Procedures and safety measures for treatments.
Here is the current advice on how treatments should be conducted and measures put in place to protect Clients and Therapist before, during and after treatment. COVID-19 has changed all of our lives and in order to get back to work in the safest possible way guidelines have been issued by the Government and Professional Associations. Please be patient and accept these changes are for everyone's benefit. No exceptions will be made.
At the time of booking.
You will be asked upon booking of your appointment and prior to your arrival for your session whether you have had any symptoms of COVID-19, or if you have had any contact with people known to have symptoms or diagnosed with COVID-19. If the answer is YES, the treatment will not take place and access will not be granted to the clinic. If you have been advised to self-isolate then appointments will also be cancelled.
In order to assist in making this decision as easy as possible no fees will be charged to anybody cancelling due to illness or suspected incidence of COVID-19.
If you are in a "shielding" group please ensure you have considered the current advice reference your situation. Any client deemed to be in an "at risk" group may be asked to seek advice and permission from their G.P. before treatment. At risk groups include those with chronic health conditions and those over 80 years of age.
On the day.
Please wait in your car upon arriving at the clinic. If arriving by foot, wait outside if the weather permits. In bad weather a separated sheltered area may be offered. This is to prevent people mixing within the clinic's public areas. I will come and get you for your appointment. Face masks are no longer mandatory but if you feel vulnerable I will gladly wear one to put you at ease. Hand sanitiser must be used immediately upon entry to the clinic, the door will be held open by myself to prevent you touching door handles etc. I will be sanitising my hands prior to your arrival and after each treatment. You will be asked again if you have any symptoms or if you have had any household contact with COVID-19. Clients are advised that they should attend on their own. Addition people will not be allowed in the treatment room unless the client is legally required to have a chaperone (under 18 or a vulnerable adult).
In the treatment room.
The room will look a little different to how it used to. Efforts will be made to socially distance prior to "hands on" treatment. There will be disposable coverings to the table and pillows. The table will be sanitised after each client and all coverings safely disposed of. If you require covering during treatment please bring your own towel or covering. This is to minimise cross-contamination and lessen the amount of washing we have to do. It is usual to remove clothing prior to treatment.
There may be a requirement to take further contact details for some clients for whom we do not have the recommended details. This is to enable a more efficient track and trace facility. It is also to allow better communication of pre-visit health
questionnaires if required or any other key information or policy changes. This information will be held with full GDPR sensitivity in place. It will not be used for marketing purposes.
Windows will be opened to ensure fresh non recirculated air is present in the room during (if weather allows) and especially after each client.
After Treatment.
Where possible payments are to be made via card. This is able to be contactless and therefore is deemed to be safer. Please do not loiter in the clinic public areas after your appointment is over. Please sanitise your hands upon leaving the premises with the provided sanitiser.
There is a mandatory period of 15 minutes between clients. This is to allow for cleansing and sanitising of all contact surfaces. The room will be ventilated between clients to improve air flow and to reduce possible air born contamination. As there is a lot to do between clients to keep the environment as safe as possible, I ask that you are punctual and patient, late arrivals will not be allowed to encroach into the time allowed between clients and therefore the time will be deducted from your appointment time.
You can be confident that every effort is made to ensure you are being treated in as safe a manner as possible.
For Home Visits
Much of the above is obviously applicable to home visits. The health checks prior to attending and hygiene standards are the same. There are however some extra measures to bear in mind. I will ensure all the equipment and personal items that enter your premises are sanitised prior to my arrival. My hands will be sanitised.
If there are other people inhabiting your premises then I ask that they socially distance themselves by staying in another room unless a chaperone is legally required. You should also ensure your hands are sanitised immediately prior to treatment. Please also ventilate the room that the treatment is taking place in by ensuring a window is open. If I am conducting a home visit, yours will be the only appointment conducted until I can take my equipment away to be sanitised. There will be no cross-contamination from house to house. No cleaning will take place within your premises.