Privacy Policy

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Allen Psychology Limited aims to be as clear as possible about how and why we use information about you, so that you can be confident that your privacy is protected.

This policy describes the information that we collect when you use our services. The security of your personal data is continuously addressed in accordance with the British Psychological Society’s (BPS) Code of Conduct and the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC) Standards of Conduct, Performance, and Ethics. This is further enhanced by the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). We may need to collect information that includes personal data as defined in the GDPR 2016. This policy describes how we manage your information when you use our services, if you contact us, or when we contact you.

We use the information we collect in accordance with all laws concerning the protection of personal data, including the Data Protection Act 2018 and the GDPR 2016. As per these laws, Dr Brooke Allen is the data controller. If another party has access to your data, we will inform you whether they are acting as a data controller or a data processor, who they are, what they are doing with your data, and why we need to provide them with the information.

What Personal Information Do We Collect and When Do We Collect It?

Given the nature of our services, the purpose of collecting and processing personal data is to conduct psychological assessments. Therefore, we have a legitimate interest in collecting data relevant to the process of forming a professional opinion. This information may include:

• Your name and the name of the individual for whom the service is being accessed.
• Your contact details, including a postal address, telephone number(s), and electronic contact information such as an email address.
• Background information provided by you via our initial questionnaire, email and telephone contact, and face-to-face discussions. This might include date of birth, medical information, developmental history, family circumstances, strengths and difficulties, and previous assessment reports.
• Information collected from the School Questionnaire, which might include current attainments and teachers’ viewpoints on your child’s strengths and difficulties in school. We collect this information only with your consent, providing you with the questionnaire to forward to the school.
• Information collected as part of an Educational Psychology assessment.

Why Is the Information Collected and Used?

The intended purpose for processing personal data is to conduct a psychological assessment or consultation. We need to process personal data to fulfil our contractual obligations to undertake this work. The psychologist will not use the data for any other purpose. The psychologist will only become involved with a child when signed consent for their involvement is received from the child's parent or another adult with parental responsibility. We will process all personal data that is shared with us for the purpose of the assessment and will do so lawfully, fairly, and transparently. Therefore, processing personal data is necessary to fulfil our contracts with schools, Local Authorities, and other settings.

The specific work carried out will vary according to the individual's needs and the concerns being investigated. The list below shows the range of supportive activities that might be carried out:

• Classroom observation
• Observation in other settings in school, such as small group teaching sessions or nurture groups
• Discussions with the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) or head of learning/student support in further or higher education settings
• Discussions with class teachers/form tutors and other school/college staff (e.g., Teaching Assistants, Mentors, School Counsellors, heads of year)
• Working alongside the child or young person in class (for example, in the Foundation Stage, it is often more helpful to assess a young child through usual play activities)
• Individual assessment work, which might involve using tests, questionnaires, or interview techniques to elicit views
• Discussions with other external professionals working with a parent or child/young person (e.g., speech therapists, learning support teachers)
• Scrutiny of reports or other written information provided by other external professionals working with you or your child/young person
• Scrutiny of school/college information, including SEN records
• Therapeutic work or group work

Where Do We Keep the Information?

• Paper-Based Notes: Notes, questionnaires, and assessment materials are held in a secure home office and are destroyed by shredding upon completion of the written report or record of involvement. The written report will contain all the relevant information gathered, assessment findings, and conclusions.
• Electronic-Based Notes: Reports, invoices, and emails are held on a personal computer located in the secure home office. The computer is password-protected and the hard drive is encrypted. The computer is also equipped with up-to-date firewall and antivirus software.
• Q-Global: Q-Global is an online scoring system from Pearson Clinical, used when completing assessments. Access is via a password and dual authentication process. The information stored includes the individual’s first name, initial of the surname, date of birth, and date of assessment. Pearson is not given permission to collect any data. Once the assessment report is completed, the individual’s details are deleted.
• Backups: Reports are backed up on a password-protected and encrypted portable hard drive, which is stored in a locked filing cabinet.
• Secure Email: Reports are emailed to clients using an encrypted email service called Egress Switch, which clients access via a web-based and password-protected site. When Egress Switch is not an option, a password-protected zip file using WinZip (also GDPR compliant) is used.

Once reports have been received by the client, it is their responsibility to store and share them as they see fit. In the case of an organisation like a school, university, or assessment centre, this will be within the context of their own GDPR policy.

How Long Do We Keep the Information?

Any papers associated with the assessment are shredded and disposed of soon after the completion of the assessment report.

We keep electronically filed information from the assessment of a child until that child is 23 (18 years plus 5). This is to ensure that we can provide consistent and accountable services and build on the picture of need and progress for the individual throughout their education and training. If you wish the information to be destroyed before this time, we will do so upon request.

Who Do We Send the Information To?

Parents and Students: When the service is commissioned by a parent or student, we send the report directly to them via a secure email system called Egress Switch, which is GDPR compliant.

Schools, Universities, or Assessment Centres: When the service is commissioned by a school, university, or assessment centre, we send the report to the commissioning organisation as the client’s contract is with them. These organisations operate within the confines of their own GDPR policy. We still use the secure email system Egress Switch or occasionally a password-protected zip file, using WinZip, which is also GDPR compliant. Very rarely, we may be required by law to provide the report to a third party.

How Can I See All the Information You Have About Me?

You can make a subject access request (SAR) by contacting the Data Protection Officer, Dr Brooke Allen. We may require additional verification to confirm your identity before processing this request.

We may withhold personal information to the extent permitted by law. In practice, this means we may not provide information if we believe that providing it would violate your or your child’s vital interests.

What Rights Do You Have Over Your Data?

Under the GDPR, parents, pupils, and clients have the following rights concerning the processing of their personal data:

• To be informed about how we process your personal data (This notice fulfils this obligation)
• To request access to your personal data that we hold and be provided with a copy of it
• To request that your personal data is amended if inaccurate or incomplete
• To request that your personal data is erased where there is no compelling reason for its continued processing
• To request that the processing of your personal data is restricted
• To object to your personal data being processed

Disclosure of Your Information

We may disclose your personal information to third parties if we are under a duty to disclose or share your personal data to comply with any legal obligation, enforce or apply any agreements, or protect the rights, property, or safety of Allen Psychology Limited personnel, or others. This includes exchanging information with other organisations for the purposes of safeguarding or other statutory regulations we must comply with.

Link to Further GDPR Information:

For additional information about GDPR, please visit the ICO website.

Please note that we do not have any control over the information on this site, and it should only be used for additional information.

Complaints Procedure

If you have any concerns about how we handled your personal data or would like further information, please contact us:

Allen Psychology Limited Contact:

Email: Brooke@allenpsychology.com

Website: www.allenpsychology.co.uk

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK data protection regulator, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). Contact details are as follows:

Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO):

First Contact Team,

Information Commissioner’s House,

Wycliffe House,

Water Lane,

Wilmslow, Cheshire,

SK9 5AF

Tel: 0303 123 1113

For further information on your rights and how to complain to the ICO, please refer to the ICO website.