The confidentiality of your personal and online data is important to me, it will never be sold, shared or used in the marketing of unrelated products.

The Basics…

When you contact me via my website, by phone or email I collect your:  Name, Email Address and Telephone Number and a brief note of why you contacted me: (Hypnotherapy, Yoga class, Nutritional Therapy Session) along with any key pieces of information (injury, issue you want to address, specific class you want to attend etc.)

If you make an enquiry but do not take up a service, incoming and outgoing communication (phone number, text, email) is removed from my email and phone after a maximum period of 6 months. 

I’m a Client… How is my Information Stored?

Your telephone number is stored on my phone (which is passcode protected) as a first name and then service (i.e. Joe Yoga Tues or Sam Hypno Clevedon).

Your email address is in my email contact list (accessible through my phone and laptop), both my email account and laptop are passcode protected.

If you attend a yoga class, you will be added to the class register, which is a spreadsheet that helps me to monitor attendance.

If you have a private Yoga, Hypnotherapy or Nutritional Therapy session, I will take more detailed information, using a paper based or online form that I print.  Files are named using your initials and geographical location and stored in a locked filing cabinet in my home.

I do not take any bank information, if you make payment via BACS these details are not copied or retained.

What Information is Taken at a Private Session?

Depending on the service you are using, I will ask detailed information about what you would like to achieve, your health history and your motivations.

I will ask you for your GP contact details there are conditions where it may be necessary to contact your GP prior to working together, but I would always talk to you about this and seek your consent first.

I will ask you for details of your next of kin: this is used very rarely and only in emergency situations

I will make a brief note of sensitive information you provide at the session, I generally use words that act as a prompt for me rather than full details

What Do You Do with the Information You Have About Me?

I will use text, phone or email to confirm or rearrange appointments or update you about any changes to classes.

I will use email to send you a copy of personalised reports or information (Nutritional Plan, Hypnotherapy MP3 or Yoga Sequence).

When I ask for your email address, you will be able to tick a box if you wish to receive information about wellbeing, workshops and offers.  This is usually in the form of a monthly Unique Balance Newsletter. If you tick the box you will be added to my mailing list, if you do not tick the box, I will still contact you about the service you are using.

I use the detailed information I hold to plan bespoke therapy sessions.

I hold general information and registers for insurance and accounting purposes.

How Long is my Information Held For?

Initial enquiry data is held for a maximum of 6 months and then deleted.

Information held about people that use services is held for 7 years, this is to comply with insurance and tax regulations.

How Confidential is the Information I Tell You?

I will never break client confidentiality (whether you share personal information at a yoga class or in a private hypnotherapy session).

The only instance in which I would share information, is if there was a risk of danger or serious harm to you, me or others.  In which case I would contact your GP, Next of Kin or the relevant agency.

Where it was safe to do so, I would always discuss this with you first, so that you know what was going to happen and only information required to ensure safety of relevant parties would be disclosed.

Information may, in rare circumstances have to be disclosed without consent for the prevention, detection or prosecution of a crime.

I have external supervision and undertake additional training, in these circumstances your anonymised information (health, bio-mechanical or life issue) may be discussed with supervisors, trainers or peer support groups.  You would never be identifiable from the information shared and is this would not breach professional confidentiality.

What Happens When I Access Unique Balance Online?

When you access my website, you may be asked to give permission to allow cookies (small files) to be placed on your hard drive.  Cookies do not provide any information about you personally or your computer, instead they enable me to analyse how my website is being used (for example: how many people have viewed the sites and which pages are most popular).  Most web browsers automatically accept cookies but you can modify your setting to decline them if you prefer. If you choose to do this you may find that you cannot make full use of my website.

My website contains links to other websites which might be of interest, I also have an Instagram and Face Book account that you may choose to follow.  I have no control over how these sites use your information and they are not covered by my privacy policy.  Please exercise caution, they should have a privacy statement that you can click on to find out more.

Your Rights and Legal Stuff….

As I hold sensitive data I am registered with the Information Commissioners Office, my Registration number is.. ICO :0001019972

You do not have to consent to me collecting the information I have listed above; however if you don’t give consent we would need to discuss this, to see if it would still be possible to provide the service in a safe & legally compliant way.

Under the General Data Protection Regulations (May 2018) you have the following rights:

• The right to be informed about what data I hold and what I do with it
• The right of access to your data: if you wish to see your file, then please make a request in writing through the contact box on the website or by email ‘info@uniquebalance.co.uk . I will provide you with the information within 30 days of your request.
• The right to rectification: this means you can request changes to the information I hold about you, if you think it is factually inaccurate. You can make this request, by phone, email or post and I will make the relevant changes.
• The right to erasure: given the nature of the service I am required to hold your details for a period of 7 years for insurance and tax purposes, after this time your information (online and paper based) will be securely destroyed.
• The right to restrict processing: I will only use the information for the purposes as outlined above.
• The right to data portability: This is not relevant to unique balance services, as I don’t share your data (unless I am asked to do so, or it is necessary to avoid serious harm – see confidentiality)
• The right to object: I will not contact you for marketing purposes unless you have given me specific consent to do so.
• The right not to be subject to automated decision-making including profiling: I will not use your information for profiling purposes.

If you would like a paper copy of this policy or would like anything in it explained more clearly, please do let me know. This policy will be updated from time to time in line with current legislation.