Terms and Conditions:
Dr Elizabeth Bean is an educational psychologist based in West Sussex; she is a member of the British Psychological Society and Health Care Professionals Council. In this document ‘Client’ refers to individuals who engage in the use of Dr Bean’s psychology services.
Dr Bean covers a radius of 15 miles (or up to 30 minutes). Alternatively, arrangements may be made to carry out assessments online.
Enquiries
If you are unsure about what service or support you may need, Dr Bean offers a brief conversation to assess whether she is the right support for you before booking an appointment. If it is agreed that Dr Bean is not the appropriate service, she will do her best to signpost you to an alternative. Further appointments may include an online consultation and a follow up assessment completed with the child and seeking information from the staff at any school they may attend.
Please note that in booking an appointment, you agree to the terms and conditions stated in this document being enforced. Enquiries can be made via email to E.Bean@beanstalkpsychology.co.uk
Confidentiality
Dr Bean holds information about each of her clients and the service they receive in confidence. This means that she will not normally share your personal information with anyone else.
However, there are occasions when liaison with third parties may be necessary. For example, if an assessment by Dr Bean is commissioned by your child’s school, they may require that they receive a copy of her report.
In exceptional circumstances Dr Bean might need to share personal information with other authorities. These include:
When there is need-to-know information for another health provider, such as your GP;
When the information concerns risk of harm to the client, or risk of harm to another adult or child;
When there is a legal duty, such as a Court Order.
If your child is the client and their safety is at risk from the behaviour of others, Dr Bean is legally obliged to follow Child Protection procedures and contact appropriate agencies.
Please read the following information carefully, and refer to my General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) policy on my website for details on how I keep your information safe:
Electronic copies of reports, information and relevant emails will be kept securely on my computer and in a GDPR compliant ‘cloud’ for six years, after which time the file will be deleted;
If you are commissioning (i.e. paying for) the assessment, copies of the report are confidential and emailed to you only (and any other parent with legal responsibility if requested). If you wish for the report to be shared with other professionals, you will need to forward this yourself;
If the school has commissioned the assessment, a copy will also be sent to the school, using encryption;
It is the responsibility of those commissioning the report to keep the report safe once received;
In order to adhere to the GDPR, reports are emailed to you with encryption; the report will only be sent in PDF and encrypted;
Background forms, any hard copies of reports and assessment booklets will be destroyed every term, after the assessment.
Assessment and Intervention
When commissioned by parents, the initial consultation session is usually about a 60-minute session and is used to collect information about you, your current circumstances and any relevant historical information. Dr Bean will also discuss what you hope to gain from any future sessions that are arranged, and how you will know when you have reached your goal. This information is used to agree a plan together for future sessions.
As an educational psychologist, Dr Bean is trained in a range of psychological approaches and it is likely she will use elements of a number of these during sessions. Examples include cognitive behavioural approaches, solution-focused, dynamic assessment, systemic, person-centred and acceptance and commitment therapy approaches.
If subsequent appointments are agreed during the initial consultation session, Dr Bean will undertake an educational psychology assessment with your child with the aim of providing an independent evaluation of your child’s strengths, difficulties and recommended strategies. Assessments will include one-to-one work with your child and may include an observation in class (if warranted) and discussion with school staff. The structure, pace and manner of each assessment varies depending on the needs of the child. Factors that impact on your child’s education will be considered and commented on if deemed to be relevant, including early development, medical issues, home life, social & emotional skills and behavioural observations. Assessment takes place either within the child’s educational setting, or in an appropriate public place (e.g. a private room in a public library).
In order for Dr Bean to undertake the assessment, parental consent must be provided by one parent. Please ensure that other individuals with parental responsibility are made aware that the assessment is taking place, so that they may contribute to the process if they wish to do so. In addition, the completed report should be shared with them.
Dr Bean will contact your child’s school and request information on the teachers’ views of the child’s current situation, educational attainments and details of what support has been provided to date etc.
Please note that although Dr Bean can carry out assessments that contribute to the evidence required to make a request for an Education Health Care Needs Assessment (EHCNA), she is unable to complete the Psychological Advice for an EHCNA, (unless directly commissioned by the Local Authority overseeing the process), and she does not attend hearings or write reports for Tribunal.
Where Dr Bean has been commissioned to provide a bespoke package or block booking, a day constitutes six hours, which can either entail six hours face to face or (should a report be required as part of the package) three hours face to face and three hours writing up.
Where Dr Bean has been commissioned by a school, the way the time is to be used will be agreed during an initial planning meeting which will form the basis of an educational psychologist and school working agreement. The school may choose to use the time on solely face to face work, or if consultation notes or summary reports are required, the time spent face to face will be matched with the equivalent amount of time for writing up (e.g. a day could be spent on three hours face to face assessment, and three hours report writing).
The Reports:
The summary report (resulting from the initial consultation) will consist of up to four pages of A4. This is intended to be a process report and also acts as a record of involvement. Should a further assessment be commissioned, the summary report will set out the background for the detailed written report.
Details of the assessment will be provided in a written report, which is usually sent at least 15 working days after the assessment day. At busy times this may be longer; it is not always possible to complete reports before this time frame, especially when assessments take place close to school holidays.
Please be aware Dr Bean works the equivalent of three days a week and does not work weekends or during school holidays.
The client is encouraged to take notes during the consultation and of any subsequent feedback if they need to know strategies/details before that time frame.
Please allow 15 working days before following up on the progress of your child’s report and before booking any follow up meetings/appointments.
Where the report has been commissioned by the school, the member of staff who has organised the assessment (or a colleague who is familiar with the child and who has an understanding of the case) will meet with the parents to talk through the findings.
Please note that the report reflects the findings and the professional opinion of Dr Bean, and whilst it is possible to amend any factual errors or clarify a point, it is not possible to make changes without further evidence.
Requests to Rearrange, Cancellation and Non-attendance
Dr Elizabeth Bean operates a strict 48-hour cancellation policy for all appointments.
If you require to cancel or postpone an appointment you are kindly requested to give a minimum of 48 hours’ notice. This allows due consideration of other clients and demand for appointment times. A full fee for the session will be charged for less than 24 hours’ notice, outside of exceptional circumstances.
If an assessment is cancelled after the preparation has commenced/the child does not attend their appointment without notice, a cancellation fee may be charged to cover the time spent in preparation and loss of revenue if it is not possible to use the date for other work.
Cancellations can be made by email 48 hours in advance of your booked appointment.
Late attendance (more than 15 minutes late) will result in the full fee being charged.
Fees and Payments
Prices are as set out in the price list. The fee and payment details will be provided in the confirmation email sent to you on receipt of the referral form. Please note fees must be paid prior to the report being released. Fees are subject to change at any time.
For schools, please note the full cost must be paid by bank transfer within fourteen days of booking.
Block bookings and bespoke packages are available on request; please enquire via email to E.Bean@beanstalkpsychology.co.uk
Payment is accepted via bank transfer only.
Please note Dr Bean does not accept cash payments.
Termination of service
Should a client wish to end their use of Dr Bean’s services, she asks that they inform her via email. Dr Bean reserves the right to contact a client in the event that they do not contact her prior to their non-attendance. If no response is received, and there is no clinical reason for concern, she will end the contract with the client.
Interaction expectations
Dr Bean uses client email addresses to communicate about appointments and to send documents or links as agreed during appointments. Notification of changes to appointments are also via email.
Emergencies
Access to Dr Bean is via appointment only. She does not offer emergency support. Should a client require urgent or emergency support, they are advised to contact their own GP surgery, NHS 111 or emergency services.
Changes in agreement
Dr Bean reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions at any time. If you have any questions about the Terms and Conditions, please do not hesitate to contact her.
Governing Law
All terms of this contract are governed by the Laws of England.
When a client engages in the use of Dr Bean’s services and transfers payment in exchange for services, as agreed between Dr Bean and the client, this contract is legally binding.