Privacy & Data Protection Policy

This privacy policy explains how Dr Ross Godfree (trading as Jurassic Psychologist) collects, uses, stores, and protects your personal and special category data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Who We Are

The Data Controller is Dr Ross Godfree.

Contact Email: jurassicpsychologist@gmail.com
ICO Registration Number: ZA237373
HCPC Registration Number: PYL30189

As a Practitioner Psychologist registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), I am dedicated to protecting your privacy and managing your personal information with the highest standards of clinical confidentiality.

2. The Types of Data Collected

To provide safe and effective psychological assessment and therapy, I collect and process two categories of information:

Personal Data: Basic identifying information including your name, date of birth, home address, email address, telephone number, and financial/billing details (where applicable).
Special Category Data: Information concerning your physical and mental health, clinical history, session notes, and treatment plans. This sensitive information is processed under strict professional duties of confidentiality.

3. Lawful Basis for Processing

Under the UK GDPR, I must have a specific legal reason to hold and process your information. The legal bases utilised for this practice are:

Contractual Necessity (Article 6(1)(b)): I process your personal data (such as contact and billing details) to fulfil the contract between us to deliver psychological services.
Provision of Health or Social Care (Article 9(2)(h)): I process your special category data (clinical and health notes) because it is necessary for the provision of health or social care treatment, conducted by a regulated health professional bound by a legal duty of confidentiality.

4. How Data is Collected and Stored

Website and Communication

When you interact with this website, data may be collected via contact forms. This website is hosted on the Wix platform. Your data may be stored through Wix’s data storage, databases, and general applications, which are secured behind firewalls on secure servers.

Our website also utilises cookies (such as Google Analytics) to measure visitor behaviour and optimise site performance. You can adjust your browser settings to refuse cookies if you prefer.

Clinical Records

Your clinical notes, assessment records, and treatment plans are kept as paper records. These are stored securely within structured files inside a locked office to ensure complete confidentiality and physical security. Any electronic administrative data (such as email communications or reports) is held securely on password-protected devices.

5. Sharing of Data

Your information is kept confidential and is not shared with third parties for marketing purposes. It is only shared under the following specific circumstances:

Insurers and Billing: If your treatment is funded via private health insurance or a third-party solicitor, necessary administrative data (and occasionally clinical updates, subject to your explicit consent) will be shared with them to facilitate billing and authorisation.
Clinical Supervision: In line with professional registration requirements, clinical work is regularly discussed with a qualified peer supervisor. All clinical discussions are fully anonymised to protect your identity.
Legal and Safety Exceptions: Confidentiality may be breached if there is a legal obligation to do so, or if there is a significant risk of serious harm to yourself or others. Wherever safe and feasible, I will discuss this disclosure with you beforehand.

6. Data Retention Periods

Clinical records are not kept indefinitely. In alignment with standard UK healthcare records guidance, adult psychological therapy records are retained securely for a period of 7 years following the conclusion of your treatment. After this time, your paper files are permanently and securely shredded.

7. Your Statutory Rights

Under UK data protection law, you hold several rights regarding your personal information. You have the right to:

Access your data: You can request a copy of the personal and clinical data held about you (a Subject Access Request).
Rectify inaccuracies: You can request that inaccurate or incomplete information be updated.
Restrict processing: You can request that I limit how your data is used under specific circumstances.
Erasure: You can request the deletion of your data, though please note this right is limited by my legal and professional obligations to retain clinical records for the standard retention period.

f you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact Dr Ross Godfree directly via email at jurassicpsychologist@gmail.com.

If you are unsatisfied with how your data has been handled, you have the right to lodge a formal complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) via their website (www.ico.org.uk) or by calling 0303 123 1113.