CLIENT/PATIENT GUIDELINES FOR FACE-TO-FACE SESSIONS

Appointment Booking:

You will be required to complete and submit the online consent form at the bottom of this page before attending any face-to-face appointments.

Prior to booking your session, you will be asked to consider the following issues:

• If you, or any member of your family/bubble, have – or have had in the past 10 days – any possible symptoms of Covid-19 (such as fever, persistent dry cough, loss of taste or smell, runny nose or sore throat) or general cold or flu like symptoms, then you cannot be offered a face-to-face appointment at that time. A suitable online alternative session can be offered instead.

• Were you classified as Clinically Extremely Vulnerable or Clinically Vulnerable?  If yes, whilst the government no longer gives formal advice on you isolating, you may wish to take extra precautions to reduce your risk of exposure.

• ·If you work in a job that means you may enhance your risk of exposure to Covid-19 then please let your psychologist/psychotherapist know.

• If you engage in activities that put you in regular close contact with others outside your household (e.g. use public transport) then please let your psychologist/psychotherapist know.

• If a close relative/resident in your household tests positive for the virus, then please inform your psychologist/psychotherapist as soon as possible.

• If you would like to consider the option of having a session outside the office environment (e.g. in an outdoors setting), then please discuss that with your psychologist/psychotherapist. This may be possible if client confidentiality can be maintained.

• Please note that your psychologist/psychotherapist has doubly vaccinated and received the booster vaccine. You are not required to have also received the vaccines in order to attend sessions, but if you wish to inform your psychologist/psychotherapist of this, then please do so.

Attendance at your Face-to-Face appointment:

• Please aim to arrive no more than 5 minutes before your appointment time. Please wait in your car and your psychologist/psychotherapist will come to collect you.

• Please be aware that your psychologist/psychotherapist will be wearing a mask in accordance with government guidelines (unless this has been agreed as unnecessary in your case).

• Your psychologist will ask to take your temperature upon arrival using a digital infrared no-contact thermometer. If you have a fever (over 37.8 C degrees), or if you have any symptoms of Covid-19, then you will be asked not to enter the building. You could then agree to change to an on-line session or cancel (and you would not be charged for the session).

• Before you enter our building, please wear a face covering/mask as advised by the government, unless this has already been agreed as unnecessary in your case.

• We can assure you that surfaces in the therapy room will be sanitised between sessions.

• Please wash or sanitise your hands as you enter our building. Hospital grade sanitiser will be provided.

• Please maintain the appropriate safe distance from your psychologist (2 metres or 1 metre with mask). It will not be possible to have physical contact with your psychologist/psychotherapist (e.g. shaking hands).

• You will be asked not to sit directly opposite your psychologist/psychotherapist to minimise risk.

• Please note that we cannot offer use of the toilet facilities unless absolutely necessary. Neither can we offer beverages or water so please bring your own supply if needed.

• Please keep all keys, phones etc in your bag or pockets.

• Try not to touch your face or eyes with your hands, but if you do, then will be asked to sanitise your hands.

Departure/after your appointment:

• If, after your session, you or any member of your household develop any symptoms of Covid-19, or test positive for the virus, then please inform your psychologist as soon as possible. Likewise, if your psychologist/psychotherapist develops symptoms then they would contact you as soon as possible so that you can take appropriate precautions.

• Please be aware that if your psychologist/psychotherapist tests positive for the virus then this would automatically place them in communication with the local NHS Track and Trace Service. This means they would be required to inform this service about any close/face-to-face contacts they have had in the 48 hours prior to developing symptoms. Please be assured that only the necessary and minimum amount of information would be given for the NHS/Public Health data collection and no details would be provided regarding the reason for the contact with your psychologist/psychotherapist.

Please note that Halliday Quinn Ltd may change the above precautions and guidance in accordance with changes to any additional local or national guidelines (for e.g., if local lockdowns are introduced). If any such changes occur, then your psychologist will discuss them with you at the time.

Thank you for helping to reduce the risks of Covid-19 transmission