Your data is stored by the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS) within the provisions of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
For reference, we hold the following information about you:
- Given/First Name
- Surname/Family Name
- Gender (optional, and only if supplied)
- Home Address
- Email Address
- Practice Address (if provided)
- Telephone numbers (home, mobile, and practice)
- Details related to your practice status (i.e. whether you are practicing or not practicing)
- Information about any criminal record or offences (if applicable)
- How you heard about us
- Where you undertook your training
- Your bank details/BACS reference details for the purposes of administering membership payments
- Unspent criminal record details (if relevant)
- Qualification and training details
- Information about cancelling your membership (if relevant)
- Information about your benefits/retirement status (if relevant)
- Your contact/marketing preferences
- Information about the fees you pay to us
The NCPS uses cloud technology, not based on our premises, to store and manage the data we hold, and to provide services such as event management, newsletters, and other emails. Member’s data is held in a secure UK datacentre which is protected by perimeter, building and data floor key card + combination entry, access control, recording, monitoring, CCTV, and 24/7 security patrols. Any services we use to manage events and send emails adhere to GDPR requirements.
The NCPS may use your contact data to communicate with you direct for important information related to your membership and course provision and to advise you of new products and services, or work and placement opportunities. You may opt out of receiving communications from the NCPS at any time via the Members’ Area of the website, email, telephone, or post. You can find our contact details here: https://nationalcounsellingsociety.org/help/contact
We do not sell your data, nor do we use it for any purpose other than to provide membership services and keep an online Register of counsellors (where applicable).
If you need to make a change to the information we hold about you, you can do this at any time via the Members’ Area of the website, email, telephone, or post. You can find our contact details here: https://nationalcounsellingsociety.org/help/contact
If you want us to delete the information we hold about you then please do let us know in writing, and we will do so to the furthest extent possible allowing that we may need to retain some information about you to ensure that we are compliant with any legal requirements, or for the purposes of public safety or our own internal complaints processes.
Personal information which you share with the NCPS as part of your membership applications or course processes - for example, personal disclosures as part of your personal development or as part of therapeutic training – are treated in the strictest confidence. This means that the NCPS will not disclose any such materials unless required by a Court Order or unless such materials provide evidence of criminality, or potential or actual harm to yourself, another person, or to NCPS staff.
If your application for Membership is referred to our Professional Standards Committee, full details of your application will be made available to the Committee, many of whom are not directly employed by the Society. Committee members have signed a strict confidentiality agreement with the Society, and all data for review is shared on encrypted, password protected software.
In the event that a complaint is made against you, and the complaint is escalated to an Assessment Panel or Independent Panel Hearing, details of the complaint that has been made against you and documentation relevant to the case that has been provided either by yourself or the complainant will be made available to panel members. Panel members have signed a strict confidentiality agreement with the Society, and all data for review is shared on encrypted, password protected software.
If you book onto our CPD events, we will share your full name and email address with the Course Tutor so they can keep an accurate Register of attendance and contact you with information and links directly related to accessing the course.
Information you provide to the NCPS as part of your membership application or course process will be retained in accordance with the GDPR and destroyed a certain amount of time after your course or membership lapses.
