of them. In some case I may use cookies to collect personal information, or that becomes personal information if we combine it with other information.

What are cookies?

Cookies are small data files that are placed on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. Cookies are widely used by website owners in order to make their websites work, or to work efficiently, as well as to provide reporting information. Cookies set by the website owner (in this case Dr Emily Fulcher) are called "first-party cookies". Cookies set by parties other than the website owner are called "third-party cookies". Third party cookies enable third-party cookie features or functionality to be provided on or through the website (e.g. advertising, interactive content, and analytics). The parties that set these third-party cookies can recognise your computer both when it visits the website in question and also when it visits certain other websites.

Why do I use cookies?

I use first- and third-party cookies for several reasons. Some cookies are required for technical reasons in order for my website to operate, and we refer to these as "essential" or "strictly necessary" cookies. Other cookies also enable me to track and target the interests of users to enhance user experience. Third parties serve cookies through my website for analytics and other purposes.

How do I control cookies?

You have the right to decide whether to accept or reject cookies and can amend your preferences the Cookie Consent Manager. The Cookie Consent Manager allows you to select which categories of cookies you accept or reject. Essential cookies cannot be rejected as they are strictly necessary to allow you to use this website. The Cookie Consent Manager can be found in the notification banner and on the website. If you choose to reject cookies, you may still use my website though your access to some functionality and areas of the site may be restricted. You may also set or amend your web browser controls to accept or refuse cookies.