Direct Access to Counselling Service for John Lewis Partnership Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the eligibility, clinical inclusion and exclusion criteria for this Short-Term Structured Counselling?

Eligibility:

This service is suitable for current, working Partners who are experiencing problems including the following:

This service won’t be suitable for you If you are currently experiencing issues relating to:

Or if you are currently:

Please be aware that additional factors may be taken into account to assess your suitability. In such cases, you will receive relevant signposting and guidance during the digital triage, which may prevent your referral from progressing, or this information will be communicated to you directly from Vita Health Group after the triage is completed.

2. What happens after you have completed the Digital Triage?

We will review your referral and if counselling is determined to be clinically suitable, we will contact you by telephone within one working day to schedule your first appointment.

Please note that some cases may require further clinical review. If you fall into this category, you will be contacted within two working days by email or telephone, and we will provide information to help you choose the best pathway forward.

3. How will Vita Health Group contact me?

Our team will reach out to you at the telephone number you provided during the triage, between 9 AM and 5 PM, Monday to Friday. Please ensure you are available to take the call.

If you are unable to answer, we will attempt to contact you up to three times over the course of seven days. If we do not receive a response, you will be discharged and notified via email.

If your case requires further review and we determine that counselling is not suitable for you, we will contact you by email and provide relevant signposting to appropriate support services outside of Vita Health Group and discharge you.

4. What will Short Term Structured Counselling offer?

If partners are deemed clinically suitable, up to six one-on-one sessions with a counsellor will be offered.

This is a confidential service, and we will not share your details with JLP if you access triage and counselling support.

Counselling can be provided over the phone or via secure video link, with appointments available within five working days. We also offer face-to-face sessions when appropriate, which require 10 working days to arrange for your first appointment.

All counselling is delivered in accordance with NICE guidelines. Our clinical team collaborates with Partners during the initial treatment appointment to establish therapeutic goals, and clinical outcome measures are taken at each session to monitor progress and ensure recovery before discharge.

VHG placed significant importance on ensuring that our treatment is as accessible as possible and so we offer a contracted translation service, enabling us to communicate in over 240 languages, including British Sign language (BSL) via video link.

5. What if you are not suitable for the Counselling services and do not meet criteria?

If you do not meet the criteria for the counselling available through self-referral, Vita Health Group will reach out to help you identify the best pathway forward and provide relevant signposting. You may need to speak to your primary care provider (GP) for guidance on accessing support.

You might also be eligible for a higher level of support through an occupational health referral. However, this is not guaranteed, and a more in-depth assessment will be required if you are referred to Vita Health Group’s Psychological Therapy Services to determine your suitability.

6. What if Counselling is not what you are looking for at this time, but you still require support?

If you personally don’t feel counselling is going to be the right fit for you and do not wish to progress with triage, you can still access information and support in relation to your mental health from a number of reliable resources including:

If your health is affecting your work or you think that your work is affecting your health, you should speak to your people manager who can refer you to occupational health if required.

If you are concerned about your own or someone else’s drinking, you can access confidential advice and support around alcohol through Alcohol Change UK

Alcohol Change UK charity: https://alcoholchange.org.uk/

If you are concerned about your own or someone else's drug use, you can access confidential advice and support through Talk to Frank Honest information about drugs https://www.talktofrank.com/

Further information and support regarding alcohol and drug use is also available via the NHS:

Addiction support - NHS https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/addiction-support/

If you or someone you know is in a mental health crisis and needs help fast, ring 999 to contact the emergency services or go to your nearest Emergency Department.

If it is not a medical emergency, but you still need urgent help:

Ring 111 for professional health advice 24/7 and 365 days a year and where to access appropriate health services

Samaritans offer 24/7 support Phone: 116 123 or text SHOUT to 85258 in the UK to text with a trained crisis volunteer.