Introduction

Any personal data which you provide to Student Counselling & Development (SCD) will be treated with the highest standards of security and confidentiality, in accordance both with Irish and European Data Protection legislation and with codes of ethics and practice for psychologists (PSI) and psychotherapists (IACP, IAHIP). It is necessary for us to collect and process your personal data and data related to your wellbeing and mental health in order for us to provide you with counselling, consultation and group interventions. This notice sets out details of the information that we collect, how we process it and who we share it with. It also explains your rights under data protection law in relation to our processing of your data.

Who We Are

Throughout this Notice, “we”, “us”, “our” and “the service” refers to Student Counselling & Development, (SCD) University College Cork. For more information about us, please refer to our website: www.ucc.ie/en/studentcounselling

How we Collect Your Personal Data

When you make contact with the service to set up an appointment we access your personal data from Student Records System (ITS)

The personal data we receive includes your name, date of birth, gender, marital status, student ID number, address, mobile /telephone number, ICE email and telephone number, G.P. name, course of study. We may receive data about you from persons who refer you to the service.

We collect data from you in the course of providing you with individual counselling, student consultation, group interventions. All information received about and from you will be used by us only in accordance with the purposes outlined in this notice.

The Purpose and Legal Basis for Collecting Your Data

Any personal data you provide in the course of availing of the services provided SCD will be processed fairly and lawfully.

In keeping with professional codes of ethics and practice the processing of personal data by SCD is necessary in the course of its legitimate activities.

Counselling records are maintained for the purposes of aiding in the monitoring of a client's progress. Records are especially important when there are significant periods of time between counselling contacts or when the client seeks services from another professional or service. Appropriate records can also help to protect both Client and Therapists. Precise record keeping can help provide clarity in the event of legal or ethical proceedings. (IACP)

For the purposes stated above confidential electronic notes of counselling sessions and consultations with students will recorded.

We store your information securely and retain counselling records for a period of seven years following termination of counselling in keeping with professional codes of practice.

We will only ask for and keep information that is necessary and make every effort to keep it as accurate and up to-date as possible. We will explain the need for any information we ask for if you are not sure why it is needed.

If you attend more than one counsellor in SCD, in the interest of continuity of care all counsellors you attend for counselling will have access to your counselling notes.

All staff in SCD who are not bound by a professional confidentiality code sign a confidentiality agreement in relation to personal information of clients of the service.

Client records are regulated in such a manner that they are only accessed by non-counselling staff to perform duties necessary for the functioning of SCD.

Such duties include the setting up of appointments, typing of letters on behalf of students, scanning of letters and signed consent forms on to client files, opening of referral letters from doctors, university staff, or other persons who refer to SCD, receiving and responding to student emails, management of waiting lists and bookings for workshops. Other activities necessary for the functioning of SCD, including generation of anonymised annual statistics and service management reports

Details of Third Parties With Whom Your Personal Data May be Shared

The information you provide to SCD is confidential, however there are circumstances in which it may be necessary to share aspects of your data with third parties for the purposes outlined below.

Disclosure of Information to Other Health Care Professionals:

In the context of referral to other health care professionals, it may be necessary to furnish them with relevant parts of information in order for them to provide you with the treatment and services you need. This information will only be given with your explicit consent, except when there is serious concern for your safety.

We may wish to liaise with other professionals involved in your care to ensure that an optimal care plan is in place for you. This will only be done with your consent.

Disclosures to The University or Other Third Parties:

Students sometimes request that confirmation of their attendance at SCD, or requests for support be provided to various departments within UCC, this will only be done with your consent.

In the case of requests made by solicitors or other third parties from outside of the university to have your records released, we will only release information with your signed consent.

Disclosures Required or Permitted Under Law

The information that you provide to SCD is confidential to the service. In keeping with codes of ethics for psychologists and psychotherapists, the information shared within the context of a counselling relationship is treated in a strictly confidential manner and will not be divulged to others without your consent, except in the following exceptional circumstances:

• If there is a serious concern that there may be a threat to your safety or life or that of another.
• In the context of criminal behaviour and disclosures required by legal process
• Counsellors are legally obliged under the Children First Act 2015 to report child protection concerns. 

If it becomes necessary to breach confidentiality, every effort will be made to discuss this with you before that step is taken. Information to third parties is provided on a need to know basis and is done so with great sensitivity.

Annual Reports

SCD compiles an annual report which contains anonymised data relating to client demographics and difficulties with which students presented to the service. These overall statistics are available within the university.

They also form part of aggregate annual statistics generated by PCHEI third level institutions across the country.

Supervision, Professional Development and Quality Assurance

All counsellors in SCD attend professional supervision and engage in reflective practice at which they discuss client presentations as part of their continuing professional development. In these situations, any identifying information pertaining to the client concerned is not revealed.

How Long We Keep Your Data

In keeping with the data protection principles we will only store your data for as long as is necessary. For the purposes described here we will store your data for a period of seven years following the termination of counselling.

Accessing Your Counselling Notes

You have the right of access to all the personal information held about you by SCD.

If you wish to see your counselling notes please discuss this with your counsellor, who will review the information on your records with you. If your counsellor is not available another member of the counselling staff will facilitate this.

If you wish to receive a copy of your records having viewed them, you can make a formal written Request for Release of Counselling Notes to SCD and they will be provided to you within thirty days or sooner free of charge.

Your Rights

You have various rights under data protection law, subject to certain exemptions, in connection with our processing of your personal data, including the right:

• To find out if we use your personal data, access your personal data and receive copies of your personal data;
• To have inaccurate/incomplete information corrected and updated;
• In certain circumstances, to have your details deleted from systems that we use to process your personal data or have the use of your personal data restricted in certain ways;
• To object to certain processing of your data by UCC;
• To exercise your right to data portability where applicable (i.e. obtain a copy of your personal data in a commonly used electronic form;
• Where we have relied upon consent as a lawful basis for processing, to withdraw your consent to the processing at any time;
• To not be subject to solely automated decision;
• If you wish to avail of these rights, please write to: The Information Compliance Manager, University College Cork, 4 Carrigside, College Road, Cork (or email foi@ucc.ie).

If you have any queries in relation to your personal data held by SCD please contact either your counsellor or counselling@ucc.ie or phone 4903565.

If you have any complaints in connection with our processing of your personal data, you can contact UCC’s Information Compliance Manager: Information Compliance Manager, Office of Corporate & Legal Affairs, University College Cork, Western Road, Cork E: foi@ucc.ie Tel: +353 21 4903949

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission if you are unhappy with our processing of your personal data. Details of how to lodge a complaint can be found on the Data Protection Commission’s website (www.dataprotection.ie), or by telephoning 1890 252 231.

In submitting this form, you understand and agree that your personal details will be used by SCD for the purposes outlined above.