Laurel House, Worle
v1. July 2020
Following discussions with our Supervisors and Insurance Companies, we have decided to start returning to face-to-face counselling, while still offering counselling by Zoom as an alternative. A risk assessment has been undertaken, following which we have decided to implement the following measures in line with current Government guidelines. You will be notified by email if there is any change to these procedures.
Responsibilities
My Responsibilities
- Ensure sufficient supplies of hand sanitiser, soap, and paper hand towels.
- Keep the counselling room ventilated as much as possible between client sessions.
- Supply disposable cups for water and packets of tissues as a back-up (in case you forget to bring yours).
- Wipe down chairs and door handles and other surfaces before and after each client session.
- Maintain a distance of 2m from you.
- Notify every client if one person discloses that they have coronavirus symptoms. Your identity will be protected. All face-to-face counselling will cease with immediate effect and Zoom sessions will be offered until we believe it is safe to resume face-to-face counselling.
Your Responsibilities
- Please do not attend your session if you show signs of coronavirus symptoms (a temperature or a persistent cough). If you are well enough for a session, you can if you wish have a Zoom session instead, rather than pay a cancellation fee.
- The waiting area will not be in use for the time being, so please arrive at the agreed time and no earlier.
- Please use the hand sanitiser provided on entering the building.
- Take responsibility for social distancing and maintain a 2-metre distance from me.
- Please bring your own water bottle and tissues. We will have a small supply of disposable cups and packets of tissues as a back-up.
- When using the toilet: please wash your hands for 20 seconds and use the soap, paper towels and bin provided. Please wipe down any surfaces you have touched. Cleaning materials and disposable toilet covers will be provided.
- Please notify me immediately if you believe you may have contracted coronavirus. Note that confidentiality may need to be broken if we are required by law to pass on your details to Public Health England. It should not be necessary for me to say why I have been in contact with you.
Social distancing
We maintain 30-minute gaps between client sessions, so the chances of you seeing anyone other than me are minimal. The staff of Casado Designs, who use the rooms upstairs, have been briefed on the requirements for the counselling rooms.
Should you happen to see someone else, there is plenty of room in the waiting area to pass each other at a safe distance.
Because of the need to maintain social distancing, I will open the door to the counselling room and stand back to allow you to enter. Please would you take the chair closest to the window, as this will allow us to maintain social distancing at all times. At the end of the session, I will open the door and stand aside in the corridor before you leave the room.
I will not be wearing a face mask and would ask that you remove any face coverings when in the counselling room. This is in order to maximise the communication between counsellor and client, which is one of the main reasons for returning to face-to-face work.
Our Counselling contract remains the same through this period of time, including the period of notice to be given for cancellation of sessions.
