Privacy Policy

Introduction

Whispers Equine Ltd ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our equine-assisted therapy services or visit our website.

We take our responsibility to protect your personal data seriously and will always process it in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Information We Collect

Personal Information

We may collect the following personal information:

• Name and contact details (email, phone number, address)
• Date of birth (for young people accessing our services)
• Medical and emotional wellbeing information relevant to therapy
• Emergency contact information
• Information about your therapy goals and progress
• Referral information from healthcare professionals

Special Category Data

As a therapy service, we process special category data relating to health and wellbeing. This data is processed with your explicit consent and is necessary for the provision of our therapeutic services.

How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information to:

• Provide equine-assisted therapy services
• Assess suitability for our programs
• Monitor progress and adapt therapy sessions
• Communicate with you about appointments and services
• Comply with legal and regulatory requirements
• Ensure the safety of all participants and staff
• Process payments for services

Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data under the following legal bases:

• Consent: For processing health data and providing therapy services
• Contract: To fulfill our agreement to provide services
• Legal Obligation: To comply with safeguarding and other legal requirements
• Vital Interests: In emergency situations to protect life
• Legitimate Interests: For administrative purposes and service improvement

Data Sharing and Disclosure

We may share your information with:

• Healthcare professionals involved in your care (with consent)
• Safeguarding authorities when required by law
• Insurance providers (with consent)
• Professional supervisors for clinical governance
• Legal and regulatory authorities when required

We will never sell your personal data to third parties.

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data, including:

• Secure storage of physical records in locked facilities
• Encrypted digital storage systems
• Access controls and staff training
• Regular security assessments
• Confidentiality agreements with all staff

Your Rights

Under data protection law, you have the right to:

• Access your personal data
• Rectify inaccurate personal data
• Request erasure of your personal data
• Restrict processing of your personal data
• Object to processing of your personal data
• Data portability
• Withdraw consent at any time

Data Retention

We retain personal data for as long as necessary to provide our services and comply with legal obligations. Therapy records are typically retained for 7 years after the last contact, or until a young person reaches 25 years of age, whichever is longer. Financial records are retained for 6 years.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact our Data Protection Officer:

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you believe we have not handled your personal data appropriately.