Privacy Notice
Last updated: June 2026
Introduction
Dartmoor Centre for Counselling and Psychotherapy is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information lawfully, fairly and transparently.
This privacy notice explains what personal information we collect, why we use it, the lawful bases we rely on, who we may share it with, how long we keep it, and what rights you have.
We do not sell personal data. We only use personal data where we have a lawful reason to do so under UK data protection law.
About us
Dartmoor Centre for Counselling and Psychotherapy is the data controller for the personal information described in this privacy notice.
Registered charity number: 1184622.
Our postal address is:
Dartmoor Centre for Counselling and Psychotherapy
28 Mount Pleasant Road
Newton Abbot
Devon
TQ12 1AS
Our counselling premises also include:
DCCP
70 Queen Street
Newton Abbot
Devon
TQ12 2ER
You can contact us about privacy or data protection matters by using the contact form on our website. Please mark your message “Privacy / Data Protection” so that it can be identified and dealt with appropriately.
Who this privacy notice applies to
This privacy notice applies to personal information we collect about:
- people who contact us to enquire about counselling or psychotherapy
- current, former and prospective clients
- people who are referred to us or who are supporting someone who contacts us
- emergency contacts or next of kin, where these details are provided to us
- counsellors, placement counsellors, supervisors, trustees, volunteers and others who work with or support the centre
- website visitors and people who contact us through our website
What information we collect
We may collect and use the following types of personal information, depending on your relationship with us:
- name, address, email address, telephone number and other contact details
- preferred contact method
- information submitted through our website contact form
- information about your enquiry, referral, assessment, counselling request or therapeutic needs
- appointment, attendance, waiting list and service-use records
- relevant counselling or psychotherapy records, including brief notes, risk information, safeguarding information, assessment information, review information and ending information
- information about health, mental health, wellbeing, disability, access needs, support needs or circumstances relevant to counselling or psychotherapy
- emergency contact or next of kin details, where these are provided to us
- information about fees, ability to pay, invoices, payments or donations, where relevant
- correspondence and communication records
- information relating to complaints, concerns, incidents or safeguarding matters
- information about counsellors, placement counsellors, supervisors, trustees, volunteers or others working with the centre
- website and analytics information, such as how visitors use our website
We aim to collect only the information we need for the relevant purpose.
Special category data
Some of the information we collect may be more sensitive. This may include information about health, mental health, wellbeing, disability, counselling needs, risk, safeguarding concerns, religious or philosophical beliefs, sexuality, relationships, trauma, family circumstances or other personal matters discussed in therapy or during the referral process.
This type of information may be special category data under UK data protection law.
We only collect and use special category data where it is necessary and appropriate. We use it to provide counselling and psychotherapy, assess whether we can offer a suitable service, support clients safely, manage risk, meet safeguarding responsibilities, and comply with professional, legal, insurance or charity governance requirements.
Where we process special category data, we identify both a lawful basis under UK GDPR and a separate condition for processing special category data. Depending on the circumstances, this may include explicit consent, provision of health or social care, safeguarding, vital interests, legal claims, substantial public interest, or another applicable condition under data protection law.
We restrict access to special category data to people who need it for their role and expect counsellors, supervisors, trustees, staff and volunteers to handle such information confidentially.
How we use your personal information
We use personal information only where we have a lawful reason to do so. The main ways we use personal information are set out below.
Responding to enquiries
We use contact details and enquiry information to respond to people who contact us about counselling, psychotherapy, placements, volunteering, donations or the work of the centre.
Our lawful basis is usually legitimate interests, or taking steps before entering into a contract.
Managing referrals, assessments and waiting lists
We use referral information, contact details, assessment information, availability, presenting issues and relevant risk or support information to decide whether we can offer a suitable service and to manage access to counselling or psychotherapy.
Our lawful basis may include legitimate interests, contract, or steps before entering into a contract. Where sensitive information is involved, we also rely on an appropriate special category condition.
Providing counselling and psychotherapy
We use client information to provide counselling or psychotherapy, arrange appointments, keep appropriate records, review the work, manage endings, support safe practice and maintain professional standards.
Our lawful basis may include contract, legitimate interests, and where relevant an appropriate special category condition for counselling, health, wellbeing or therapeutic information.
Managing risk, safeguarding and welfare concerns
We may use relevant personal information where there are concerns about serious risk, safeguarding, self-harm, harm to others, abuse, neglect or other significant welfare matters.
Our lawful basis may include vital interests, legal obligation, legitimate interests, safeguarding, substantial public interest, legal claims, or another appropriate special category condition.
Managing payments and affordability
We may use financial, payment, donation or fee-related information to manage fees, donations, invoices, payment records and our affordability-based approach.
Our lawful basis may include contract, legitimate interests and legal obligation for accounting and financial records.
Communicating with clients and others
We use contact details and communication records to arrange appointments, respond to messages, provide service information, manage changes, and communicate about matters related to counselling, psychotherapy or the centre.
Our lawful basis may include contract, legitimate interests, legal obligation or consent, depending on the communication.
Working with counsellors, placement counsellors, supervisors, trustees and volunteers
We may use personal information to manage placements, supervision, professional responsibilities, trustee or volunteer involvement, safeguarding, insurance, governance, complaints, records and the safe running of the centre.
Our lawful basis may include contract, legitimate interests, legal obligation and, where relevant, an appropriate special category condition.
Managing complaints, concerns or disputes
We use personal information to record, investigate and respond to complaints, concerns, disputes or requests about data protection rights.
Our lawful basis may include legal obligation and legitimate interests. Where sensitive information is involved, we also rely on an appropriate special category condition.
Meeting legal, professional, insurance and charity governance requirements
We may use personal information to comply with legal, accounting, insurance, regulatory, safeguarding, professional, charity governance or record-keeping obligations.
Our lawful basis may include legal obligation and legitimate interests.
Website security and analytics
We may use technical information, cookies or analytics information to keep our website secure, understand how it is used and improve it.
Our lawful basis may include legitimate interests for website security and service improvement, and consent where required for non-essential cookies.
Legitimate interests
Where we rely on legitimate interests, our interests include running the centre effectively, responding to enquiries, providing counselling and psychotherapy, managing appointments and waiting lists, supporting clients safely, maintaining appropriate records, managing risk, protecting the security of our systems, meeting professional and governance responsibilities, and improving our services.
We only rely on legitimate interests where we have considered that your rights and interests do not override our legitimate reasons for using the information.
Confidentiality
Counselling and psychotherapy are confidential services, but confidentiality is not absolute.
We may need to share information in limited circumstances, including where:
- you have given consent
- sharing is necessary for supervision or safe professional practice
- there is a serious risk of harm to you or another person
- there is a safeguarding concern
- we are required or permitted to share information by law
- we need to seek legal, insurance or professional advice
- we need to respond to a complaint, concern or legal claim
Where information is discussed in supervision or professional consultation, we aim to limit what is shared to what is necessary for safe and ethical practice.
Who we share personal information with
We do not sell personal information.
We may share personal information where necessary with:
- counsellors, placement counsellors, supervisors, trustees, staff or volunteers involved in providing, managing or supporting the service
- clinical supervisors or professional advisers, where needed for safe and ethical practice
- IT, website, email, database, cloud storage and technical support providers
- payment, banking, bookkeeping, accountancy and financial administration providers
- insurers, legal advisers or professional advisers, where necessary
- safeguarding, emergency, health, legal or regulatory bodies where we are required or permitted to do so
- the police, courts or other public authorities where required by law or where there is a serious risk issue
- analytics providers, where cookies or similar technologies are used in accordance with our cookie information and your choices
We only share the information necessary for the relevant purpose. Where service providers process personal information on our behalf, we expect them to protect it and use it only for the agreed purpose.
How we protect personal information
We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure.
These steps may include:
- limiting access to people who need information for their role
- using password protection and appropriate security measures
- keeping paper records secure where paper records are used
- using appropriate confidentiality procedures
- expecting counsellors, supervisors, trustees, staff and volunteers to handle information confidentially
- reviewing records and retention where appropriate
No system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, but we take data protection and confidentiality seriously and aim to use appropriate safeguards.
Where we store personal information
We are based in the UK. We aim to store and process personal information in the UK, or within the UK/EU/EEA, where possible.
Some service providers we use may process or store personal information outside the UK. Where this happens, we will take steps to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, as required by data protection law.
How long we keep personal information
We keep personal information only for as long as necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including to meet legal, professional, safeguarding, accounting, insurance, complaints, charity governance or record-keeping requirements.
Our usual retention approach is as follows:
General enquiries
We usually keep general enquiry information for up to 2 years after the last contact, unless the enquiry leads to counselling, referral, assessment or another ongoing relationship with the centre.
Referral, assessment, waiting list and client records
We usually keep adult client records, including referral, assessment, counselling and ending records, for 7 years after the end of contact with the centre, unless there is a reason to keep them for longer.
Safeguarding, serious risk or incident records
We may keep safeguarding, serious risk or incident records for longer where necessary for legal, safeguarding, insurance, professional or risk-management reasons.
Financial and accounting records
We usually keep financial, payment, invoice, donation and accounting records for 6 years after the end of the relevant financial year.
Complaints records
We keep complaints records for an appropriate period after closure, depending on the nature of the complaint and any legal, insurance, safeguarding or professional issues involved.
Counsellor, placement, supervisor, trustee and volunteer records
We keep records relating to counsellors, placement counsellors, supervisors, trustees and volunteers for as long as necessary for professional, governance, safeguarding, legal, insurance or operational purposes.
Website contact form messages
We keep website contact form messages for as long as necessary to respond to the enquiry and manage any resulting service, referral, complaint or record-keeping requirement.
Website analytics data
We keep website analytics data according to the settings of the analytics service we use.
We may keep information for longer where we need to establish, exercise or defend legal claims, comply with a legal obligation, deal with complaints, protect safety or wellbeing, or meet insurance, professional or charity governance requirements.
Your rights
You have rights under data protection law. Depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis we rely on, these may include:
- the right to be informed about how we use your personal information
- the right of access to the personal information we hold about you
- the right to have inaccurate information corrected
- the right to have personal information erased in certain circumstances
- the right to restrict how we use your information in certain circumstances
- the right to object to certain uses of your information
- the right to data portability, where this applies
- the right to withdraw consent at any time, where we rely on consent
- rights relating to automated decision-making, if this ever applies
The right to object applies especially where we rely on legitimate interests or use your information for direct marketing. You can object to direct marketing at any time.
Some rights are not absolute. There may be circumstances where we cannot fully comply with a request, for example where we need to keep information for legal, professional, safeguarding, complaint-handling, accounting, insurance or charity governance reasons.
To exercise your rights, please contact us using the website contact form or by writing to us at the postal address above. Please mark your message “Privacy / Data Protection”.
Subject access requests
You have the right to ask for a copy of personal information we hold about you. This is known as a subject access request.
If you make a subject access request, we may need to confirm your identity before responding. We will respond within the timescale required by data protection law.
Where a request involves counselling or psychotherapy records, we will handle the request carefully and may need to consider confidentiality, third-party information, safeguarding issues, legal restrictions and professional responsibilities before disclosing information.
Data protection complaints
If you have a complaint about how we collect, use, store or share your personal information, please contact us using our website contact form or by writing to us at the postal address above.
Please mark your message “Data protection complaint” so that we can identify it and deal with it appropriately.
We will acknowledge your complaint within 30 days of receiving it. We will take appropriate steps to investigate and respond to your complaint without undue delay. We may contact you for further information if we need it to understand or investigate the complaint.
We will keep you informed where appropriate and will tell you the outcome of our investigation.
If you are not satisfied with our response, or if you believe your data protection rights have been infringed, you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Cookies and analytics
Our website may use cookies and similar technologies. Some cookies are necessary for the website to work properly. Others, such as analytics cookies, help us understand how people use our website and improve it.
Where cookies are not strictly necessary, we will ask for your consent before using them. You can change or withdraw your cookie preferences at any time using the cookie controls on our website, where available.
We may use analytics services to understand website traffic and visitor behaviour. Analytics information may include technical information such as IP address, browser type, pages visited and time spent on the site.
Links to other websites
Our website may contain links to other websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content or security of other websites.
If you follow a link to another website, you should read that organisation’s privacy information to understand how they collect and use your personal information.
Changes to this privacy policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. The latest version will be published on our website with the updated date shown at the top of the page.