I’m thrilled to be able to offer consultation appointments at the studio again.
The staff at Yorkshire Artspace (my landlord) have been amazing over the last few months. I am so very grateful to them. They have worked tirelessly since the UK-wide lockdown to keep the building open to studio holders.
Thanks to them, Exchange Place Studios is now deemed Covid secure thanks to the measures they have put in place.
Needless to say, it’s really important that all studio holders and visitors now adhere to these new protocols.
What Has Changed?
Funnily enough, there is no specific guidance from the Government about how I should offer consultation appointments at the studio, in fact there is no guidance for milliners at all.
As a result, I am requesting that visitors follow the guidance issued to studio holders by Yorkshire Artspace, plus a few extra measures aimed at those working in close proximity to others e.g tailors and well as those in retail settings. Along with a healthy dose of common sense.
I will need to get close to you during your appointment to help you try on any potential designs, however I will aim to keep this proximity to a minimum.
With this in mind, please do wear a face covering when you attend for your appointment. If your face covering has been worn for a long time or is damp, I will have spare disposable masks in the studio.
I will also reciprocate by wearing a face visor and a face mask too.
We have LOTS of hand sanitiser points in the building, however please feel free to bring and use your own hand-sanitiser as well.
Naturally, I hope it goes without saying, that if any of the following applies to you, please contact me as soon as possible to cancel your appointment.
- You are showing any Covid-19 or ANY other cough/flu-type symptoms.
- You are awaiting the results of a Covid-19 test
- You have been advised to have a Covid-19 test
OR you have recently been in contact with
- Anyone who has tested positive to Covid-19
- Anyone who is awaiting a Covid-19 test themselves
- Anyone who is showing Covid-19 or ANY other cough/flu-type symptoms themselves.
Arriving at Exchange Place Studios
As with the rest of daily life, I have had to make a few changes to the way I do things when having consultation appointments at the studio.
There is a one way system in place around the building and lift access is restricted to one person at a time. We also have lots of wall mounted hand sanitizer stations dotted around the building.
Usually, I would meet my clients in reception and take them up to my 5th Floor studio in the lift. I have always been open to you bringing a trusted advisor to your appointment, especially if you need assistance with any decision making.
- I am now only able to accept one visitor to the studio at a time.
This is to help me maintain my distance from you within my studio space. This could be awkward with more than one visitor at a time. Please do not bring any children, of any age, with you.
(I confess, I’ve usually discouraged clients from bringing children – they tend to get bored and they are really rubbish at giving advice about what looks good!)
- I will meet you at the studio holder’s entrance to the studio, not the main reception.
When I confirm your appointment, I will let you know where this entrance is and make sure you have my phone number too…just in case you get lost or are delayed.
- I will ask you to sign into our visitors book, using your own pen. I will also ask you to sanitise your hands.
This would be the same process if you were to enter the building via the main reception – all studio holders and visitors are required to sign in and out of the building.
- I will escort you to the lift, and follow you up to the 5th Floor via the one way staircase.
Trust me, the lift is far preferable to the stairs. But using them frequently has made me a lot fitter and they feel less like the Gladiators Travelator now! There is another hand sanitiser station outside the lift on the 5th floor, please do feel free to use it again whilst you wait for me. I promise I won’t be too far behind you though.
During Your Appointment
I clean all my door handles, light switches, plug switches and work surfaces on arrival to my studio. I am currently only working from the studio one or two days a weeks and sadly, have few visitors.
However, I will clean all high touch points again before your appointment – just to be on the safe side.
(As you can see, even my cleaning products are on brand!)
I will also have additional hand sanitiser in the studio for both of us to use if required.
If you have the NHS COVID-19 app on your phone, you can scan the QR code poster on my studio door.
I will keep an electronic record of your time of arrival and departure, in addition to your name, telephone and email address for NHS Test and Trace purposes. If you do not have the app and I am contacted, this is the information that will be passed on. This is information that you would provide to me as part of booking your appointment and it will be stored and used in accordance with my Privacy Notice.
As mentioned, I will keep my distance from you as frequently as possible and wear my face visor and mask throughout your visit.
I will also ensure that a window is open to improve ventilation, I may also prop the door open to aid air circulation.
Any designs that you try on during your appointment will be quarantined for a minimum of 3 days before being returned to my usual storage boxes.
Sadly, I will be unable to offer any refreshments during your appointment.
Leaving the Building
As with your arrival to the studio, I will escort you to the lift. There is another opportunity to sanitise your hands outside the lift on the ground floor if you wish.
However if you wish to walk down the stairs, you are more than welcome to. It is definitely easier going down than up!
I’ll also ask you to sign out using your own pen again – there is another opportunity to sanitise your hands at this point before leaving the building if required.
After Your Appointment
If you develop Covid-19 symptoms or test positive for Covid-19 after attending your appointment, PLEASE notify me immediately by telephone.
I have a duty to inform Yorkshire Artspace to help keep my fellow studio-holders stay as safe as possible, not forgetting my friends and family.
With over 60 studios in the building, some of which are shared spaces, it is vital that any potential risks are communicated. Your understanding in this is greatly appreciated.
It goes without saying that should I suffer symptoms, I will contact you immediately too.
It is my greatest desire to remain Covid-19 free, so I will do everything I can to help reduce the risks to both my clients and myself.
I hope this guidance will help set your mind at rest when considering whether it is safe to book consultation appointments at the studio in the future.
If you have any further queries, or would like to discuss booking an appointment, please do contact me.
Blog Update – 1st October: Updated to include the following information:
- The NHS Covid-19 app and QR poster
- Collection and storage of NHS Test and Trace contact details
- My obligation to wear a face mask
