Terms & Conditions
Terms and Conditions of Service provided by Willow Psychology Service Ltd.
Contents:
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1. Professional standards of practice
2. Confidentiality
3. Finance
4. Email and telephone contact
5. Prior to your initial appointment
6. Anti-Discrimination Policy
7. Health and Safety
8. Complaints ​
01
Professional standards of practice
1.1 Your clinical psychologist is registered with the Health and Care Professions Council and must comply with a range of standards of conduct, performance and ethics in order to maintain their practicing registration http://www.hpc-uk.org
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1.2 Your clinical psychologist is chartered by the British Psychological Society and abides by their recently updated code of Ethics (https://www.bps.org.uk/news-and-policy/bps-code-ethics-and-conduct) which focuses on four primary ethical principles:
• Respect • Competence • Responsibility • Integrity
02
Confidentiality
2.1 Your clinical psychologist respects the boundaries of confidentiality and will not disclose information to a third party unless legally bound to do so. For example, in the case of child protection or unlawful acts.
2.2 Your clinical psychologist will keep all personal information securely and is registered as a data controller with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
2.3 The European Union recently approved and adopted the General Data Protection Regulation (also known as the GDPR), which is a regulation, intended to strengthen and unify data protection for all individuals within the EU. It aims to protect your fundamental right to privacy and the protection of your personal data. Willow Psychology Service is GDPR compliant. Please see our privacy policy for more information about how we protect your data.
2.4 Your clinical psychologist will only pass on information to a third party (usually as a report) when requested to do so and will enlist your agreement to do this.
2.5 If specific information is not to be disclosed in the report you must make this clear before the report is written. Your clinical psychologist will usually write reports with your collaboration in order to promote transparency and honesty through the therapy process.
03
Finance
These terms and conditions explain how we work, the applicable charges for the service we offer and cancellation / disengagement fees applicable if they are not taken up.
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3.1 Self-funding
If you are paying for your services yourself, payment for each consultation should be made within 30 days of receiving your invoice. The payments details for BACS are on the invoice.
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3.2 Private healthcare funding
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3.2.1 Your clinical psychologist is registered as a clinical practitioner with a number of healthcare providers including BUPA, AXA PPP, Aviva, and Vitality Health. Each provider and every healthcare plan has different rules and regulations of engagement.
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3.2.2 As the insurance policy holder, it is your responsibility to check with your insurer to confirm how much will be covered by them.
3.2.3 We ask that you provide us with an authorisation code and membership details in order to proceed to your initial appointment.
3.2.4 If you are using a private health care provider to pay for all or part of the fee you have the responsibility to pay the remainder of the fee owed. Often there is an excess fee which is payable by the individual or employer in order to begin services.
3.2.5 Payment for cancelled appointments or for any failure to attend without prior notice may be your responsibility to pay.
3.3 Fees Fees vary according to the type of service required and whether treatment is self-funded or funded by a health insurance company. Individual insurance companies agree a set fee with their providers. Please contact us directly to confirm the fee that your service will attract.
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3.4 Cancellations
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3.541 Cancellations for appointments made with more than 24 hours (i.e. 1 working day) notice will not attract cancellation fees.
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3.4.2 Any cancellations made with less than 24 hours (i.e. 1 working day) notice will be charged at full rate. It is important, and your responsibility, to check your cancellation policy with your insurance company as some will not cover late cancellations and you will be responsible for covering the fee.
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3.4.3 Any failure to attend without notice will be charged at the full rate* ​
04
Email & Telephone Policy
4.1 If necessary, your clinical psychologist can receive email communication in the form of confidential reports and letters, and/or additional information. However, reviewing the content of such documents will attract your agreed hourly fee and will be added to your next invoice. Telephone calls will also attract your agreed hourly fee.
4.2 The psychologist is unable to provide a crisis service to clients. If you require urgent help, please contact your GP or emergency services.
4.3 The psychologist will aim to return calls/emails within five working days, except when on annual leave or during ill health.
4.4 It is important to be aware that communications of a clinical nature and especially clinical decision-making will not be encouraged or engaged in by your clinical psychologist via email and telephone. In our experience clinical conversations are best communicated, understood and processed face to face during your scheduled appointment time.
05
Professional standards of practice
Prior to your first appointment we may send you a questionnaire to complete to help us more fully understand the background to your current concerns. This is a detailed document about your situation or that of your family and we ask that it is completed and then returned by email prior to your first appointment.
06
Anti-Discrimination Policy
Your clinical psychologist values people for their differences and will promote self worth around any differences that a person may feel have affected them in the past. These may be around their sexual preference or orientation, mental health status, political or religious belief, age, gender or ethnicity.
07
Health & Safety
Your clinical psychologist will take the utmost care and due diligence when working with clients whether this be in their homes, schools or clinic based settings. In any school or clinic setting your clinical psychologist will adhere to all the health and safety regulations that are applied to the building and organisation.
08
Complaints
We hope you will never have to complain about the service provided by Willow Psychology Service Ltd but if you do have a concern please put it in writing to your psychologist at your earliest convenience or to the Clinical Director, Dr. Georgia Halls. Alternatively you can make a complaint via the British Psychological Society or Health and Care Professions Council, Professional Registration Bodies websites detailed in the beginning of this document.