THE PROTOCOLS FOR ENTERING AND ATTENDING SLIGO ARTS PSYCHOTHERAPY CENTRE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Due to Covid-19 and under the government return to work protocols, we are obliged to adhere to the government, HSE and our professional bodies regulations and guidelines when working with clients at Sligo Arts Psychotherapy Centre. These will evolve and change so please keep updated on these and on our protocols on our website and at the centre. In working in line with the HSE/Government guidelines and regulations, we aim to try to make Sligo Arts Psychotherapy Centre, a safe and healthy place for our clients to meet their Play, Drama or Art therapists for face to face sessions. For this reason Covid-19 protocols have been devised and put in place from our Covid-19 risk assessment to try to minimise the risk for those attending and working in the centre of contracting and spreading the Covid-19 virus. Please can you read and adhere to the protocols below as they are important to keeping yourself, your child, and others safe and healthy. Thank you.
Protocols for entering Sligo Arts Psychotherapy Centre
When you arrive for your appointment at Sligo Arts Psychotherapy Centre, please try to arrive on time to your appointment or if you are a little early please wait outside in your car or under the porch until your appointment time and then come up to your session. There is no use of the waiting room under the current situation.
At the front door of Magee House, 22 John street, there is a bell for Sligo Arts Psychotherapy. Please ring the bell and you will be buzzed in. When you enter you will be in the communal hall and stairwell of Magee house. This part of the building is not the centre and we are not responsible here for the cleanliness and sanitisation of this area. So we would advise you to please use your own hand sanitiser and not touch your face or mouth while using this area.
When you reach the door of Sligo Art Psychotherapy Centre, it will be open, please do not touch the door, handle or shut it, your therapist will shut it after you later. You will then be greeted by your therapist at a social distance of 2 metres and asked to wash your hands in the bathroom or sanitise your hands with the hand sanitiser provided. You will then be directed to your therapy room, you will be asked to walk in front of your therapist without touching any walls, doors or handles. The therapy room door will be open, please walk through, do not touch it or shut it, please take your seat and your therapist will shut the door behind you both. The therapy room will be cleaned, sanitised and ventilated before you entered it.
Protocols for attending Sligo Arts Psychotherapy Centre
Please adhere to the instructions and signage in the centre and follow the hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette and social distancing measures put in place. Social distancing means keeping a space of 2 metres (6.5 feet) between us. We will avoid handshakes or close contact. Please bring a mask with you at all times. Parents/caregivers need to provide masks for their children at all times.
As a client, you will be provided by your therapist with a pre-sanitised box containing all your pre-selected play, art or drama materials. These materials will be stored safely and confidentially between your therapy sessions. They will not be used by any other person.
In the therapy room, the chairs will be 2 metres (6.5 feet) apart. The room will be provided with tissues, hand sanitiser and paper towels and a bin for the disposal of items you have used. Please bring your own mask and drinking water to your session. A mask does not need to be worn unless the client wants to wear one. All therapists will have a visor which clients can request them to wear. Mask wearing may change depending on the government regulations.
When you go to the bathroom, please use the cleaning products provided to clean and sanitise the bathroom before and after use. Please follow the instructions in the bathroom. Remember to clean the door handles, toilet seat, toilet flusher, basin and taps and any other area you may have touched. Please use hand santiser provided.
Parents/caregivers who need to stay in the centre for their children must stay in the waiting room seated in the designated socially distanced chairs at 2m. You must wear masks. There can be no more than one parent from each household in the waiting room. Each person in the room must wait for the other person to leave the room before leaving the room themselves. If it is possible for you to park on the street outside, please wait in your car after bringing your child into their therapy session. If you are early for a session please wait in your car with your child or outside the therapy centre until your appointment time.
Water, Tea and Coffee facilities will not be provided. Please bring them with you. Please bring all cups and containers away with you and dispose of them outside the centre.
If you feel unwell or experience any symptoms or suspected symptoms of Covid-19 before your session then you must not attend your therapy session or the centre and you should notify your therapist. There will be no cancellation charge for this at this time.
If you feel unwell or experience symptoms of Covid-19 while attending your therapy session at the centre, you must notify your therapist immediately. If this should happen you will wear your mask and be asked to wait in your seat in the therapy room. You will be able to leave when the access route is clear and there is no risk of you coming into contact with other people in the centre. An incident assessment will be done and an incident report form will be need to be filled out. You will not be able to return to your therapy sessions until you have seen their G.P and been tested. If you have had a negative test result after two weeks you will be able to return to your therapy sessions.
Clients, parents/caregivers and therapists must not meet in person;
If in the last 14 days one of them has returned from a country where there have been cases of coronavirus.
If in the last 14 days one of them has been in contact with a person diagnosed with coronavirus.
If in the last 14 days one of them has attended a healthcare facility where patients with coronavirus are being treated.
If one of them has symptoms of coronavirus (fever, cough, shortness of breath)
If one of them is waiting to be tested for coronavirus.
If one of them is waiting on Coronavirus test results.
If one of them has had a positive test result for coronavirus.
All therapists are obliged to be part of the government contact tracing process, should a client or therapist contract Covid-19, this will mean it will not be possible to maintain confidentiality, in the interest of public health.
A checklist will be done with clients and parents/caregivers before starting each of their face to face therapy sessions at the centre.
Clients and parents/caregivers need to make themselves aware on a regular basis of the evolving government guidelines and regulations on Covid-19. These will also be listed for view in the centre.
All artwork will be put in a folder or box by you and then stored safely and confidentially by your therapist. The box will be sanitised by your therapist before and after your use.