OK, so this is the boring part. But not everything that’s good for you, is fun. Please read the terms and conditions carefully and check you are happy with them before making your booking. If you have any queries, please just ask. Then we can get onto the fun stuff!
Health, Safety & Welfare
Therapy animals will only participate in activities where clients have given consent or when a parent or care giver has consented on behalf of the child.
All interactions between people and animals carry a risk. Staff and clients or the parents of participating children will be made aware of the main risks, which include; scratches or bites, allergic reactions and transmission of some diseases between humans and animals (known as zoonoses). The measures taken by NAATA and the measures we must agree to take together are documented in a risk assessment. The risk assessment will be reviewed and updated periodically and a copy of the most recent document can be provided on request.
All participants / parents of participating children will complete a short questionnaire and prior to first contact with any NAATA animals. If any child or client has a fear or phobia or a known allergy or sensitivity to any of the animal species, that animal will not be included in the activities.
We recognise that animal assisted interventions are not suitable for all clients for the reasons above. In addition, schools and settings should be aware that some parents may not be happy for contact between their child and the animals for cultural or religious reasons. Information about NAATA activities and their potential benefits should still be provided to those parents, but their right to decline the activities respected. Animal themed activities may be provided without direct animal contact as an alternative.
During NAATA activities in homes or other settings, a parent or member of the setting or organisations staff, must be present to support activities and supervise the children at all times.
Only NAATA therapy animals will participate in the sessions. We ask that you remove other classroom or household pets during our visit. If you are visiting us then we ask that you do not bring your pets with you.
NAATA animals may choose to withdraw to a resting space (their bed or a carrier) during the activities. If they do, then we will respect their decision have a time out. But don’t worry, we will come well prepared with toys and resources and the fun will continue while the critters take a break.
As you would expect, if any of our animals seem unwell on the day, we wont bring them to visit. An alternative member of the animal team may come along instead. This is, regardless of any plan for an individual animals involvement.
If any animal shows signs of illness or stress during a session they will be removed to a resting space and may only rejoin the session if its apparent they have fully recovered
If children or clients show signs of fear or aggression towards the animals, the animals will be removed from the session. We may then discuss whether to attempt a more gradual introduction. Please note NAATA does not offer a treatment for animal fears or phobias as this is outside of our clinical expertise.
Children and other clients won’t be encouraged to pick up, hug or squeeze the animals. Instead they will be supported to practise gentle caring behaviours and allow the animals to come to them. We will demonstrate alternative ways of interacting e.g. grooming, walking, feeding, playing, stroking gently, singing to them or simply watching and talking about the animals.
Preparing for a Visit
If we are visiting your home or your setting, we ask that you prepare a suitable space for us to play in. One that is separate from eating and drinking or preparation areas.
We ask that you ensure the room is safe and, secure for the animals. Remove plugs and cover electrical sockets. We ask that settings ensure doors can close securely and notify the staff team that the animals are working in the area (lest they pose a slip/trip hazard or are allowed to escape when staff open doors).
Staff or clients who are pregnant must not be asked to participate in or supervise animal assisted activities.
We ask that every one present in the session wash their hands with soap and warm water before and after the session.
Bookings & Payments
For settings/organisations, bookings can be made online or over the telephone. Full payment is required at the time of booking or within 30 days of the booking.
For individuals, bookings can be made online or over the telephone. Full payment is required at the time of booking or a minimum or 24 hours prior to the appointment.
Cancellations should be made with a minimum of 48 hours notice to avoid charges. If cancelling with less than 48 hours notice the full payment for that session is due. In some circumstances it may be possible to defer your booking to another day, if a cancellation is made less than 48 hours prior to the booking. This is at NAATA’s discretion
Clients, settings or organisations cancelling with more than 48 hours notice may expect a full refund.
Protecting your Information (Privacy Notice)
NAATA takes the responsibility of protecting your information very seriously. Any information we hold about you will be managed in compliance with Data Protection Act 1998. All records of our work with you are stored securely, used only for the purposes of providing you with the service you’ve requested and not shared with third parties, except in concern about the safety of a child or young person (see our safeguarding statement for further information relating to this)
Additional Terms of Business for Speech and Language Therapy Services
Our Speech and Language Therapy Privacy Policy will be provided to you once an initial booking has been made. It contains detailed information about our policies and procedures in the context of our legal obligations to protect your information. NAATA takes the responsibility of protecting your information very seriously. Any information we hold about you will be managed in compliance with Data Protection Act 1998. Where we are providing Speech and Language Therapy services, we are also guided by recommendations from the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists and we follow good practice guidelines from the Association of Speech and Language Therapists in Independent Practice.
All information about your child and any assessment or treatment information will be held in strictest confidence unless we have agreed to share specific information with another person as part of the service. In some cases it is helpful for you and the Speech & Language Therapist to exchange information with others who care for your child (for example a key person in their setting.) Working together may be more effective because it allows us to make the best assessment and to share more widely, activities and strategies to support your child.
Speech and Language Therapy assessment sessions may last for up to 90 minutes and you should allow for a minimum of one hour. In that time the therapist will talk to you about your child and their communication difficulties and spend time getting to know them. They will build a picture of your child’s strengths and their needs in a range of areas relevant to their communication development.
Within this session you can expect to receive some initial feedback about the assessment and suggestions for strategies and activities to support them. The fee for an initial assessment includes a written report and a summary of recommendations. We can provide additional copies of the report for you to share with others who are supporting your child.
Speech and Language Therapy follow on sessions, build upon the assessment and may last up to one hour and you should allow for a minimum of 40 minutes duration. The therapist will work with your child through play, modeling activities and supporting strategies that you can continue in between sessions. There will always be time to discuss your thoughts and ideas and any new concerns you might have about your child’s development.
If you have any concerns or complaints about the Speech and Language Therapy Service we strongly advise you discuss them openly with the Speech and Language Therapist in the first instance. We will do our utmost to ensure that we meet with your expectations and our aim is always to provide the best possible care for your child. In the event that you still have concerns or you wish to complain then you are advised to contact the Association of Speech & Language Therapists in Independent Practice or the Health and Care Professions Council. Further information can be found by follwing the links below.