Privacy policy

Who is responsible for your data?

The data controller for this website is Gareth Vaughan, trading as Gareth Vaughan Counselling.

Email: gareth@gareth-vaughan.co.uk
Phone: 07544 518276

What this policy covers

This policy applies to information collected through this website (including the contact form) and to initial enquiries made by email or telephone. If you become a counselling or supervision client, additional information about clinical records and confidentiality will be provided separately as part of your agreement for therapy.

What personal data we collect

Depending on how you contact us, we may collect:

• Contact form: your name, email address, optional telephone number, and the content of your message
• Email or phone enquiries: your contact details and any information you choose to share
• Technical data: basic information such as IP address, browser type, and device information, which may be recorded by our website host when you visit the site

Please do not include sensitive clinical details in the website contact form unless you are comfortable doing so. For confidential therapeutic discussions, email or telephone is usually more appropriate once we have agreed how to communicate safely.

How we use your information

We use personal data to:

• Respond to enquiries about counselling, supervision, or other services
• Arrange appointments and communicate with you about your request
• Maintain basic business records relating to enquiries
• Keep this website secure and working properly

We do not use your information for automated decision-making or profiling.

Lawful basis for processing

Under UK data protection law, we rely on the following lawful bases:

• Legitimate interests – to respond to enquiries and operate this website in a professional and secure way
• Consent – where you submit the contact form or ask us to contact you
• Contract – where processing is necessary if you proceed to counselling or supervision services

Who we share data with

We do not sell your personal data. We may share information only where necessary with trusted service providers who help us run this website or manage enquiries, for example:

• Website hosting (Vercel) and email delivery for contact form messages (Resend)
• Email service providers used to send and receive messages
• Professional advisers where required by law (for example, insurers or legal obligations)

These providers process data on our instructions and only to the extent needed to provide their service. Some providers may store or process data outside the UK; where that applies, appropriate safeguards are used in line with UK GDPR requirements.

Cookies and similar technologies

This website does not use marketing or analytics cookies that we place ourselves. If you use the contact form on a hosted version of the site, the hosting provider may use essential cookies or similar technologies needed for security and form delivery.

We use Google Fonts to display typography. When you load a page, your browser may connect to Google servers, which could involve sharing technical data such as your IP address. You can learn more in Google's privacy policy.

How long we keep information

• Website enquiries: usually up to 12 months, unless they lead to ongoing work with us or we need to keep them longer for legal or professional reasons
• Client and supervision records: kept in line with professional standards and our client agreement (separate from this website policy)

How we protect your data

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information, including using reputable hosting and email services, limiting access to information we hold, and handling enquiries confidentially. No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Your rights

Under UK data protection law, you have rights including:

• The right to access a copy of your personal data
• The right to ask us to correct inaccurate information
• The right to ask us to delete your data in certain circumstances
• The right to restrict or object to processing in certain circumstances
• The right to data portability where applicable
• The right to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details above. We will respond within one month in most cases.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you are concerned about how your data has been handled: ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint.

Links to other websites

This website may link to external sites (for example, professional organisations or resources). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites and encourage you to read their policies.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The date at the top of this page shows when it was last revised. Please check this page periodically for any changes.

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