I’ve lost my cabinet key, what should I do?

The locked cabinet is an important part of our data security and commitment to client confidentiality, so losing your key is a serious matter.  Please try to find or retrieve your key if possible.  If not, the office can issue you a second key If your original key turns up please return it to the office immediately. 

My client wants to reduce (or increase) their donation, is that okay?

Client donations are agreed initially at assessment, and can be varied at any time by agreement between the client and their counsellor.  The office Admin staff do not get involved in discussing variations in donation amounts, as this should be seen as an integral part of the therapy.  If your client wishes to reduce or increase their donation, at any time, please negotiate this with them in your session and advise the office of the new agreed donation. 

What are the details of the PF’s Insurance Cover?

The PF provides £1m of Professional Indemnity insurance cover for all counsellors carrying out counselling as part of the PF Counselling Service, whether on the premises or elsewhere, and including working remotely.  Full details of the Keegan & Pennykid ‘Encompass’ policy can be found under Useful Documents in the Counsellors area of our website. 

How much supervision am I entitled to?

The number of hours of supervision paid for by the PF depends on the number of clients you have.  It usually works out at around 20 minutes per client for monthly 1:1 supervision.  Group Supervision can be in addition to this, but is subject to availability of a group space.  Full details can be found in the Induction Portfolio in the Counsellors area of our website. 

Why are we not using VSee any more?

There are a number of reasons that Attend Anywhere has been chosen for the PF, even if we sometimes don’t feel it’s best for us as individuals:

  • It’s simple to use, especially for clients, as only an up-to-date browser is needed. No apps or downloads, or ‘accounts’ (for clients) needed.
  • It protects the confidentiality of the counsellor’s contact details from clients, in line with PF policy and which is important for many counsellors.
  • Clients are not required to reveal and share any of their contact details with counsellors, as they have to with Zoom and other options. (Yes, there is the issue of the AA login box asking for full name and phone number, but any client with concerns can quickly see, or be told, that it is not necessary to enter these).
  • The PF admin staff can monitor the ‘Waiting Area’ as they do in the building, and offer a level of awareness, interaction, and client service that is not possible with VSee or Zoom.  (Always remember these are ‘PF clients’, not the ‘counsellor’s clients’!)
  • Attend Anywhere is and will become a relatively widespread and known system for everyone for online clinical sessions, as it is the standard for NHS consultations.
  • It’s free! (A similar level of ‘control’ with VSee was quoted at £70k a year!)

How do I record my client’s attendance?

If you have seen your client in the building, please complete an Attendance Slip for each client session.  All slips and any cash donations should be handed into the office at the end, after you have seen all your clients for the day.

If you have seen your clients online, please complete a Remote Session Attendance sheet and email it to Admin, after you have seen all your clients for the week.