Privacy Statement for Beacon of Light Counselling Centre
Who we are and why do we require your information?
The Beacon of Light Counselling Centre (BLCC) is a provider of low cost affordable Counselling and Psychotherapy in the West Dublin Area. As such we aim to provide the most suitable therapeutic intervention appropriate to the individual’s needs.
The delivery of high-quality services, tailored to meet the needs of all our clients, remains one of BLCC’s core objectives and is included in our Strategic Plan. This quality service includes not only the level and quality of service given to our clients but also the quality of our decision-making processes at clinical, managerial and board level.
To provide the most effective range of services to meet the needs of our client base, we will be required to collect, process and use certain types of information about you. Depending on the service being sought or provided the information sought may include ‘personal data’ as defined by the Data Protection Acts and by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and may relate to current, past and future service users; past, current and prospective employees; suppliers; and members of the public who may engage in communications with our staff. In addition, staff may be required, from time to time, to collect, process and use certain types of personal data to comply with regulatory or legislative requirements.
Employees data is collected and stored at a minimum level and we only hold and use what is relevant to the Beacon of Light. We will not process or hold any data without our employees consent. Your data will only be accessed by senior management of the Beacon of Light. The data we need to access is in line with the EU data regulations. All employees’ data will be stored on site and will be securely locked. This allows management to access information for audits, performance review and disciplinary proceedings. If you need to access your data you do so by requesting such in writing to the manager of The Beacon of Light. We have taken steps to minimise any security threat. Our implementation and protection of such data will reduce any risks. We ask that if you see any perceived threat or risk that you report directly to your manager or your assigned data champion. Any breach of these new data protection laws carries consequences’ and a potential fine for our organisation.
Why does the Beacon of Light have a privacy statement?
BLCC has created this privacy statement to demonstrate our firm commitment to privacy and the security of the personal data you provide to the us.
BLCCs commitment to you is that the personal data you may be required to supply to us is:
- Obtained lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner
- Obtained and retained for only specified, explicit and legitimate purposes
- Adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary for the purpose for which it was obtained
- Recorded accurately and, where necessary, updated
- Stored safely and securely
- Kept only for as long as is necessary for the purposes for which it was obtained.
- Kept in a form which permits identification of the data subject
- Processed fairly and in a manner that ensures the appropriate security of the personal data including protection against unauthorised or unlawful processing.
- Kept in a form which also recognises the need for anonymity in certain situations /circumstances.
Services referred to in this Privacy Statement
Coordinating appointments, contacting clients to offer appointments, contacting clients to re-schedule appointments. Dealing with requests from third parties with clients consent to share specific information for a specific purpose. (a separate written consent will need to be obtained for this)
Offering Paid/unpaid contracts of employment.
Personal data required
Clients: Name, Address, Phone no, DOB, Mental health history, Relevant Medical History, Presenting Difficulty.
Employees & Volunteers: Name, address, DOB, Bank Details (for paid) , CV, Work related experience, References. Garda Vetting, Contact Details. Work specific medical records.
Specific and legitimate purpose for which the personal data is being sought
To enter into a contract to offer counselling and psychotherapeutic services.
To offer a contract of paid or unpaid employment.
Legal basis under which the information is required to be supplied
There is no legal obligation for somebody to give us their information. However, if they wish to engage in our services, it will be necessary for these details to be provided.
If you wish to work in our organisation we are legally obliged to collect this information, for purpose of offering a paid/unpaid contract of employment.
Other organisations/bodies/entities that BLCC will be required to share data with, or obtain data from, in order to provide the required service
AACPI: The data is anonymised and fed into the storm database, this is funded by TUSLA.
The Courts/Garda may ask for your counselling records as part of a case, they will only be released with your written consent.
We are not required to share this information with any third party, however a future employer may request some of this work related information with your consent.
How your personal data will be kept safe from unauthorised or unlawful processing
Paper documentation will be scanned and disposed of as soon as possible and an electronic version will be stored on BLCC’s secure document storage system
Period for which your personal data will be retained
As per our retention policy, data will be retained for 7 years.
Employment records will be kept in line with current employment document retention regulations.
Contact Details
In order to communicate with you, we will ask for your contact details, and a preference re communication, i.e. SMS, Telephone, Email etc.
Your Data Protection Rights
You have the right to request access to personal data held about you, obtain confirmation as to whether data concerning you exists, be informed of the content and source of data and check its accuracy. In addition, if the data held by BLCC is found to be inaccurate, you have the right to have the data corrected by the BLCC.
You may request to have information erased, object to direct marketing and to restrict the processing of your information, including automated decision-making our have the right to request data portability (transfer) of personal data held electronically by BLCC to another data controller where technically feasible.
You may withdraw consent at any time where processing is based entirely on your consent.
Please note that to help protect your privacy BLCC will take steps to verify your identity before granting access to personal data.
Data access requests should be made in writing and addressed to the Manager, Beacon of Light Counselling Centre, 4 Collinstown Grove, Neilstown,
Clondalkin D22 YN84
E-Mail: geoffrey@beaconoflight.ie
Telephone: 01-4578700
Right of Complaint to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of the response you receive in relation to a data access request or are unhappy with the manner of the processing of your data by BLCC, then you are entitled to make a complaint to the Data Protection Commissioner who may investigate the matter for you.
The Data Protection Commissioner’s website is www.dataprotection.ie or you can contact the Commissioner’s Office at:
Lo-Call Number: 1890 252 231
E-mail: info@dataprotection.ie