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COVID-19 & Remote Practice

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  • AFT Remote Guidance

 

We are aware that these are difficult and challenging times for all of us – for our families and loved ones, for our clients and their families, and for our trainees and supervisees.

Although, AFT is unable to explicitly recommend platforms or practices for working remotely, it is hoped that the information on this page, may offer a selection of resources that members may find useful. 

AFT is not in a position to provide specific advice with regard to face-to-face working or online working practices and we recommend that clinicians follow guidance from the sources below that will be kept up-to-date:-

  • The government response website
  • Your employer’s directives, which may be private, 3rd sector, or the NHS
  • Your Insurance company and/or union
  • Your Professional Registration Body E.g. HCPC, UKCP, RNC, GMC ect 

For AFT Remote Guidance Documents see AFT's policy, standards and guidance page

  • AFT Remote Clinical Working Guidelines

  • AFT Remote Training courses Working Guidelines - Please consult with your training provider/tutor with regards to how individual training institutes are running courses and supporting students at the current time.

AFT cannot explicitly recommend platforms or practices for working remotely. The information therefore on this page, seeks to offers some links to sources that members may find useful.

 

Information from Registration and Professional organisations

The UKCP  'Security and Confidentiality Guidelines'  and 'UKCP Guidelines for Working Online or Remotely' can be found under 'Guidance' documents on the UKCP policy page. 

 

 

 Other professional links

 

Examples of Online Training resources

 


GDPR Considerations

AFT consulted with a GDPR specialist and can offer the following:
It is worth noting the advice currently being given by the Information Commissioners Office here.
Of particular note is the following extract:

Question: “During the pandemic, we are worried that our data protection practices might not meet our usual standard or our response to information rights requests will be longer. Will the ICO take regulatory action against us?
Answer: No, we understand that resources, whether they are finances or people, might be diverted away from usual compliance or information governance work. We won’t penalise organisations that we know need to priorities other areas or adapt their usual approach during this extraordinary period. We can’t extend statutory timescales, but we will tell people through our own communications channels that they may experience understandable delays when making information rights requests during the pandemic”.

Below are some general comments from our GDPR Specialist:
“This information is provided on the basis that organisations/practitioners have to make their own decisions:
Zoom
• US Based and processing comes under Privacy Shield
• Designed primarily for meetings and NOT clinical assessments
• Unlike products such as ‘Attend Anywhere’, its primary function is not to support clinical assessments, but is being seen as a “viable alternative”
• Larger organisations will need to complete a Data Protection Impact Assessment
• Larger organisations will need to consider completing Equality & Diversity assessments
• That should include transparency linked to costs of calls/assurance that no costs to service user linked to using the service


Online Communications
It is clear from the above that the landscape is complex and members and organisations will need to account for their own decisions. It may be that evidencing an appropriate process will assist mitigation of later difficulties.
There are various providers of online communications, none of whom AFT can directly recommend and who will make their own statements regarding compliance:
• Zoom
• We.Care
• PsychCon
• WIRE Pro
• Signal

Consideration when deciding which instant messaging apps to use
• You get what you pay for – if you pay nothing, you cannot expect anything linked to commitment or a service being supported
• The Terms & Conditions have to be understood
• Is the organisation providing the devices the app works on or is it expecting staff to use their own devices?
• If the latter, that means changing staff contracts or finding a legal basis to insist it happens
• What happens if there are additional costs that staff did not expect to incur?
• Record keeping for both clinical care and corporate decision making will still have to be factored in
• The ICO has stated they will be pragmatic over the coming months, but we still have to demonstrate that whatever is shared is getting recorded in the right pace
• There will be an impact on organisation finances, capacity or service management and research activities if we do not get this right
• These are short-term decisions with a potential long term impact – changes to working practice and how these apps. are used have to monitored to ensure that they do not become embedded inappropriately

Consideration for working from home
• You can request staff to use their own mobile phones but you cannot insist on it unless it is in their contract
• You will need to either issue them with organisation owned devices or gain some form of consensus about expectations of use of personal devices
• If calls or documentation is sensitive, try and work/take the calls in a different room
• If you know the time of the postman and have a dog(s), time calls so that they do not happen when the postman is likely to be around
• If you intend to take conference calls via a laptop with a camera, remember to put some clothes on
• Some people have found out the hard way that their cameras could be remotely activated
• Keep everything electronic as far as possible and try and avoid taking sensitive patient information home
• If you have an IT Department, try and keep informed about the latest guidance they have issued”

Smart Speakers:
If you currently use video consultation software you need to ensure that any smart speakers such as Amazon Echo and Google Home/Dot in the proximity have been turned off before the consultation to ensure confidential information can be remain secure.


Common Questions and Answers and CPD

Face-to- face contact with clients
Q. What guidance is available on conducting face-to-face work during the COIVD-19 epidemic?
Response: Please refer to the government and your employer guidance as above.

Remote Working and Supervision

Q. Should I undertake training to work with clients or supervise online?
Response: Please refer to your Registration Bodies guidance, CPD policy and AFT’s Remote working guidance.

Q. All my client and supervision hours are taking place by phone or online and not face-to-face, will this be accepted?

Response: Due to the pandemic, it is understood that many members will now be working and receiving supervision remotely. Please consult your employer, registration bodies guidance and AFT's remote working document as above.

For members who are UKCP registered and supported for this via AFT and due a CPD re-accreditation, 100% remote working client hours and supervision hours will be accepted at the current  time, in accordance with AFT's remote working guidance and all other CPD policy requirements.

 

Further requirements for UKCP registration: CPD activity, client hours & supervision

Q. If my attendance at CPD training events ( i.e 18 hours of which 12hours should be systemic) and additional 20 hours of other CPD activity is light during the pandemic and/or my clinical and supervision arrangements fall short of the minimum hours, will this be taken in to consideration when called for my UKCP reaccreditation CPD review by AFT and by UKCP for annual random audits?

Response: Exceptional circumstances are always taken into account when a CPD review for UKCP re-accreditation is appraised. Any gaps should be reflected on with regards to personal and professional development.

a. CPD attendance and activity hours:

UKCP note that they 'anticipate CPD hours should continue to be met as per current minimum requirements' as members may access online CPD resources and other ways of meeting the CPD hours at this time. AFT are now providing free monthly webinars to support members to access to CPD and many local branches are also offering online workshop. See Events Calendar and member CPD process & FAQ's  page for some examples. 

b. Gaps in client or supervision hours

Where a UKCP supported registrant has had gaps in family and systemic practice and supervision due to the pandemic, this would be taken into account in their next CPD review. Should registrants have extended periods of not working with clients, a sabbatical from the UKCP register, for up-to 12 months may be taken. 

If any member has a specific query regarding meeting the requirements, we hope that they will consult UKCP guidance and also AFT's CPD policy. If you are particularly concerned please contact AFT's Regulations Officer and UKCP.

 

Online CPD examples:

See member page 'CPD requirements and FAQs'

Members may also wish to explore CPD opportunities such as online training/webinars/video resources as alternatives or additions at this time.
Some examples of online CPD sources:

 

Advertising - Find a Therapist 
Q. How can I advertise that I offer online family and systemic psychotherapy should a client be searching for this?

For UKCP’s Find a Therapist page and updating your profile preferences please see their website  'update-your-find-a-therapist-profile' page.

 

Volunteering
Q. Are there any services being set up to support the nations mental health and wellbeing that I could get involved in?

Response: These may be happening on a national and local level. AFT is unable to directly signpost to these, but will share appropriate national opportunities should any come to our attention.

Frontline19 offer free and confidential psychological support for NHS & frontline workers in the UK. If you are a qualified and experience counsellor, psychotherapist, or psychologists with an hour a week or more spare to support frontline health care workers and interested in volunteering please see www.frontline19.com/therapists/