Data Protection and your privacy

In order to provide my service I will require personal data about yourself and your infant and as an IBCLC I am obligated to protect your confidentiality and keep your information secure. The information I may require (but is not limited to) could be related to your personal health, your birth experience and the overall health of your infant. The reason I will be requiring this data is because there may be factors that are relevant to your breastfeeding challenges. As well as asking about your personal health as described above, I will also be requiring your infant’s name and date of birth, and your name, address and contact details. The information I will keep will only be that which has been disclosed to me by yourself. Your data will be password protected on my laptop and only accessible by myself.

It is your right to choose who will be present at our consultation but you will inform me prior to my attendance if there is a subject you do not wish to discuss in front of them. 

After our consultation I will write a report to summarise our appointment and this will be sent to you via email with your consent in the knowledge that emailing is not an inherently secure means of contact. If you do not wish to receive this report via email then please let me know. I shall send you this report within 48 hours of our appointment. 

You have the right for any information within your report to be corrected or deleted (where appropriate) and you have the right to request access to information that I keep about you or your infant. If you are not happy with the way that your data is managed then you have the right to complain. Information on your rights within Data Protection including access to your records and how to make complaints can be found at: https://ico.org.uk/

Depending on the outcome of our appointment it may be that I share that outcome with other members of your infant’s health care team (GP or Health Visitor for example) but I shall obtain verbal consent first and explain why I think the sharing of information is needed. No information will be shared without consent unless it is for Safe Guarding purposes or due to concern for the infant’s welfare. 

Alongside emails, I also use text messages, WhatsApp and telephone calls to communicate with my clients. Any videos/images that are sent to me via WhatsApp will be immediately deleted after I have viewed them to prevent them being seen by anybody else. I will leave voicemails where necessary if a phone call isn’t answered but my messages will not include any personal or identifying information. As part of my follow-up care I will speak to either primary carer (parent) on the phone unless it is specifically stated by the mother that I am only to talk to her. 

If there are any means of communication you do not wish me to use then you will inform me. You will also inform me if you do not want me to communicate with any other primary carers on the phone.

You are happy for me to store your password-protected data for 25 years as per the legal requirements of Data Protection and Child Health Records. 

For reflection on my practice or professional development I may discuss your case with other IBCLCs but all identifiable details will be removed and pseudonyms will be used. 

Any feedback that is left on my website or social media accounts will not contain any identifiable details about you or your infant.

Our Professional Contract for Postnatal Feeding Support

My appointment slots are available for up to two hours if that level of support is required but if the Consultation does not require that length of time the standard charge will still apply.  Alternatively, if the Consultation exceeds two hours due to the nature of the case there will be no extra charge. 

Although I endeavour to improve your breastfeeding experience and help you achieve your breastfeeding goals, no set outcome can be guaranteed.

You understand that the involvement of other health professionals may be recommended or required in your infant’s care.

You understand that I am not a Tongue-Tie practitioner and although I may perform an oral assessment on your infant I cannot provide an official diagnosis. If I suspect there may be a restriction on your infant’s tongue movements I will recommend you see an appropriate practitioner. 

If our appointment is taking place on the postnatal ward you have obtained consent from the Maternity team for me to come. If you have not obtained consent and I am turned away by Maternity Staff then no refund will be given. 

If I make any changes to your baby’s care on the postnatal ward in relation to feeding plans then the midwives can make adaptions as necessary as they continue to monitor your baby’s progress. I am happy for the midwifery team to contact me if they have any concerns they wish to discuss.

If our appointment is taking place in my home you understand that siblings are not able to attend and you will bring with you all the baby equipment you may need: baby changing mats, formula or expressed milk, sterilised bottles, nipple shields or other feeding aids you have used, as well as your Maternity notes and your baby’s Red Child Health Record. 

You understand that as part of our consultation I may make contact with your breasts for reasons relating to assisting with latching, assessing blocked ducts or demonstrations of breast compressions. However, I will always obtain verbal consent first and you have the right to decline personal touch if that is your preference. 

You have the right to decline any intervention or feeding plan I may suggest.

Payments/Costing

Travel costs apply of 50p per extra mile for visits that are over a 20 mile round trip.

If I am travelling to see you in hospital then travels costs will still apply for distances outside of my area of travel and parking costs will also be applied. 

Consultation payments are required at least 48 hours prior to your appointment. Consultation slots cannot be held open so until payment is received the booking is not secure. 

If an appointment is made at very short notice (within 24 hours of the Consultation) then payment will be required as soon as the booking has been arranged in order to secure your appointment.

If you need to cancel the appointment you will receive a full refund if you provide me with 24 hours notice or more. If less than 24 hours notice is given then 50% of your cost will be refunded. 

If I need to cancel the appointment you have either the option to re-arrange another appointment with me or receive a full refund. 

Follow-up support is provided for two weeks via email, text and WhatsApp. If further support is still required after this time period there will be a 10% discount in price for all follow-up home visits that you request.

Proof of your payment may need to be shared with my account via my bank statements.