Privacy Policy
Effective Date: 14th September 2025
Introduction
Affinity Minds Pathways (“we”, “our”, “us”) is committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. We understand that mental health information is particularly sensitive and we take the responsibility of handling it with the highest level of care, security, and confidentiality.
We provide mental health support services in the UK, including psychoeducation, skills training, awareness campaigns, workshops, and peer support across a range of mental health areas such as ADHD, autism, depression, anxiety, OCD, drug misuse, smoking cessation, crisis support, and general mental health. This policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect your data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and applicable healthcare confidentiality obligations.
Who We Are
Affinity Minds Pathways
Laburnum Garden, LS14 6WU
contact@affinitymindpathways.co.uk
7404789260
Registration Number –
We work with individuals, families, and communities to provide personalised mental health and neurodiversity support. We also collaborate with schools, workplaces, and other organisations to promote understanding and wellbeing.
Types of Information We Collect
We may collect, store, and process the following categories of information:
Personal identifiers: name, postal address, date of birth, contact number, and email address.
Health and wellbeing information (Special Category Data): mental health history, diagnoses, treatment plans, therapy notes, medication information, and progress records.
Service-related information: details of the support or services you have received or requested, your goals, feedback, and preferences.
Emergency contact details: name, relationship to you, and contact details for safeguarding and urgent situations.
Demographic data: gender, ethnicity, preferred language, and accessibility needs (only if relevant and with your consent).
Website and digital service data: IP address, browser type, cookies, and usage patterns when accessing our website or online services.
We only collect the minimum necessary information to deliver safe, effective, and high-quality care.
How We Collect Information
We collect information from:
Directly from you, during initial assessments, service delivery, or when you contact us.
Forms, questionnaires, and feedback surveys.
Our website and online platforms (via cookies or forms).
Referrals from other professionals (with your consent unless a safeguarding risk is identified).
Attendance at workshops, events, or support groups.
How We Use Your Information
We process your information to:
Deliver and manage our mental health support services.
Assess your needs and create tailored support plans.
Monitor progress and review service effectiveness.
Communicate with you about appointments, changes, or important updates.
Ensure your safety, including safeguarding children, vulnerable adults, and individuals at risk.
Meet legal, regulatory, and professional obligations.
Improve our services through evaluation, feedback, and audits.
Keep you informed about relevant services, workshops, and events (only with your consent).
Lawful Basis for Processing
Under the UK GDPR, we rely on the following lawful bases for processing personal data:
Consent: where you have agreed to us using your data for a specific purpose.
Contract: where processing is necessary to provide our services to you.
Legal obligation: where processing is required by law, such as safeguarding duties.
Vital interests: to protect your life or the life of another person.
Legitimate interests: where processing helps us deliver and improve services in a way that does not override your rights and freedoms.
For Special Category Data (such as health information), we rely on:
Your explicit consent.
Provision of health or social care under our professional obligations.
Safeguarding and vital interest exceptions in urgent cases.
Sharing Your Information
We will not sell or rent your information. We may share your data with:
Qualified health professionals involved in your care (with your consent unless safeguarding laws apply).
Emergency services if there is an immediate risk of harm.
Local authorities, safeguarding boards, or police in cases of risk to life, child protection, or serious crime.
IT service providers, cloud storage providers, and administrative services (all bound by confidentiality and data protection agreements).
Regulatory bodies such as the Care Quality Commission (CQC) or the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if required.
Safeguarding and Confidentiality Exceptions
We keep your information confidential except where:
You or someone else is at immediate risk of serious harm.
There is a legal obligation to disclose, for example under the Children Act 1989 or the Care Act 2014.
We are required to assist in the prevention or detection of a serious crime.
Where possible, we will inform you before sharing information in these situations.
Data Storage and Retention
Your personal information is stored securely either electronically (using encryption and password protection) or in locked physical files. We limit access to staff and contractors who need the information for service delivery and who are trained in data protection.
We keep personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy, usually up to 7 years after your last contact with us, unless a longer retention period is required by law. After that time, it will be securely deleted or anonymised.
Your Rights
You have the following rights under UK GDPR:
Right of access: to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification: to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure: to ask us to delete your data (subject to legal obligations).
Right to restrict processing: to limit how we use your data in certain situations.
Right to data portability: to request transfer of your data to another provider.
Right to object: to certain types of processing, such as direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent: at any time where processing is based on consent.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details below.
Cookies and Website Data
We use cookies to:
Enhance website functionality.
Monitor site performance.
Improve your browsing experience.
You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings, but this may affect how our website functions.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in law, best practice, or our services. We will post the updated policy on our website and, where appropriate, notify you directly.
Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, please contact:
Data Protection Officer
Affinity Minds Pathways
Laburnum Gardens, LS146WU, Leeds
7404789260
If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at www.ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.