Privacy Policy

This privacy notice explains how London Speech and Language Therapy Limited (referred to as "we", "us", or "our") collects, uses, stores, and protects the personal data of children, parents, and school staff in relation to our independent speech and language therapy services.

As a limited company processing electronic health records, we are registered as a Data Controller with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) under registration number 00015157549.

 

1. The Information We Collect

To provide effective speech and language assessment and therapy, we must collect and process personal information. This includes both standard personal data and "special category" (sensitive) data regarding health.

• Client (Child) Personal Data: Name, date of birth, home address, and current school/nursery.

• Special Category Data: Clinical case notes, speech and language assessment results, medical history, developmental history, records of therapy sessions, and school reports.

• Parent/Guardian Contact Data: Names, phone numbers, email addresses, and billing information (if paying privately).

• School Staff Data: Teacher or Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCo) names and professional school email addresses.

 

2. How We Obtain Information

We collect information through various pathways during our professional engagement:

• Directly from parents/guardians via registration forms, telephone consultations, or initial intake meetings.

• From school staff (such as class teachers or SENCos) who provide background information regarding the child's academic and communicative performance.

• Through our own direct observations, standardized testing, and formal clinical assessments during school visits.

 

3. Our Legal Basis for Processing Data

Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), we must establish a clear legal basis to process personal data.

For standard personal data (such as contact information), we rely on:

• Contract: The processing is necessary to fulfil our contract with you (or your child’s school) to deliver professional therapy services.

• Legitimate Interests: Processing is necessary for the efficient management of our clinical practice and the delivery of appropriate care.

For special category data (health and clinical records), we meet the strict requirements of Article 9 of the UK GDPR under the following condition:

• Health or Social Care (Article 9(2)(h)): The processing is necessary for the purposes of preventive or occupational medicine, medical diagnosis, and the provision of health or social care treatment.

 

4. How We Use the Information

We use the collected information exclusively to support your child’s development and maintain legal compliance:

• Administering clinical assessments and planning personalized therapy interventions.

• Writing professional progress reports, targets, and speech plans.

• Collaborating with school staff to implement communication strategies in the classroom.

• Managing administrative duties, including scheduling visits, tracking invoices, and updating clinical schedules.

 

5. Data Sharing and Confidentiality

Information regarding a child’s speech, language, and communication needs is confidential. We will only share details with third parties under specific circumstances:

• With the Child’s School: We collaborate closely with SENCos, class teachers, and teaching assistants to ensure therapy targets are embedded in the school day.

• With Other Professionals: With parental consent, we may share reports with NHS speech therapists, pediatricians, or educational psychologists involved in the child's care.

• Legal and Safeguarding Exceptions: We will never disclose information to outside parties without consent unless required by law, court order, or if we have a significant safeguarding concern regarding the welfare of a child.

 

6. Data Storage and Security

We implement strict physical and digital security measures to protect sensitive data from unauthorized access, loss, or alteration:

• Digital Records: All electronic case notes, reports, and contact sheets are stored on password-protected cloud platforms compliant with UK data protection laws, or on local devices secured with biometric locking (such as fingerprint or face ID) and strong encryption.

• Communication: Reports sent electronically are distributed as password-protected PDF attachments, or via secure, encrypted email portals.

• Data Retention: In accordance with UK medico-legal guidelines for healthcare records, we retain child clinical notes until the individual’s 25th birthday (or 26th birthday if the young person was 17 when the treatment ended). After this period, files are permanently and securely destroyed.

 

7. Your Legal Rights

Under UK data protection law, parents and guardians hold specific rights regarding the information we maintain:

• Right of Access: You can request a copy of all personal data and clinical records we hold about your child (a Subject Access Request).

• Right to Rectification: You can request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete information.

• Right to Restriction: You can ask us to restrict the processing of your data in certain scenarios.

• Right to Object: You have the right to object to how we process data under legitimate interests.

 

8. Contact Details and Complaints

If you have questions regarding this privacy notice or wish to exercise your data rights, please contact us directly:

• Data Protection Officer: Ashleigh Ibrahim

• Company Name: London Speech and Language Therapy

• Email Address: info@londonslt.com

• Phone Number: 07725997279

If you remain unsatisfied with how we handle your data, you retain the legal right to lodge a formal complaint with the ICO via their official website (www.ico.org.uk) or by calling their helpline.