A simple guide for children

When you come to see your counsellor at Light & Shade, you might talk about your feelings, what’s happening at home or school, friendships, worries, or other things that matter to you.

You can also ask me questions about anything written below.

🔒 Is what I tell you private?

Yes.

What you tell me in our sessions is private.

I will not normally tell your parent, carer, teacher, social worker or other adults anything you tell me. But sometimes I might need to tell another adult something.

This could happen if I am worried that:

• someone is hurting you;
• you might be in danger;
• another child or person might be in danger;
• there is another serious worry about someone’s safety;
• the law says I have to share something.

If I can, I will try to talk to you about this first.

I normally tell people only what they need to know to help keep someone safe.

📝 Do you write down everything I say?

No.

I keep short notes to help me remember important things and make sure I work safely and properly.

I do not write down everything you say.

My notes might include things like:

• when you came to see me;
• important things we talked about;
• things we agreed;
• anything important about your safety.

👀 Who can see my notes?

Your therapy notes are private.

Your parent, carer, teacher or social worker does not automatically get to read them.

Sometimes another professional might need some information, especially if there is a worry about someone’s safety.

I will think carefully before sharing anything, and I will always do my best to talk with you first.

👨‍👩‍👧 What about my parent or carer?

Your parent or carer may need to know some things, such as when your appointments are.

They do not automatically need to know everything you talk about with me.

I will think about:

• how old you are;
• what you understand;
• what you think and want;
• what is safest for you;
• what is in your best interests.

As you get older and understand more, you may be able to make more decisions about your therapy and your information yourself.

🧠 Can I make my own decisions?

Sometimes children under 16 can understand enough to make their own decisions about therapy and privacy. This is called Gillick competence.

It means I will think about whether you understand:

• what therapy is;
• what you are agreeing to;
• what privacy means;
• when I might need to tell somebody something;
• what could happen because of your decision.

It is not just about how old you are.

I will always listen to what you think and try to involve you in decisions about you.

💬 Do you talk about me with another therapist?

As part of my job, I have to attend something called clinical supervision.

This means I sometimes talk with another trained professional to help me think about my work and make sure I am helping people safely and correctly.

I may talk about our sessions, but I won’t use your full name or information that could easily identify you.

My supervisor also has to keep information private.

🏫 What if I see you at school?

Just because I see you at school does not mean your teacher gets to know everything we talk about.

Sometimes the school may need some information about things like appointments or an important safety worry.

They may get some of your therapy notes, which include a little about the things we have worked on in our sessions. But they will not know exactly what you say unless I am worried about your safety or someone else’s.

🏠 What if I am in foster care or have a social worker?

You still have a right to privacy.

Being in foster care, living with relatives, being looked after by the local authority or having a social worker does not mean everything you tell me is automatically shared with them.

Sometimes I may need to share something if I am worried about your safety or someone else’s safety.

If another organisation arranged your therapy, they may also have rules about the records they keep.

🤖 Do you use AI?

Sometimes I use digital or AI tools to help with small professional or admin tasks.

AI does not decide:

• If there is anything wrong with you;
• whether you are safe;
• what therapy you need;
• what decisions I make about you.

I will not put information into AI systems that identifies you.

I am still responsible for checking everything myself, and AI does not replace me or my professional judgement.

🔐 How do you keep my information safe?

I use things such as secure storage, passwords and protected devices to help keep your information safe.

I also try not to keep more information about you than I actually need.

🎂 How long do you keep my notes?

I will normally keep your therapy record until your 25th birthday.

If your therapy finishes when you are 17, it will normally be kept until your 26th birthday.

Sometimes we may need to keep information longer for important legal, safeguarding, complaint, or insurance reasons.

After that time has passed and there is no reason to keep it, we will securely destroy or delete the record.

📖 Can I ask to see what you have written about me?

Yes, you can ask.

Children have rights over their personal information too.

How this works depends on things like your age and how much you understand.

Sometimes I may not be able to show you part of a record if it contains private information about somebody else or there is another important legal or safety reason.

Your parent or carer does not automatically have the right to read everything either.

🗣️ What if I think something you wrote is wrong?

Tell me.

You can ask me to correct information about you that is factually wrong.

You can also ask me questions about:

• what information I have;
• why I have it;
• who might see it;
• how it is being used.

🆘 What happens if you become very ill or cannot work?

I have something called a Clinical Will.

This is a plan for what should happen if I become seriously ill, unable to work or die.

Trusted professional people called Clinical Trustees can then help make sure clients are told what has happened and that their records stay safe.

They are only allowed to look at information they genuinely need, and they must keep it private.

🙋 What if I am worried about my privacy?

You can always tell me.

You can also ask a parent, carer, advocate or another adult you trust to help you.

If you are still worried about how your information has been used, you can tell an adult to help. They can contact the Information Commission’s Office (ICO).

The ICO helps protect people’s information rights.

Website: https://ico.org.uk

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

You do not have to deal with a problem on your own.

⭐ The important bits

Your therapy is private.

Adults do not automatically get to know everything you tell me.

If I am seriously worried that you or someone else is unsafe, I may need to tell someone who can help.

I will try to involve you in decisions about you.

You have rights over your information too.

You can ask me questions at any time.

If something on this page does not make sense, tell me.

It is my job to explain it in a way that makes sense to you.

Last reviewed: October 2026