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Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 2026
 

At The Ridge Practice, we are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information with care, confidentiality and in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how it is used, how it is stored and your rights regarding your personal data.

Who We Are

The Ridge Practice provides counselling and psychotherapy services for individuals, young people and couples.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how your information is handled, please contact us using the details provided at the end of this policy.

Data Controller

The Ridge Practice is home to independent therapists who are each responsible for the personal information they collect and process in relation to their own clients.

 

Your therapist is the Data Controller for your personal information and is responsible for ensuring it is processed in accordance with UK data protection legislation.

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Hayley Vaughan-Smith
Data Controller
Email: hayley@theridgepractice.co.uk
Telephone: 07500 475073
ICO Registration Number: 00015077927

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Matt Winter
Data Controller
Email: mwcounselling@outlook.com
Telephone: 07795196206
ICO Registration Number: [ICO number]

If you have a general practice contact email, you can add:

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General enquiries about The Ridge Practice can be directed to hayley@theridgepractice.co.uk, however any questions relating to your personal data should be addressed to your therapist directly.

What Information We Collect

Depending on your interaction with us, we may collect:

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  • Your name

  • Telephone number

  • Email address

  • Postal address (where applicable)

  • Information you provide when making an enquiry

  • Information relevant to arranging appointments

  • Clinical information shared during therapy

  • Payment information where applicable
     

We only collect information that is necessary to provide our services safely, ethically and effectively.

How We Use Your Information

Your information may be used to:

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  • Respond to your enquiries

  • Arrange and manage appointments

  • Provide counselling and psychotherapy services

  • Maintain clinical records

  • Meet our legal, ethical and professional obligations

  • Contact you regarding your appointments or therapy where appropriate

  • Process payments where applicable
     

We will never sell your personal information or use it for marketing without your consent.

Lawful Basis for Processing Your Data

Under UK GDPR, we process your personal information under one or more of the following lawful bases:
 

  • Performance of a contract – to provide the counselling services you have requested.

  • Legal obligation – where we are required to comply with legal or regulatory requirements.

  • Legitimate interests – where necessary for the safe and effective running of our practice.

  • Special Category Data – information relating to your health is processed where necessary for the provision of health or therapeutic services and is subject to the additional safeguards required by UK GDPR.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality is a fundamental part of counselling and psychotherapy.

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As professional therapists, we work in accordance with the ethical frameworks of the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) and the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).

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Everything discussed during therapy is treated as confidential.

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There are, however, a small number of circumstances where confidentiality may need to be broken. These include situations where:

  • there is a serious risk of harm to yourself or another person

  • safeguarding concerns arise involving a child or vulnerable adult

  • disclosure is required by law or a court order

  • there is information relating to serious criminal activity where legal reporting obligations apply
     

Wherever possible, we will discuss this with you before sharing any information.

Clinical Supervision

As part of maintaining safe, ethical and professional practice, our therapists engage in clinical supervision where appropriate.

Clinical supervision provides an opportunity for therapists to reflect on their work, support good clinical practice and ensure the highest standard of care for clients.

Where client work is discussed in supervision, it is done anonymously wherever possible. No identifying information is shared unless legally or ethically required.

Clinical Records

Your therapist may make brief clinical notes where they consider it appropriate or necessary to support your therapy and maintain safe, professional practice.
 

These notes are:

  • kept to a minimum

  • stored securely and privately

  • accessible only to your therapist (unless legally required otherwise)

  • retained in accordance with UK GDPR, professional guidance and our data retention policy
     

Where notes are made, they are intended solely to support the continuity and quality of your care.

How Long We Keep Your Information

We retain personal information only for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected and to meet our legal, professional and regulatory obligations.

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Our typical retention periods are:

  • Enquiry information: Enquiries that don't become clients 90 days. Enquiries that do become clients 7 years.

  • Appointment records: Age 25 for young people & 7 years for adults following the end of therapy.

  • Clinical notes: Age 25 for young people & 7 years for adults following the end of therapy.

  • Financial records: 7 Years
     

Once the relevant retention period has expired, records are securely deleted or confidentially destroyed.
 

If appropriate, our retention periods are informed by guidance from the NCPS, BACP and the Information Commissioner's Office.

How Your Information Is Stored

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information.
 

This includes:

  • secure electronic storage

  • password-protected systems

  • encrypted devices where appropriate

  • secure handling of any paper records

  • restricting access to authorised persons only
     

We continually review our processes to help keep your information secure.

Online Counselling

Where counselling is provided online, we use suitable platforms designed to protect your privacy.
 

Whilst every reasonable effort is made to ensure confidentiality, no internet-based communication can ever be guaranteed to be completely secure.
 

We encourage clients to attend online sessions from a private location wherever possible to help maintain confidentiality.

Sharing Your Information

Your information will not normally be shared with anyone outside The Ridge Practice.
 

Information will only be shared where:

  • you have given your consent

  • it is required by law

  • safeguarding responsibilities require disclosure

  • there is a serious risk of harm to yourself or others
     

Where appropriate, only the minimum necessary information will be shared.

Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

  • request access to the personal information we hold about you

  • request correction of inaccurate information

  • request erasure of your personal information where legally appropriate

  • request restriction of processing

  • object to certain types of processing

  • withdraw consent where processing relies upon consent

  • lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)
     

Please note that some of these rights may be limited where therapists are legally or professionally required to retain records.

Cookies

Our website may use essential cookies to ensure that it functions correctly.

If analytics or optional cookies are used, they will only be placed in accordance with our Cookie Policy and your cookie preferences.

Third-Party Websites

Our website may contain links to third-party websites.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these websites and encourage you to read their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

ICO Registration

Both Hayley and Matt are independently registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) as data controllers. 

Their ICO Registration Numbers are:

Matt: 
Hayley: 

Making A Complaint

If you have any concerns about how your personal information has been handled, we would welcome the opportunity to resolve them.

Please contact us using the details below.
 

If you remain dissatisfied, you have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

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Website: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/


Telephone: 0303 123 1113


Address:

Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Changes To The Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legislation, professional guidance or our services.

The most recent version will always be published on this website.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how your personal information is handled, please contact us.
 

Email: hayley@theridgepractice.co.uk

Telephone: 07500 475073

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