COVID-19 BABCP Statement

Issued: 5 November 2020

In considering the provision of face-to-face therapy at this time, members in employment should be guided by their employer. For members in private practice, please refer to your insurer about continuation of face-to-face therapy.

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 on returning to the workplace.

Members in Scotland should refer to Scottish Government guidance.

Members in Northern Ireland should refer to Invest Northern Ireland guidance.

Members in the Republic of Ireland should follow guidance from the Irish Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation.

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.”

Remote working

There has been no Government advice on whether therapy is an essential contact, and advice is still that you should work from home where possible.

We recognise that members may feel conflicted in terms of providing a continuity of service whilst ensuring the safety of yourself and others.

We would encourage you to speak with your clinical supervisor to make a decision on working face-to-face, informed both by the most up to date government guidelines and BABCP standards and guidelines. You need to consider the safety of both yourself and your client.

If you have been providing remote therapy and are considering returning to face-to-face provision, please follow sensible guidelines in terms of hand-washing, ensuring hand washing facilities are available to all who enter your practice space and that door handles are regularly cleaned.

It is important that your client is able to be involved in any decision and has the option to pause therapy if they wish to do so.

It is important that you feel competent in providing telephone or online therapy, and that you receive supervision from a supervisor who is competent in supervising such practice.

We have pulled together a resource with some top tips on providing remote therapy which you can access here.

If you become unwell

If you become unwell, you must follow Government advice. If you are unsure of your symptoms you are advised to look at the NHS website or call 111 to seek further guidance.

If you are unwell in normal circumstances, consider how your clients would ordinarily be seen. Do you have associates or other therapists in place who can provide some support, for instance?

BABCP CPD events

Our face-to-face CPD events have been cancelled as a result of the pandemic. We have been providing webinars exclusively for BABCP members to help with providing remote therapy.

Further information on CPD events will be released to members when we have it.

Financial support for therapists in private practice

The Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced temporary measures to support self-employed people during this period. Full details of these measures are available at the Government’s COVID-19 Support for businesses web page.

It may be useful to keep track of any earnings lost during this period, in case there is need to provide evidence for lost earnings at a later date.