Privacy Policy

Last updated: 10-09-2026

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Sequoia Therapy (“we”, “us”, “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of the children, young people and families we work with. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, and your rights.

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1. Who we work with

We provide therapy services for children and young people. We may collect and hold information about:

• The child/young person receiving therapy

• Parents, carers or legal guardians

• Other professionals involved in the child/young person’s care (for example, school staff, social workers, GPs), where relevant

1. What information we collect

We may collect:

Contact details

• Name, address, phone number, email address of parents/carers and, where appropriate, the child/young person

Background and referral information

• Date of birth, gender, school, GP details

• Reason for referral and relevant history

• Information shared by parents/carers, the child/young person, and other professionals

Therapy information

• Session notes and observations

• Creative work produced in sessions (for example, drawings, stories, sand trays, artwork)

• Reports or summaries written for parents/carers or other professionals (with consent)

Administrative information

• Appointment records and attendance

• Invoices, payment records and any relevant financial information

We collect this information directly from you, from the child/young person, and sometimes from other professionals involved in their care, with your knowledge and consent.

1. Why we collect this information

We collect and use personal information in order to:

• Provide safe, effective therapy tailored to the child/young person

• Understand their needs, experiences and context

• Communicate with parents/carers and, where appropriate, the child/young person

• Coordinate with other professionals involved in their care (with consent, unless there is a safeguarding concern)

• Keep accurate records of sessions and progress

• Arrange and manage appointments and payments

• Meet our legal, professional and insurance obligations

We rely on the following lawful bases for processing personal data:

• Contract – to provide therapy services you have requested

• Legitimate interests – to run and protect our practice

• Legal obligation – to meet legal and regulatory requirements

• Vital interests / public task – where there are safeguarding or serious risk concerns

For information about health, emotional wellbeing and family circumstances (special category data), we rely on:

• Provision of health or social care

• Explicit consent, where required

1. How we store and protect information

We take the security and confidentiality of your information seriously. We:

• Store paper records in locked storage

• Store electronic records on password-protected devices and/or secure systems

• Limit access to information to those who need it for their role

• Use secure methods to share information where necessary

We keep information only for as long as needed for therapy, legal, insurance and professional requirements. After this time, records are securely destroyed or deleted.

1. Sharing information

We treat all information as confidential. We may share information:

• With parents/carers, where appropriate and in the best interests of the child/young person

• With other professionals involved in the child/young person’s care (for example, school, GP, social worker), usually with your knowledge and consent

• With our professional supervisor, in a way that does not identify you, to ensure safe and effective practice

• With our insurers, legal advisers or regulatory bodies, if required

Safeguarding and serious risk

There are some situations where we may need to share information without consent, for example if:

• We believe a child, young person or adult is at risk of serious harm

• We are required to do so by law or a court order

Where possible, we will discuss this with you first, unless doing so would increase the risk of harm.

1. Your rights

You have the right to:

• Ask for a copy of the personal information we hold about you and/or your child (subject to safeguarding and legal considerations)

• Ask us to correct information that is inaccurate or incomplete

• Ask us to delete or restrict the use of your information, where appropriate

• Object to certain types of processing

• Withdraw consent where we rely on consent (this will not affect processing already carried out)

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details at the top of this policy. We may need to verify your identity before responding.

1. Children and young people’s privacy

We are mindful of the rights and wishes of the child/young person. We aim to:

• Explain, in an age-appropriate way, how their information is used

• Respect their privacy and confidentiality within the limits of safeguarding and parental responsibility

• Balance the child/young person’s right to confidentiality with parents’/carers’ need to know, always prioritising safety and wellbeing

1. Website, emails and online services

If you contact us through our website, email or online forms, we will use the information you provide to respond to your enquiry and manage appointments.

Our website may use cookies or similar technologies to improve your experience. For more details, please see our Cookie Policy (if applicable) or contact us.

Please remember that information sent over the internet (for example, by email) cannot be guaranteed to be completely secure. You may choose what information you feel comfortable sharing in this way.

1. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The latest version will always be available on our website or on request. The “Last updated” date at the top shows when it was last revised.

If you are unsure about any part of this Privacy Policy or how it applies to your situation, please contact us to discuss it.