Introduction
This is Healthy Dialogues’ Privacy Notice.
As part of the services we offer, we process personal data about our staff, clients, and service users, and in some cases, the friends or relatives of those we support. This includes information collected as part of providing psychological support, as well as our wider work in training, research, and evaluation.
“Processing” can mean collecting, recording, organising, storing, sharing, or deleting data.
We are committed to being transparent about how and why we use your personal data, and to keeping it secure. This notice explains what data we collect, how we use it, and your rights.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at info@healthydialogues.co.uk.
Clients and service users
What data do we collect?
Most of the personal information we hold is provided directly by you. This may include your name, contact details, and other personal information when you:
- Contact us or make an enquiry
- Complete forms on our website
- Engage with our services, including psychological support
- Attend appointments, training, or events
- Complete surveys or provide feedback
As part of providing psychological support, we may also collect more sensitive information, including:
- Information about your physical and mental health
- Information relevant to your care, such as lifestyle, behaviours, or personal circumstances
Where relevant and appropriate, we may also collect information about characteristics such as ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation, where this supports the service we provide.
We may also receive information from third parties (for example, referral partners or other professionals), where you have given permission or where there is a lawful basis to do so.
Why do we have this data?
We use your data to:
- Provide psychological support and care
- Deliver our services, including training, research, and evaluation
- Communicate with you about your care or our services
- Ensure services are safe, appropriate, and effective
Our lawful bases for processing data include:
- Provision of health care and treatment
- Our legitimate interests in delivering and improving our services
- Your consent, where required
We take appropriate steps to ensure all personal data is handled securely and in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
Where do we process your data?
To provide safe and effective care and services, your information may be shared, where necessary and lawful, with:
- You or your legal representative(s)
- Relevant health and care professionals involved in your support
- Organisations where we have a legal or safeguarding obligation
This may include GPs, other healthcare providers, local authorities, regulatory bodies, or law enforcement where required by law.
We only share the minimum necessary information and ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.
We collect and process data through a range of methods, including face-to-face contact, phone, email, our website, forms, and digital platforms.
Confidentiality and clinical records
If you receive psychological support from us, we will keep a record of your sessions. These records are used to support your care and ensure continuity and quality of service.
Your information will be treated as confidential. We will only share it where:
- You have given consent, or
- There is a legal or ethical obligation (for example, where there is a risk of harm to you or others)
Friends and relatives
As part of providing care and support, we may hold basic contact information for friends, relatives, or representatives. This may include next of kin or emergency contact details.
Why do we have this data?
We process this information where it is necessary for legitimate interests, such as maintaining emergency contact details or supporting the care of individuals who use our services.
We may also process this data with your consent, where appropriate.
Where do we process your data?
Information may be shared, where necessary and lawful, with:
- Health and care professionals
- Local authorities
- Law enforcement agencies where required by law
Our website
To provide the best experience when using our website, we process some data about you.
Log files
We use standard log files which may include IP addresses, browser type, ISP, date and time stamps, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks. This information is not linked to personally identifiable data and is used for analysing trends and improving the website.
Comments
When visitors leave comments, we collect the data shown in the form, along with the visitor’s IP address and browser information to help detect spam.
An anonymised string (hash) created from your email may be shared with the Gravatar service. You can view their privacy policy at: https://automattic.com/privacy/.
Cookies
We use cookies to improve your experience on our website. These may store preferences such as login details or form information.
You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings.
Embedded content
Pages may include embedded content (e.g. videos or articles). These behave as if you visited the external site and may collect data, use cookies, and track your interaction.
Your rights
You have rights over your personal data. These include:
- The right to request a copy of the data we hold about you
- The right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
- The right to request erasure of data where it is no longer necessary
- The right to restrict processing in certain circumstances
- The right to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
- The right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or public tasks
We may ask for identification to ensure data is not shared inappropriately. We will respond to requests within one month.
If you are not satisfied with how we handle your data, you can contact:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House, Water Lane
Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF