FAQs and Policies

Frequently Asked Questions and Policies

Fees and duration:

I charge £50 for a 50 minute one-to-one therapy session. People usually attend weekly therapy sessions, although I am able to work fortnightly with some young people who are on a fortnightly school timetable. Some people come for just a few sessions, others prefer to keep the sessions open ended if their issues are more complex.

I also run Postnatal Therapy Groups. These group sessions are funded by charitable donations or the NHS and are free for the mothers and babies who attend. Mothers are usually referred by their Health Visitor but self-referral is also possible. 

 

What happens in a session?

There is no set pattern or structure to a session, and the amount of creativity involved varies with each person and how comfortable they feel expressing themselves through artistic media. We always begin by talking, and as things emerge we might start to find ways of expressing your thoughts and feelings using images or small objects or characters.

Once we have an image or a metaphor we can develop this further and start to think about the issue from a different perspective using the image in front of us. There is no pressure to be creative, some sessions may be totally verbal, others more physical and visual.

 

Do I need to be artistic?

You do not need to be particularly creative or artistic to participate in arts based psychotherapy. Simply a willingness to think about your feelings and engage with the process is all that is required.

 

What feedback do you give to parents when their child attends therapy?

All therapy is confidential, however if you are a parent referring your child I appreciate that you want to know how the therapy is going. Before therapy begins I will discuss the process with you and we can agree how best to keep you informed of progress, As a general rule, whatever a child or adolescent brings to a session is confidential, unless there are safeguarding concerns. If I feel that it would be helpful for a parent to know something, I would always seek permission from the child or young person before disclosing information, and ideally would encourage the child to invite their parent into the session so that they can share the information with my support.

 

Where do sessions take place?

I run my private practice Open Space from the Open House Centre, Manvers Street Baptist Church, Bath BA1 1JW. Just a few minutes' walk from Bath Spa train station and Bath Bus Station. I also work in some schools in Bath.

 

How do I book an appointment?

If you are thinking about therapy for yourself or someone you know and would like to discuss your needs in confidence, please call me on (01225) 590841 and leave a message, or email dominihooper@gmail.com

 

What if I have a question which isn't shown above?

If you would like to ask me a question, please call me on 01225 590841

and leave a message, or email dominibarry@btopenworld.com and I will reply as soon as I can.


Open Space Privacy Statement

I am currently registered as a data controller under data protection legislation.

If you have provided me with any personal details, I will protect them from loss, damage and inappropriate access. I will hold data on a password protected iPad and a password protected computer accessed only by me. Written information will be stored in a locked filing cabinet.  

The information I hold will typically include: 

·      Contact details, including name, address, telephone number and email address.

·      Contact details of other professionals involved in your care, treatment or other services provided to you, for example, your GP, social worker, school and class teacher.

·      All other personal information (such as personal circumstances, relevant health issues, family details etc.) will be recorded separately from your contact details and will be anonymised so that individuals can not be identified. For example, I will use an initial rather than a name. 

I have regular clinical supervision which is a requirement of my professional registration. In order to practice safely, it is necessary for me to share anonymised information with my clinical supervisor.

I will not share your personal information with a third party without your prior knowledge and consent.

The only exception is in the event of a Safeguarding issue where I am concerned for your safety or the safety of others. Accurate records of all disclosures will be kept. 

I will only keep your personal data for as long as I need to provide a therapy service to you. Information will be stored for a maximum of 10 years after therapy has ended. This is in case I need to do any follow up work or need to contact you regarding consent to use your information in research or training.

You may withdraw your consent to holding your personal information at any time. If you would like me to delete any personal details held, please request this by emailing me at: dominihooper@gmail.com.


Safeguarding

If you would like a copy of the Open Space Safeguarding Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults Policy Statement please email dominihooper@gmail.com 


NHS Counter-Fraud

Domini Hooper is the accountable individual responsible for counter-fraud, bribery and corruption relating to the Open Space Postnatal Groups that are funded by NHS. If you have any concerns related to fraud against the NHS and the Open Space Postnatal Groups please contact Domini. Alternatively you can report fraud against NHS in England and Wales by calling 0800 028 4060 (available 24/7). For further information, please see the NHS counter-fraud website:  cfa.nhs.uk/reportfraud

 

Complaints

Open Space Arts-Based Psychotherapy adheres to the Health and Care Professions Council Standards of Proficiency for Arts Therapists. Domini Hooper is a registered member of HCPC

If you have a complaint relating to Open Space, please contact Domini Hooper via email:

dominihooper@gmail.com

If you have a concern about fitness to practice you can find further information on the hcpc website:

hcpc-uk.org/concerns

If you have a concern about the Open Space Postnatal Groups that are funded by the NHS please contact the organisation who made the initial referral, for example, Bluebell Care: hello@bluebellcare.org

You can also contact the PALS Team (Patient Advice and Liaison Team) with any concerns or complaints
Email: scwcsu.palscomplaints@nhs.net
Tel: 0300 561 0250

You can find information on the NHS Business Services Authority website about whistle-blowing and ‘freedom to speak up’ policies and procedures: www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk

 

Emergency Preparedness and Resilience and Response (EPRR)

If a therapy session can’t take place (for example, due to therapist illness), you will be notified by phone or email at the first opportunity and if possible, an alternative date for the session will be offered. 

If circumstances prevent face-to-face contact (for example, a pandemic, building or road closure, evacuation), the session will take place online via Zoom. This will be the case for both individual and group therapy.

Sessions will continue at their usual interval online until it is safe to resume face-to-face sessions. 

If sessions are online but the client or therapist loses internet connection or does not have access to the internet, sessions will take place over the phone. WhatsApp or Facetime are not considered secure platforms for therapeutic work. 

If the therapist is unable to work for a prolonged period of time and therapy has to end prematurely, the client will be referred back to the individual or organisation who originally made the referral (for example, Bluebell Care, Health Visitor or GP). They will be offered the contact details of an alternative therapist if appropriate. In the case of the Open Space Postnatal Groups, it may be possible to re-refer the client to an alternative provision within the Perinatal Emotional Wellbeing Partnership (PEWP) such as My Time My Space or Make a Move.