Privacy Statement

Updated June 2026

Data Controller: Jackie Rogers trading as Serenity Counselling
Email: serenitycounselling@yahoo.co.uk
ICO Registration Number: ZA249593

Under the UK GDPR, you have rights in relation to your personal information, including the right to access and correct information held about you, to object to or restrict processing in certain circumstances and to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

The personal information Jackie records
When booking an initial appointment, Jackie will email you this Privacy Policy along with a counselling agreement which she will ask you to read and sign prior to your session. On your first session Jackie will complete a form to collect personal information including:
Name, address, date of birth, telephone numbers, details of children under the age of 18, GP details and information relevant to your referral.
Aside from the generic details, this information helps to establish your perception of the situation, how it is affecting you and to discuss what you would like to achieve from sessions.
Where personal information is processed outside the UK, appropriate safeguards will be in place in accordance with UK GDPR requirements.

How Jackie stores your personal information
All personal information and brief handwritten session notes are stored in a locked filing cabinet and retained for 7 years after counselling has ended, after which they will be securely destroyed, unless there is a legal or professional reason to retain them for longer.

Your contact details, for example, telephone numbers will be stored in Jackie’s mobile telephone to enable her to contact you with reference to appointments. The mobile telephone is protected by a password and only your first name will be stored. Your contact details will be deleted, if counselling has ended or if there has been no contact for 6 months.
Any emails you send will not be electronically retained and either deleted or printed and placed in your records within one month of receiving. Any enquiries and information received that do not result in counselling services, will be deleted after 6 months.
All text messages are deleted within one month of receiving.

Subject Access Requests (SARs)
You have the right to request a copy of the personal information Jackie holds about you. Requests will normally be responded to within one month.

Confidentiality
All sessions will be conducted in confidence, the date, time, session number and brief handwritten notes will be documented.
Confidentiality, in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, will be maintained in relation to all records except where you have given permission for information to be shared, or where disclosure is required by law, court order, safeguarding obligations, or where there is a serious risk of harm to you or another person. Some information shared during counselling may be sensitive personal information relating to your health and wellbeing and will be handled confidentially and securely.
Supervision
As part of professional requirements, Jackie attends regular clinical supervision. Information discussed in supervision is anonymised wherever possible and supervisors are also bound by confidentiality.

Your permission
Jackie will seek your permission to:

Contact you via your preferred method and will only leave a message with your consent.
Share information outside of the above exceptions.
Use anonymous details for continued professional development (case studies or training).
Publish any marketing material such as case studies or testimonials including those using a pseudonym.

Legitimate interests for responding to enquiries and administering counselling services
Performance of a contract, where counselling services are provided
Explicit consent for processing special category data relating to health and wellbeing