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Issued: 16 July 2021
COVID restrictions - including working from home – will end in England from 19 July 2021, in Scotland from 9 August, and in Wales from 7 August. As a result, practitioners will be free to resume in-person provision from these dates.
Social distancing measures will still be in place in Northern Ireland until at least 12 August.
When returning to ‘in-person’ practice, it is important to be aware of up-to-date health and infection control guidance. Note that in Wales, the wearing of face coverings will still be required after 7 August.
Consider carrying out a risk assessment and offering guidance to people who come to your clinic space.
Members who are able to return to in-person provision should also consider the needs of clients who may still prefer to receive therapy by remote provision during this period of transition.
You can access our Online Provision of CBT guide.
The BABCP Standards of Performance, Conduct and Ethics states that 12.2 “You must take precautions to protect your service users and yourself from infection as appropriate to the treatment you are carrying out. In particular, you should protect your service users from infecting one another. You must take precautions against the risk that you will infect someone else. “This is especially important if you suspect or know that you have an infection that could harm other people. If you believe or know that you may have this kind of infection, you must get medical advice and act on it. This may include the need for you to stop practising altogether, or to change your practice in some way in the best interests of protecting your service users.”
It is possible that you or your client will develop symptoms or be notified to self-isolate via Track and Trace. Your initial therapy agreement with the client should include how you plan to manage the sessions if this happens. If you are not unwell, you may agree to continue to meet remotely; or to pause until you can meet in person.
Your usual therapy agreement may include information about what the client can expect if you are unwell, or unable to continue providing sessions for another reason. In the current circumstances, it is particularly important to ensure you have discussed whether someone else is available to provide interim support, or what will happen if you aren’t able to continue for a while.
See here for details of
Clinical Wills
.
For information on how to protect yourself from the Coronavirus you should always follow the latest Government advice. Members in England should read the Working safely during Coronavirus guidance. Members in Wales should refer to the Welsh Government guidance. Members in Scotland should refer to Scottish Government guidance. Members in Northern Ireland should refer to NI Direct.
Members in the Republic of Ireland should follow guidance from the Irish Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation.