1. About this policy

Sussex Speech Studio Ltd is committed to protecting your privacy and handling personal information securely and responsibly.

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This Privacy Policy explains what personal information Sussex Speech Studio collects, how and why it is used, who it may be shared with, how long it is kept and your rights in relation to your personal information.

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​It applies to information about children receiving services, their parents or carers, and other people who communicate or work with Sussex Speech Studio.

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2. Who we are

Sussex Speech Studio Ltd provides independent speech and language therapy services to children and families.

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Margaret Shaw, Director of Sussex Speech Studio Ltd, is the Data Controller and is responsible for how personal information is handled.

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Sussex Speech Studio Ltd is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

ICO registration number: ZB551542
Email: margaret@sussexspeechstudio.com
Telephone: 07472 367193

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3. Information we collect

The personal information collected will depend on the services provided and may include:

• names, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses

• information about your child’s health, communication and education

• relevant family and social information

• information provided by parents, carers, schools and other professionals

• assessment results, clinical observations, therapy, plans, session notes and reports

• correspondence and other communications

• appointment, invoicing and payment information

• information provided through the Sussex Speech Studio website

• website usage information collected through cookies or similar technologies
   

Information about a child’s health, development and communication may include special category personal data, which receives additional protection under data protection law.

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4. How we collect the information

Personal information may be collected:

• directly from you during enquiries, telephone or video calls, appointments, forms or correspondence

• during assessment and therapy with your child

• from schools, health professionals or other people involved with your child, where appropriate

• through secure online forms or documents

• through the contact form on the Sussex Speech Studio website

• automatically when you use the website, for example through cookies or analytics where these are used
   

Information received from other people will only be used where there is an appropriate reason to do so.

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5. How and why we use personal information

Personal information is used where necessary to:

• respond to enquiries and arrange services

• assess your child’s speech, language and communication

• plan, provide and review speech and language therapy

• maintain accurate clinical records

• communicate with parents, carers, schools and other professionals where appropriate

• prepare reports and recommendations

• arrange appointments and manage the administration of services

• issue invoices and maintain appropriate financial records

• meet legal, regulatory and professional requirements

• protect the welfare and safety of children

• manage and improve Sussex Speech Studio’s services and website
   

Only information that is relevant to these purposes is collected and used.

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6. Lawful basis for using personal information​

Sussex Speech Studio only uses personal information where there is a lawful basis for doing so.

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Depending on the purpose, personal information may be processed because it is necessary:

• for the legitimate interests of providing and managing speech and language therapy services

• to enter into or fulfil an agreement for services

• to comply with a legal obligation

• where consent has been given for a particular use or disclosure
   

Information about health, development and communication is special category personal data.

Where this information is needed to provide speech and language therapy services, it is processed for health or social care purposes in accordance with UK data protection law.

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In some circumstances, information may also need to be used or shared to protect a child or another person from harm or where there is a legal requirement to do so.

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7. How information is stored and protected

Sussex Speech Studio takes appropriate steps to protect personal information from loss, unauthorised access, alteration or disclosure.

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Electronic clinical and administrative information is stored using secure systems, including WriteUpp and Google Workspace.

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Some clinical records are held on paper, including standardised assessment forms and intake records. Paper records are stored securely with access restricted.

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Devices used to access personal information are password protected and appropriate security measures are used to protect electronic information.

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Sensitive documents sent electronically may be encrypted or password protected where appropriate.

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Personal information is securely deleted or destroyed when it is no longer required.

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8. How long is information kept

Clinical records relating to children are normally retained until the child’s 25th birthday. Where a young person is 17 when treatment ends, records are normally retained until their 26th birthday, in line with professional guidance.

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Records may be kept for longer where there is a legal, safeguarding or other professional reason to do so.

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Other personal information is retained only for as long as it is needed for the purpose for which it was collected or to meet legal, financial or regulatory requirements.

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When the relevant retention period has ended, information is reviewed and securely deleted or destroyed when it is no longer required.

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9. Sharing information

Information may be shared with other people or organisations where this is necessary and appropriate. This may include:

• parents or carers

• schools and education professionals

• health professionals and other professionals involved in supporting your child

• Local Authorities or other organisations funding services

• professional advisors, including Sussex Speech Studio’s accountant

• service providers used to support the secure delivery and administration of services

• regulatory, legal or safeguarding authorities where disclosure is required or appropriate
   

Clinical information will normally only be shared with other professionals with your consent. Information may be shared without consent where there is a legal requirement or safeguarding reason to do so.

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Only information that is relevant and necessary for the purpose will be shared.

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Sussex Speech Studio does not sell personal information or provide it to other organisations for their own marketing purposes.

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10. Service providers and international processing

Sussex Speech Studio uses trusted service providers to support the delivery and administration of services. These include systems used for clinical record keeping and practice management, email and document storage, website hosting and administration.

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Where another organisation processes personal information on behalf of Sussex Speech Studio, appropriate data protection arrangements are used.

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Some service providers may process personal information outside the UK. Where this involves international transfer of personal information, appropriate safeguards are used in accordance with UK data protection law.

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11. Your data protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:

• be informed about how your personal information is used

• request access to personal information held about you or your child

• ask for inaccurate or incomplete information to be corrected

• ask for personal information to be deleted in certain circumstances

• ask for the use of personal information to be restricted in certain circumstances

• object to certain uses of personal information

• withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
   

Some rights depend on the reason the information is being processed and may not apply in every situation. For example, clinical records may need to be retained even if you ask for them to be deleted.
 

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact Sussex Speech Studio.

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12. Data protection concerns and complaints

If you have any questions or concerns about how your personal information is handled, please contact Sussex Speech Studio. I will try to resolve your concern promptly and fairly.

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You also have the right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you are concerned about how your personal information has been handled.

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Information about raising a concern with the ICO is available at www.ico.org.uk or by telephone on 0303 123 1113.

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13. Website and cookies

The Sussex Speech Studio website may collect limited information about how visitors use the website through cookies or similar technologies.

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Further information about the cookies used, their purpose and the choices available to you is provided in the Cookies Policy on the Sussex Speech Studio website.

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Information submitted through the website contact form is sent to Sussex Speech Studio’s secure business email account and is used to respond to your enquiry.

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14. Changes to this privacy policy

This Privacy Policy will be reviewed regularly and may be updated to reflect changes in the law, professional guidance or the way Sussex Speech Studio operates.

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Where a significant change affects how existing clients’ personal information is used, appropriate notice will be provided.

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15. Contact

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, how your personal information is used or your data protection rights, please contact:

Margaret Shaw
Sussex Speech Studio Ltd
Email: margaret@sussexspeechstudio.com
Telephone: 07472 367193

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Document Review

Version: 2026-27
Effective from: 01 September 2026
Next review: August 2027