Consultation

Preparation of the client:

Many clients will feel a little nervous and apprehensive on their first visit to you, it is important to reassure the client and make her feel at ease in unfamiliar surroundings.

Complete a client consultation with the client and gain written consent for the treatment to go ahead. This is essential and may invalidate your insurance if you do not obtain written consent.

When the client is laying comfortably on the couch, explain the treatment procedure again to the client.

 Use this check list as a guide:

Consultation and timings including Data protection, medical history and client consent

Consultation:

With any new client a full and thorough consultation must take place before any treatment can go ahead.  It is important to make a good impression on the client and to create an air of confidence.  This gives the client the reassurance that you are a professional therapist/ aesthetician.  Clients are often unsure of the treatment’s they need, so will ask for your professional advice, enforcing how vitally important it is that they trust you, your skill set and knowledge within your qualifications.  Consultation is the first stage where the client can see your expertise & the client / practitioner relationship is formed.

During the consultation there are several areas which must be covered, firstly consultation allows us to establish whether the treatment can go ahead or whether it is contra indicated.

Consultation is carried out in a private place where it cannot be overhead, seated next to our client is the most appropriate.  All the information obtained should be recorded on the client’s consultation record

If you suspect the client has a condition that you are unsure of always refer her to a GP and where necessary, ask for a doctor’s note confirming if treatment can go ahead

The client must be given the opportunity to ask any questions regarding what the treatment involves, every effort must be made to accommodate the client needs however awkward they may seem.

The client should be made aware of any additional treatment costs involved so they are not surprised at the end. If the client expresses concerns or is unsure as to whether they wish to proceed with the treatment, they must not be coerced in to proceeding and should be given a cooling off period to allow time to consider their options.

Once you have discussed the client’s expectations, agreed a treatment plan and explained the possible reactions the consultation card can be updated accordingly.  Obtain, signed and written informed consent from the client prior to carrying out the treatment.  This ensures the client has no contraindications to the treatment, which including massage and that they are the legal age of consent for treatment obtaining signed, written & informed consent.

Consent & After Care forms

Ensure your client carefully checks, signs and dates the record at the end of the consultation, stating that all the information is true and to the best of their knowledge.  It is imperative that the therapist also dates and signs the entry on every client visit, this is also a legal requirement.  It is advisable to ask the client to sign and date the statement that they have were happy with the results of their treatment & they have been given aftercare advice and that they will adhere to this advice.  For example, I agree to follow the written and verbal aftercare advice which has been given.  Some insurance companies stipulate this as a legal requirement of your policy and in the event of a claim being made against you, if this wasn’t completed it would invalidate your insurance.

Failure to keep up to date, accurate, complete, legible and signed records could result in an unsafe treatment and possibly legal action being taken against you and or the Clinic.

The information on the client record should be rechecked every time they visit your premises to ensure record are up to date and there are no changes, for example if a client has stated medication it may affect their skin and make it hypersensitive to products.

The Data Protection Act 2018 is the UK’s implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Everyone responsible for using personal data has to follow strict rules called ‘data protection principles. You must make sure the information is:

• used fairly, lawfully and transparently
• used for specified, explicit purposes
• used in a way that is adequate, relevant and limited to only what is necessary
• accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date
• kept for no longer than is necessary
• handled in a way that ensures appropriate security, including protection against unlawful or unauthorised processing, access, loss, destruction or damage

There is stronger legal protection for more sensitive information, such as:

• race
• ethnic background
• political opinions
• religious beliefs
• trade union membership
• genetics
• biometrics (where used for identification)
• health
• sex life or orientation

There are separate safeguards for personal data relating to criminal convictions and offences. 

Your rights

Under the Data Protection Act 2018, you have the right to find out what information the government and other organisations store about you. These include the right to:

• be informed about how your data is being used
• access personal data
• have incorrect data updated
• have data erased
• stop or restrict the processing of your data
• data portability (allowing you to get and reuse your data for different services)
• object to how your data is processed in certain circumstances

You also have rights when an organisation is using your personal data for:

• automated decision-making processes (without human involvement)
• profiling, for example to predict your behaviour or interest