Creating a safe space for clients is an essential part of a counsellor’s job. You need to nurture an ethically sound and confidential environment both in person and digitally – and part of what that entails is storing sensitive data securely and communicating in a way that doesn’t breach client confidentiality. Here’s what you need to know.
The importance of personal information and confidentiality in counselling
It’s important to uphold this standard not only for ethical purposes but also to avoid breaches of trust and resulting complaints. You could lose clients if they feel as though they can no longer confide in you professionally, so it’s best to let your clients know the actions you will take to ensure best practice.
You will be expected to have an awareness of the legislation in this area, including the Data Protection Act 2018 and the implementation of GDPR, which outline how organisations and businesses should handle information. Personal details should be collected transparently, be used for legitimate purposes and be processed lawfully. Data should also be accurate, updated or removed where necessary.
So how can you help to keep your clients’ information confidential? Here are five practical approaches you can take.
Strategies to safeguard client privacy and confidentiality
It is important to have the right procedures and etiquette in place so your counselling business is compliant. Awareness of data breaches and knowing how to communicate securely are good places to start. This way, you can safeguard sensitive data belonging to your clients.
It could also be worth considering approaching the issue from multiple angles. Some professionals look into counsellors’ insurance that could help to bolster them against civil claims either made or threatened in the wake of any accidental breach. Practising for the best and preparing for the worst could be a wise approach.
- Use a secure platform for messaging and sharing files with clients: Look for software with a good reputation and accreditations so you know whether to trust it.
- Store physical documents using controlled access: This might involve having locks on cabinets and doors so that only those with permission can access these files.
- Use up-to-date security technology: Going back to digital security, it’s important to keep software running efficiently by installing updates. You may also find that switching to newer, more secure software is beneficial.
- Have awareness of which information is confidential: This comes down to training staff sufficiently so that careless mistakes aren’t made using other people’s personal or confidential information.
- Report any breaches of confidentiality to the right person: You and any staff should also have an awareness of what to do if there are breaches of confidentiality, both in person and digitally.
