UKTG Privacy and Data Handling Policy
Introduction
Please take time to read and understand our Privacy Policy issued by UKTG, our Website and any sub-domain site owned and operated by Us (hereafter referred to as UKTG, We/ Us/ Our).
This Policy and Statement is Issued on behalf of Therapy Guide Ltd, a Company registered in England & Wales under Company number 8137506.
Our registered address for postal correspondence is Richmond House, Walkern Road, Stevenage, United Kingdom, SG1 3QP, United Kingdom.
Phone Number: 0800 024 8088
E-mail: support@uktherapyguide.com
A. We know that you care how information about you is used and shared and we appreciate your trust in us to do that carefully and sensibly. This describes our privacy policy and forms part of our website terms and conditions (‘Website Terms’). Your legal rights are not affected by these provisions. By continuing to use our website, sub-domains and or Apps you are agreeing to our terms and have fully understood our Privacy & Data Handling policy.
B. We provide services including but not limited to, Internet web sites, personal introductions between Users and Therapists (as a conduit only), e-mail functions, electronic management tools, Advertising and other business services. We are committed to safeguarding your privacy online and have created this Privacy & Data Handling Statement in order to demonstrate our best intentions in protecting the online privacy of users of our services.
C. By using our Services you consent to our gathering, use and disclosure of your information, as described in this Privacy Statement, our Terms of Business and the other documents, agreements and materials incorporated therein (collectively referred to as the Rules). This Privacy Statement may change from time to time, and we will provide notice of changes as described in the Terms of Service.
D. Questions regarding this Privacy Statement should be sent to: The Controller of Data listed in this document. We ensure that your personal data is processed in accordance with UK data protection laws, including the Data Protection Act 2018 and the considerations of the Data (Use and Access) Bill.
1. What is this Privacy Policy for?
1.1 When you use UK Therapy Guide, you trust us with some of your personal information. We are committed to keeping that trust. This privacy policy explains what information we collect when you use UK Therapy Guide’s sites and services and the purposes for which the information is collected. It also has information about how we store, use, transfer and delete that information.
2. Data Protection
2.1 UK Therapy Guide is committed to protecting personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. This section outlines how we collect, use, store, protect, and handle personal data of therapists and clients lawfully, fairly, and transparently.
2.2 Definitions
- Personal Data: Any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person, as defined in the UK GDPR.
- Data Controller: The entity that determines the purposes and means of processing personal data. For this agreement, UK Therapy Guide is the Data Controller.
- Data Processor: An entity that processes personal data on behalf of the Data Controller.
- Data Subject: The individual to whom personal data relates (e.g., a therapist or a client).
2.3 Lawful Basis for Processing: UK Therapy Guide processes personal data based on one or more of the lawful bases defined in the UK GDPR, including:
- Consent: Where the Data Subject has given explicit consent to the processing of their personal data for a specific purpose.
- Contract: Where processing is necessary for the performance of a contract with the Data Subject or to take steps at their request before entering into a contract.
- Legal Obligation: Where processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which UK Therapy Guide is subject.
- Legitimate Interests: Where processing is necessary for the legitimate interests of UK Therapy Guide or a third party, provided those interests are not overridden by the Data Subject’s rights and freedoms.
2.4 Data Collection and Usage: We collect personal data only for specified, explicit, and legitimate purposes and will not process it in a manner incompatible with those purposes. We adhere to the principle of data minimisation, ensuring that we only collect data that is necessary for the intended purposes. We do not collect data relating to children or criminal convictions. We may at times process sensitive personal data if you relay that to us in any correspondence or email or submissions.
2.5 Therapist Data: UK Therapy Guide collects personal data from therapists, including:
- Contact information (name, address, email, phone number)
- Professional qualifications and registration details
- Insurance information
- Bank details for payment processing
- Profile information (biography, areas of expertise, photographs, videos)
- Communications with UK Therapy Guide
2.6 Client Data: UK Therapy Guide collects personal data from clients, including:
- Contact information (name, email, phone number)
- Information about their therapy needs and preferences (collected during calls or through online forms)
- Payment information
- Session booking history
- Communications with UK Therapy Guide
2.7 Use of Data:
- Therapist Data: Used to verify qualifications, create profiles, process payments, communicate about platform updates, and match therapists with clients.
- Client Data: Used to match clients with therapists, process payments, manage bookings, communicate about therapy, and improve platform services.
3. Data Storage and Security
3.1 UK Therapy Guide implements appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure a level of security appropriate to the risk, including:
- Encryption: Protecting data both in transit and at rest
- Access Controls: Restricting access to personal data to authorised personnel only
- Secure Servers: Storing data on secure servers with appropriate security measures
- Regular Security Assessments: Conducting regular assessments
4. Data Sharing and International Transfers
4.1 We may share personal data with third parties necessary for providing our services, such as payment processors and IT service providers. We ensure that these parties comply with UK GDPR standards.
4.2 We will not sell or rent personal data to any third party.
4.3 If personal data is transferred outside the UK, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to comply with UK GDPR rules on international data transfers. This includes conducting transfer risk assessments and implementing Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) where necessary, in line with ICO guidance.
5. Data Retention
5.1 We retain personal data for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected.
Client contact information is kept until the client requests deletion or for a maximum of 3 years after their last session, whichever comes first.
5.2 Therapist data is retained for the duration of their engagement with UK Therapy Guide and for a period of 7 years after termination, to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, including tax and accounting obligations. Payment information is retained in accordance with payment processing standards and legal requirements.
5.3. We may retain anonymised or pseudonymised data for statistical or research purposes indefinitely.
6. Data Subject Rights
6.1 Under the UK GDPR, data subjects have the following rights:
- Right to be Informed: The right to receive clear and detailed information about how their personal data is processed. This is fulfilled through this Data Protection section and other privacy notices.
- Right of Access: The right to request access to their personal data and information about how it is being processed.
- Right to Rectification: The right to have inaccurate or incomplete personal data corrected.
- Right to Erasure (Right to be Forgotten): The right to have their personal data erased under certain circumstances (e.g., when the data is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected).
- Right to Restriction of Processing: The right to restrict the processing of their personal data under certain circumstances (e.g., when the accuracy of the data is contested).
- Right to Data Portability: The right to receive their personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format and to transmit that data to another controller.
- Right to Object: The right to object to the processing of their personal data under certain circumstances (e.g., processing for direct marketing purposes).
- Rights Related to Automated Decision-Making and Profiling: The right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling, which produces legal effects or significantly affects them.
6.2 If you wish to exercise any of these rights or have questions about how we handle your data, please contact us at support@uktherapyguide.com. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you believe your data rights have been violated.
7. Data Protection Officer (DPO)
7.1 UK Therapy Guide has appointed a Data Protection Officer (DPO) who is responsible for overseeing our data protection compliance. The DPO can be contacted at our postal address or by emailing support@uktherapyguide.com
8. Complaints
8.1 Data subjects have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s supervisory authority for data protection issues, if they believe that their data protection rights have been violated. You can write to them at “Information Commissioner’s Office”, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF. Helpline number: 0303 123 1113. ICO website: https://ico.org.uk
8.2 Any actual or suspected security or data breaches are handled according to current ICO Guideline and will be reported both to any affected User and the ICO according to the ICO (72-hour rule).
9. Updates to this Data Protection Section
9.1 We may update this Data Protection section from time to time to reflect changes in our data processing practices or legal requirements, including any implications from the Data (Use and Access) Bill. We will notify therapists and clients of any material changes.
10. The Website
10.1 By using the UK Therapy Guide platform, therapists and clients acknowledge that they have read and understood this Data Protection section and consent to the processing of their personal data as described herein.
10.2 This website and its owners take a proactive approach to user privacy and ensure the necessary steps are taken to protect the privacy of its users throughout their visiting experience. This website complies with all UK national laws and requirements for user privacy.
11. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
11.1 Our website uses cookies and other tracking technologies to improve user experience and analyse website traffic. We obtain consent for non-essential cookies as required by the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR)
11.2 Where applicable, this website uses a cookie control system allowing the user on their first visit to the website to allow or disallow the use of cookies on their computer/device. This complies with legislation requirements for websites to obtain explicit consent from users before leaving behind or reading files such as cookies on a user’s computer/device.
11.3 Cookies are small files saved to the user’s computer hard drive that track, save, and store information about the users’ interactions and usage of the website. This allows the website, through its server, to provide the users with a tailored experience within this website.
11.4 Users are advised that if they wish to deny the use and saving of cookies from this website onto their computers’ hard drive, they should take necessary steps within their web browsers’ security settings to block all cookies from this website and its external serving vendors.
11.5 Other cookies may be stored on your computer’s hard drive by external vendors when this website uses referral programs, sponsored links, or adverts. Such cookies are used for conversion and referral tracking and typically expire after 30 days, though some may take longer. No personal information is stored, saved, or collected.
11.6 Our Platform uses analytics services provided by companies such as Google. Analytics refers to a set of tools used to collect and analyse anonymous usage information, enabling us to better understand how our platform is used. This, in turn, enables us to improve our platform and the products and services offered through it.
12. Emails
12.1 This website operates an email newsletter program, used to inform subscribers about products and services supplied by this website. Users can subscribe through an online automated process. Some subscriptions may be manually processed through prior written agreement with the user.
12.2 Subscriptions are taken in compliance with UK Spam Laws detailed in the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 and further clarified in the UK GDPR. All personal details relating to subscriptions are held securely and in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018. No personal details are passed on to third parties nor shared with companies/people outside of the company that operates this website. Under the Data Protection Act 2018, you may request a copy of personal information held about you by this website’s email newsletter program. If you would like a copy of the information held on you, please contact us at support@uktherapyguide.com.
12.3 Email marketing campaigns published by this website or its owners may contain opt-in tracking facilities within the actual email; consent will be necessary. Subscriber activity is tracked and stored in a database for future analysis and evaluation. Such tracked activity may include the opening of emails, forwarding of emails, the clicking of links within the email content, times, dates, and frequency of activity. This information is used to refine future email campaigns and supply the user with more relevant content based around their activity.
12.4 In compliance with UK Spam Laws and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003, subscribers are given the opportunity to unsubscribe at any time through an automated system. This process is detailed at the footer of each email campaign. If an automated un-subscription system is unavailable, clear instructions on how to unsubscribe will be detailed instead.
13. Adverts and Sponsored Links
13.1 This website may contain sponsored links and adverts. These will typically be served through our advertising partners, to whom may have detailed privacy policies relating directly to the adverts they serve.
13.2 Clicking on any such adverts will send you to the advertisers’ website through a referral program which may use cookies and will track the number of referrals sent from this website if consent is given. This may include the use of cookies which may, in turn, be saved on your computer’s hard drive.
14. Social Media Platforms
14.1 Communication, engagement, and actions taken through external social media platforms that this website and its owners participate on are custom to the terms and conditions as well as the privacy policies held with each social media platform respectively.
14.2 Users are advised to use social media platforms wisely and communicate/engage upon them with due care and caution in regard to their own privacy and personal details. This website nor its owners will ever ask for personal or sensitive information through social media platforms and encourage users wishing to discuss sensitive details to contact them through primary communication channels such as by telephone or email.
14.3 This website may use social sharing buttons which help share web content directly from web pages to the social media platform in question. Users are advised before using such social sharing buttons that they do so at their own discretion and note that the social media platform may track and save your request to share a web page respectively through your social media platform account.
15. Shortened Links in Social Media
15.1 This website and its owners through their social media platform accounts may share web links to relevant web pages. By default some social media platforms shorten lengthy url’s [web addresses] (this is an example: http://bit.ly/1qdOMST).
15.2 Users are advised to take caution and good judgement before clicking any shortened url’s published on social media platforms by this website and its owners. Despite the best efforts to ensure only genuine URLs are published many social media platforms are prone to spam and hacking and therefore this website and its owners cannot be held liable for any damages or implications caused by visiting any shortened links.
16.0 Integration with Google Calendar API Services
16.1 Our platrogm uses Google API Services to enhance your scheduling experience by integrating with Google Calendar. We adhere strictly to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements. This means that any information we receive from Google APIs will not be transferred to other apps without adherence to this policy. For more details on how we handle your data, please visit our privacy policy linked here
16.2 This integration allows therapists to connect their Google Calendars to our platform, enabling the following functionalities:
16.2.1 We access all your calendars to view scheduled appointments, ensuring there are no conflicts or double bookings.
16.2.2 We add new appointments directly to a specified connected Google Calendars to keep all schedules up-to-date.
16.2.3 We remove cancelled or rescheduled appointments from the calendar to maintain accuracy.
17. Data Security and Privacy
17.1 In handling calendar data, we adhere strictly to Google’s API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements. We do not share, disclose, or otherwise use data obtained from Google APIs for any purpose other than improving appointment scheduling and management as explicitly agreed upon by the users. Our access to calendar data is configured to ensure that we only interact with calendar data necessary for the provision of our services, and we do not access any personal information from Google profiles.
17.2 Before integrating their Google Calendar with our platform, therapists are required to provide explicit consent for the specific access needed. Therapists have the ability to disconnect their calendar at any time, which ceases our access to the calendar data. We provide clear instructions on how therapists can manage these settings directly within their UK Therapy Guide account dashboard.
17.3 For further information on how Google handles data and your corresponding rights, please refer to Google’s Privacy Policy.
17.4 By using this feature, you consent to UK Therapy Guide’s use of the Google Calendar API to manage appointments efficiently and agree to the terms set out in this section.
18.0 Payment Integration
18.1 Payments made on the UK Therapy Guide platform are processed by Stripe. We are confident that this company (whose privacy policies can be found below) shares our values in terms of data protection and has a high level of security designed to keep your information safe and secure.
18.2 UK Therapy Guide does keep track of appointments and payments made which is protected by encryption and two-factor authentication however we do not collect any financial special category information such as bank or credit card details.
19. Resources & Further Information
Data Protection Act 2018
Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR)
ICO Guide to Data Protection
Twitter Privacy Policy (now X)
Facebook Privacy Policy (Meta)
Google Privacy Policy