UKRF Member Guidelines – Exiting lockdown and preparing to return to treating and teaching with Reiki
The UK Government’s nationwide lockdown on 23rd March 2020 resulted in the closure of all ‘hands on’ Reiki treatments and in person teaching. At the UKRF, we are fully aware of the impact this may have had on our industry and personal businesses. Whilst some of you may have offered distant Reiki treatments and some may have given online Reiki theory teaching, most of you will have stopped working altogether. We are now, however, beginning to see the first signs of a possible easing of the lockdown restrictions, with the possibility that hair and beauty salons in England may open on 4th July 2020 at the earliest. At the UKRF we can now begin to give some guidelines as to how we can possibly return to our Reiki practices and teaching, safely and practically. Whilst the UKRF cannot insist upon adherence to the guidelines specified below, it cannot support members who decide to ignore the current social distancing rules and regulations.
At the UKRF, we are carefully following the guidance from the UK government, the NHS, the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council, the Reiki Council and the Integrated Healthcare Collaborative. We are aware that the 2m social distancing rules still applies, at the moment, throughout the UK and this is key to preventing the virus from rising again. Therefore, this document is to be considered as a guide to preparing to return to your practice/teaching again and will be updated as more information is received.
The UKRF are not experts in Covid-19 and we strongly advise everyone to keep up to date with all the latest guidance provided by government below
ARE YOU COVID-19 AWARE and ONLINE COURSE
We feel it is very important for all Reiki Practitioners and Teachers to be fully aware of this virus, its symptoms, how the virus is spread, anyone who may be considered vulnerable, self-isolating, shielding, how to prevent the spread of the virus, how to manage your workplace setting and enhanced hygiene. Please note that shielding is in place until the 30th June 2020 and will be reviewed before this date. We would recommend you attend a certificated Covid-19 online awareness course for therapists and the UKRF have accredited the following certified course. Please use this link
https://www.brightonholistics.co.uk/product/covid-19-awareness-for-therapists/
EVALUATING YOUR WORKING PRACTICES AND THE WORKPLACE
Whilst we are waiting for the lockdown to be eased, we each have the time to evaluate our working practices and the actual workplace. We will not be going back to working as we did before and so preparation and making the necessary changes now will prepare you adequately for starting up again.
Will your workplace be adequate for a new way of working? If you are an employee or volunteer, you will need to follow any policies put in place by the organisation. However, if you are self employed and have your own practice or teaching facility, here are some suggested changes you will need to consider to avoid cross-contamination.
NOTE FOR REIKI MASTER TEACHERS
Once social distancing has been eased and teachers are allowed to teach again in person, it is recommended that the use of Gyoshi Ho is used to replace the blowing of the breath as part of the attunement process.
Teachers will need to bear in mind that the following should be included in any course material you give your students too.
REIKI PRACTITIONERS AND STUDENT LEARNING
Consultation forms and case notes will need to be completed electronically or via phone before the client attends a treatment. All Practitioners and Teachers should check that clients are assessed for treatment suitability considering elderly clients, co-morbidities and those shielding themselves or other family members. When doing this initial consultation, which should probably occur no more than one day before the treatment is to take place, clients should be directed as to how the treatment will be conducted and any guidelines/rules they are expected to follow, this should also include something about failure to follow the guidelines may result in the treatment being terminated.
A written protocol, specifically for Covid-19, should be created (which can also be put on your websites) and completed by every new and existing client. This could be created in a format that can be emailed or text to a client and will include a statement as to how you intend to keep your clients safe e.g. whether PPE will be used by either yourself or your client, how your practice will have been modified to be Covid-19 aware, your new hygiene methods and how you can demonstrate you are carrying these out, how you will be checking both your own health and that of your client’s, rebooking any treatments if you feel your client is at risk or if you feel you are at risk, stating that you have attended a Covid-19 awareness course. As well as being included within your Aftercare Advice, this could also be placed on your website
Your consultation should now include the following questions, which of course you can add to. These should be asked of all new and existing clients before each and every treatment: –
- How they are feeling today? Have they a temperature or persistent cough or any other symptoms they cannot account for? Have they had any of these symptoms in the last 14 days?
- Have they or anyone directly close to them had Covid-19, been tested for it or received treatment for it? If so, when?
- Are they or anyone they have close contact with self-isolating at the moment?
- Are they shielding anyone they have close contact with at the moment?
- Do they have any underlying health conditions that make them high risk to Covid-19? If so, which conditions?
- Have they followed social distancing guidelines as set out by the government? (Please be aware that this may not be answered correctly)
- Checking they have read and understood the new protocols you have implemented and are happy with it
- After each treatment, you need to write up extensive notes as to how the treatment went, how the client was and extra precautions you took to carry out the treatment, Please note that if the client did not follow or resisted following the distancing/directions of the practitioner during the treatment. These would be grounds to stop and not rebook treatments.
If you feel a client is not suitable for treatment, then do please rebook. Do not treat anyone with any Covid-19 symptoms or those who are in close contact with anyone suffering any Covid-19 symptoms.
We recommend you ring every client on the day of the treatment to check they are feeling well. Ask them if they have been in contact with anyone with Covid-19 symptoms. If they have, please rebook their treatment.
We would also encourage you to take your own temperature and give yourself a health check to ensure you are well enough to give a treatment on the day.
Aftercare Advice sheets should now be amended to reflect any reference to feeling unwell with any Covid-19 symptoms and any hygiene protocols you have introduced into your practice. This will also form part of your risk assessment process.
RISK ASSESS YOUR WORKPLACE
If you work for yourself, from home, you will need to carry out a risk assessment on a daily basis and in between clients. This checklist could be visible for your clients to read to reassure them you are carrying out these checks. Hygiene levels must be increased and a checklist created so that you can disinfect at the beginning and the end of the day and in between clients.
(Please remember that at the moment the only people who may enter your home other than you and those you live with are nanny’s and cleaners. It is still currently against the rules to have a client or student come to your home for treatment/learning).
Treatment rooms should be as close to the main entrance/exit as possible
The treatment room should be well ventilated
Doors to all other rooms should be kept closed
Soft furnishings including rugs, cushions and soft chairs should be kept to a minimum and ideally removed
All surfaces must be able to be wiped clean with disinfectant or alcohol wipes (although wipes are not environmentally friendly)
Consider where you may need to clean that a client can touch, e.g. toilet and sink area, front doorbell, door handles, payment keypads, pens, waiting areas
Convector heaters and cooling fans should not be used in the treatment room
The treatment couch, stool and any other therapy equipment should be hygienically cleaned and disinfected between clients
Couch table linens should be kept to a minimum and no shaking of any towels or linens should be done. Preferably couch roll should be used. If using linens, these should be carefully removed after each client and placed into a plastic linen bin with lid (this can easily cleaned and disinfected) Wash all linens at a minimum of 60 degrees. Disposable gowns may be preferable
At no time should a client be allowed to bring their own sheets, towels, blankets or pillows
Social distancing measures should be addressed in any waiting areas
Anything and everything that has been touched by a client should be cleaned hygienically, including door handles, front doorbells, any use of toilet facilities
Pedal waste bins should be placed in the treatment room, foot operated with a bag for rubbish lined inside. This should be emptied daily
Pump bottle sanitisers/dispensers should be in each treatment room, ideally one for the therapist and one for the clients. A pump bottle should be by the front door so that a client can use this on entering the property and on leaving. Home-made hand sanitisers are not recommended
Create a space where your client can leave their shoes and outer clothing as these must not enter the treatment room
If you use any form of bolster for comfort, ensure these are wipeable and not cloth covered. A rolled-up towel can also be used instead and washed at a high temperature afterwards
To perform hygienic cleaning, client appointments must be suitably spaced apart and you should wear gloves whilst cleaning
Therapists should wash their hands immediately before and after treatments, taking care not to touch any other surface between the sink and the client. PPE disposable gloves are preferable
PPE disposable aprons should be worn for each client.
PPE disposal medical face masks should be worn by both the client and the therapist during the entire treatment. Home-made face coverings should be discouraged. Clients should be asked to wear face masks as it is likely to be recommended by the Government as part of lockdown easing measures. A letter to Government has been sent by the Integrated Healthcare Collaboration asking about supplies of PPE for therapists. If your client has access to medical face masks, they should ideally be asked to provide their own.
SOURCING PPE
The UKRF have sourced a company (Bunzl Greenham) that supplies PPE and have set up an account with them. They can supply, masks, gloves, hand gels, aprons, digital thermometers, eye wear and much more. We have secured a discount rate, which may still seem a little high, but unfortunately products of this nature are expensive at the moment. All you have to do to place an order is call 0208 232 4422, quote account number U058071 (UK Reiki), request the products you require and pay for them via credit/debit card.
The guide to donning and doffing standard PPE is here
A guide to the correct handwashing is here
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/best-way-to-wash-your-hands/
Further guidance and information can be found here
https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/help-and-support-if-youre-self-employed
https://www.cnhc.org.uk/tags/coronavirus
https://cnhc.org.uk/uk-government-covid-19-recovery-strategy-published
https://www.theihc.org.uk/news
Further Information available here where there may be localised differences in approach:
