South West Speech Therapy
Privacy Notice
Last updated: 15 October 2026
1. Who we are
South West Speech Therapy is an independent speech and language therapy practice providing speech and language screenings, assessments, therapy and related support to children and their families.
The practice is operated by Emma Pomroy as a sole trader.
Data controller: Emma Pomroy, trading as South West Speech Therapy
Business address: Unit 18, Battersea Business Centre, 99–109 Lavender Hill, London SW11 5QL
Email: admin@southwestSLT.co.uk
South West Speech Therapy is registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
This Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use, store and protect personal information when providing our services.
2. What information we collect
Depending on the services provided, we may collect and process:
Children's names, dates of birth, addresses and school or nursery details.
Parent/carer names, contact details and relevant family information.
Developmental, medical, educational and communication histories.
Information provided through parent/carer and teacher questionnaires.
Screening and assessment findings, clinical observations, therapy notes, reports and recommendations.
Clinical consent records and information-sharing preferences.
Relevant correspondence with families, schools and other professionals.
Appointment, booking, payment and invoicing information.
Audio or video recordings, where separate permission has been obtained.
Information about a child's health, development and clinical needs may constitute special category personal data under UK data protection legislation and requires additional protection.
3. How we collect information
We may collect personal information:
Directly from parents/carers when they contact us, book services or complete forms.
Through our website and online booking process.
Through questionnaires and consent forms completed using WriteUpp.
From teachers and school or nursery staff involved in supporting a child.
From other healthcare or educational professionals, where appropriate and permitted.
During screenings, assessments and therapy sessions.
Through email correspondence and other communications.
We collect information that is relevant to providing our services and meeting our professional and legal responsibilities.
4. Why we use personal information
We use personal information to:
Arrange and administer screenings, assessments and therapy.
Understand children's communication and developmental needs.
Provide appropriate clinical services and recommendations.
Maintain accurate clinical records.
Communicate with parents/carers about appointments, progress and recommendations.
Prepare screening feedback, assessment reports and therapy information.
Coordinate care with relevant professionals where appropriate.
Manage bookings, payments, invoicing and business administration.
Meet professional, legal and safeguarding responsibilities.
Respond to enquiries, concerns and requests relating to personal information.
5. Our lawful bases for using personal information
Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), we must have an appropriate lawful basis for processing personal information.
Depending on the purpose and circumstances, we rely on the following lawful bases:
Contract – Article 6(1)(b)
Where necessary to arrange, administer and deliver services under an agreement with the individual concerned.
Legitimate interests – Article 6(1)(f)
Where necessary for the appropriate provision and administration of our services, maintaining clinical records, coordinating care and operating our practice, provided those interests are not overridden by individuals' rights and freedoms.
Legal obligation – Article 6(1)(c)
Where processing is necessary to comply with applicable legal requirements, including financial record-keeping obligations.
Consent – Article 6(1)(a)
Where consent is the appropriate lawful basis for a particular optional activity.
Health and clinical information
Information relating to a child's health and development requires an additional condition under Article 9 of UK GDPR.
For the provision and management of speech and language therapy services, we generally rely on the healthcare condition under Article 9(2)(h) UK GDPR, together with the relevant provisions of the Data Protection Act 2018, where the legal requirements for that condition are met.
Clinical information is handled by, or under the responsibility of, appropriately qualified professionals who are subject to professional confidentiality obligations.
We obtain appropriate clinical consent before carrying out screenings, assessments or therapy. Clinical consent is separate from the lawful basis for processing personal information under UK GDPR.
Where personal information must be used or disclosed for safeguarding or other legal reasons, we rely on the relevant lawful basis and, where required, an applicable additional condition for special category information.
6. How we store and protect information
We use WriteUpp, a clinical practice management system, to store and manage confidential clinical records.
These records may include screening and assessment information, therapy notes, reports, questionnaires, consent documentation and relevant correspondence.
Access is restricted according to each person's professional responsibilities.
Speech and Language Therapists
Our subcontracted Speech and Language Therapists are registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and are members of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT).
They hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance through their RCSLT membership.
Each therapist has their own WriteUpp login, with access restricted to the children for whom they have clinical responsibility. They do not have access to family billing information.
Therapy Assistants
Our therapy assistants are members of the RCSLT and hold professional indemnity and public liability insurance through their membership.
They carry out delegated therapy activities under the supervision of a qualified, HCPC-registered Speech and Language Therapist. The supervising therapist may differ depending on the child.
Each therapy assistant has their own WriteUpp login, with access restricted to the children they work with.
Relevant clinical information may be shared between therapy assistants and their supervising therapists where necessary for a child's care.
Administrative Assistant
Our administrative assistant has access to the information necessary to manage bookings, correspondence, invoicing and other administrative responsibilities.
Practice Owner
Emma Pomroy oversees the practice's clinical and administrative information management.
All team members are required to maintain confidentiality and handle personal information securely.
Any paper records held by the practice are stored securely, with access restricted to authorised personnel.
7. Email communications
South West Speech Therapy uses Google Workspace for business email.
Parents/carers may send clinical or developmental information to us by email. We also use email to send therapy session summaries, appointment information and other correspondence.
Clinical reports are ordinarily sent through WriteUpp.
Although we take appropriate measures to protect confidential information, ordinary email cannot be guaranteed to be completely secure.
Where appropriate, clinically relevant information received by email is recorded in the child's WriteUpp clinical record.
Emails containing personal or clinical information are reviewed and deleted periodically when they are no longer required, subject to applicable legal and professional record-retention obligations.
8. Sharing information with others
We respect the confidentiality of children's clinical information.
Where appropriate and permitted, personal information may be shared with:
Authorised Speech and Language Therapists, therapy assistants and administrative personnel working with South West Speech Therapy.
Schools and nurseries, where appropriate permission has been obtained.
Other healthcare or educational professionals involved in a child's care, where appropriate and permitted.
Service providers supporting our clinical records, communications, website, bookings and payments.
Relevant authorities where disclosure is required or permitted by law, including safeguarding circumstances.
We share only the information reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose.
School screening information
For school-based speech and language screenings:
Parents/carers receive their child's written screening feedback.
Information provided by parents/carers in the Parent Pre-Screening Questionnaire is not routinely shared with the school.
Screening feedback and results are shared with the school only where the parent/carer has given prior permission, except where disclosure is otherwise required or permitted by law.
Teachers may provide information through a separate questionnaire to help inform the screening.
Parents/carers are asked separately whether they agree to their child's screening feedback being shared with the school.
9. Website bookings and payments
We use Squarespace to operate our website and manage online school screening bookings.
Payments made through our website are processed using Stripe.
We collect the information necessary to administer bookings, identify the child and parent/carer, arrange the requested service and manage payments.
Squarespace and Stripe process relevant information under their applicable contractual and data protection arrangements.
10. Audio and video recordings
Audio or video recordings may occasionally be used to support clinical assessment, analysis or monitoring of progress.
Recordings are made only where appropriate permission has been obtained.
They are stored securely and accessed only where necessary for authorised clinical purposes.
Recordings are retained only for as long as required for their intended purpose and any applicable legal or professional obligations.
Parents/carers may withdraw permission for future recordings and may exercise applicable data protection rights in relation to recordings already held.
11. How long we keep information
South West Speech Therapy retains clinical records in accordance with applicable legal and professional requirements, using the NHS England Records Management Code of Practice as a guide.
Children's clinical records are normally retained until their 25th birthday, or until their 26th birthday if they were 17 when treatment ended.
At the end of the applicable retention period, records are reviewed and securely deleted or destroyed where they are no longer required.
In certain circumstances, records may need to be retained for longer, for example where there is an ongoing legal matter, safeguarding concern or other justified reason.
Financial records, administrative information, recordings and email correspondence may have different retention periods according to their purpose and applicable requirements.
We do not retain personal information for longer than necessary.
12. International data transfers
South West Speech Therapy uses external service providers to support clinical records, communications, website bookings and payments.
These include:
WriteUpp for clinical records and practice management.
Google Workspace for business email.
Squarespace for our website and online bookings.
Stripe for payment processing.
Some of these providers may process personal information outside the United Kingdom.
Where international transfers occur, we take steps to ensure that appropriate legal safeguards are in place, including UK adequacy regulations or approved contractual protections where required.
You may contact us for further information about the safeguards applicable to your personal information.
13. Your data protection rights
Under UK GDPR, individuals have rights relating to their personal information, subject to applicable conditions and exceptions.
These may include the right to:
Be informed about how personal information is used.
Request access to personal information.
Request correction of inaccurate information.
Request erasure of information in certain circumstances.
Request restriction of processing in certain circumstances.
Object to certain types of processing.
Request data portability where applicable.
Withdraw consent where processing relies on consent.
These rights are not absolute. For example, we may need to retain certain clinical information to meet legal or professional responsibilities even where deletion is requested.
Parents/carers may exercise rights on behalf of their child where appropriate. As children develop sufficient understanding and maturity, their own rights and wishes must also be considered.
To ask a question or exercise a data protection right, please contact:
We will respond to requests in accordance with applicable data protection legislation.
14. Concerns and complaints
If you have concerns about how South West Speech Therapy handles personal information, please contact us so we can investigate.
You also have the right to raise a concern with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's data protection regulator.
Website: https://ico.org.uk
15. Changes to this Privacy Notice
We may update this Privacy Notice to reflect changes in our services, working practices or legal requirements.
The latest version will be available on the South West Speech Therapy website.