Privacy Policy

Your privacy is of great importance to Shortland Psychology and we are committed to complying with the terms of the General Data Protection Act (GDPR) regarding the responsible and secure use of your data.

Shortland Psychology provides psychological services, including psychological assessments and therapy.

We understand that we are provided with personal and sensitive information that has been entrusted with our organisation and that this information is important to the individual person. We will only collect and retain personal information that enables us to perform our services and are committed to protecting and respecting the privacy of our clients.

Shortland Psychology aims to be as clear as possible about how and why we use your information so that you can be confident that your privacy is protected. The purpose of this policy is to let you know what personal information we hold, why this data is collected, how long it is kept, why it might be shared with another party and what your rights are regarding this data.

When you are referred for psychological services with Shortland Psychology you will be asked to consent to the processing of your data under the terms of this policy.

If your questions are not fully answered by this policy, please contact Dr Andrea Shortland. If you are not satisfied with the answers from Dr Shortland, you can contact the Information Commissioners Office (ICO): https://ico.org.uk.

1. Why do we need to collect your personal data?

To know who you are so that we can communicate with you in a personal way
To verify your identity so that we can be sure we are dealing with the right person
To deliver a service to you
To provide you with a useful and relevant website

2. What personal information do we collect?

Your name
Your contact details including a postal address, phone numbers and email address
Personal information relevant to your health assessment / therapy

This information will be collected either directly from you or from a third party, such as a Social Worker. We may also need to gather information from another health professional (such as your Doctor) to provide a complete health assessment.

3. How do we use the information we collect?

To communicate with you about appointments
To deliver our services to you we use your name, contact details and any personal information that is relevant to your health assessment / therapy
To create an invoice we may use your name and contact details
To optimise our website so that users can find the information they need

4. Where do we keep the information?

In our database – stored in One Drive Business: a secure, GDPR-compliant cloud-based service with encryption. Patient records include notes, assessments, videos, and written reports. Data is not stored on personal computers.
In a locked cabinet on private premises: Paper notes and forms are securely stored and shredded after digitalisation.
In a cloud-based accounting package: We use FreeAgent (UK-based, GDPR compliant) to store financial data.

5. How long do we keep the information?

Enquiries not resulting in work: deleted after 6 months.
Paper notes: kept for 6 months after therapy/report ends, then shredded.
Videos/audio: kept for 6 months after therapy/report ends, then deleted.
Patient Record: retained for 7 years (or 7 years after turning 18), then deleted.
Invoices: kept for 7 years for HMRC compliance, then deleted.

6. Who do we send the information to?

We do not share your information except in the following circumstances:

Consent: With medical professionals or others as agreed.
Serious harm: If disclosure may prevent harm to you or others.
Legal compliance: When required by law (e.g. safeguarding, terrorism).
In the event of Dr Shortland’s death: A named colleague will notify clients.
Supervision: Used ethically with accredited professionals.

Recordings may be shared securely via WeTransfer for analysis or legal use. Reports to agencies are sent via password-protected attachments or secure platforms such as Egress or CJSM.

Our accountant, who prepares our accounts via FreeAgent, is compliant with data protection laws.

7. Your rights

You have the right to:

Access your data
Rectify, erase, or restrict your data
Object to processing
Request data portability

Contact Dr Shortland for requests. If correcting data, provide the correct version. To withdraw consent, email:

Shortland Psychology, KBSP, Harben House, Harben Parade,
Finchley Road, London, NW3 6LH

If you request deletion of your data, we will assess legal requirements before deleting without undue delay.

8. Will we send emails and text messages to you?

We may contact you via email or text for appointment or therapy updates. Personal data is not stored on email systems or mobile phones. We do not send marketing messages.

9. What happens to your data if Dr Shortland dies unexpectedly?

An Associate will take responsibility for ongoing cases and records, ensuring secure deletion at the correct time.