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PCO / Psychology & Mental Health Practice Protection
Psychology & Mental Health · Practice Protection · South Africa

Psychology & Mental Health Practice protection when the principal cannot give instructions.

For psychology and mental-health practices where therapeutic relationships, confidential notes, risk-sensitive clients and referral pathways may depend heavily on an individual practitioner.

Start the free Psychology & Mental Health assessmentView Diagnostic pricing
The practical problem

Trusted people are not the same as tested authority.

PCO looks at what must keep working when the normal decision-maker is unexpectedly unavailable and unable to give instructions — who steps in, what they may do, which systems they can use, what limits apply and what still depends on a professional, provider or formal approval.

Practice structures

The Diagnostic changes with the way the practice is structured.

01 · Structure

Sole practitioner

One practitioner carries the clinical caseload and practice decisions.

02 · Structure

Shared rooms / small practice

Independent or associated practitioners share some systems or administration.

03 · Structure

Multi-practitioner practice

Several practitioners use shared staff, systems and referral channels.

Profession-specific focus

What PCO would examine in a psychology & mental health practice.

High-risk clients
Confidential notes
Urgent-risk escalation
Referrals
Diary & billing
Privacy boundaries
Referrer communication
Practice payments
Questions that matter

The Diagnostic tests the operating reality, not just whether a document exists.

Examples from the Psychology & Mental Health pathway:

01If you become unexpectedly unavailable and cannot give instructions, who identifies clients who may need urgent contact without exposing your whole caseload?
02Can an appropriate practitioner access the minimum information needed while reception, family and other staff remain outside confidential notes?
03Who handles a high-risk message, urgent referrer or crisis escalation after you become unexpectedly unavailable and cannot give instructions?
04Can sessions, medical-aid administration and routine billing continue without giving administrative staff clinical access?
05What message is given to clients if the absence is one day, two weeks or much longer?
Practice Protection Diagnostic fees

Three structures. A defined entry price for each.

The Diagnostic price reflects the amount of work normally created by the profession and structure. Guided Protection Review and Practice Protection Plan fees are scoped only after the Diagnostic.

Sole practitioner
R4,500
excl. VAT · standard published scope

Profession-specific Practice Protection Diagnostic for this structure.

Shared rooms / small practice
R6,500
excl. VAT · standard published scope

Profession-specific Practice Protection Diagnostic for this structure.

Multi-practitioner practice
R9,500
excl. VAT · standard published scope

Profession-specific Practice Protection Diagnostic for this structure.

Standard published scope: one legal entity and an ordinary small-to-medium professional practice. Multi-entity groups, more than 10 professionals, or more than two operating locations / branches are confirmed by PCO before payment.
The full Diagnostic

Twelve protection areas have to work together.

01Decision responsibilityWho normally decides, who can step in, and where decisions must escalate.
02Professional eligibilityRegistration, scope, competence, supervision or other eligibility required for regulated work.
03Client / patient / matter handoverWhat is live, urgent, incomplete or at risk if the principal stops giving instructions.
04Records & information custodyWho may see records, what must stay confidential, and how access is controlled.
05Systems & authenticationNamed-user access, portals, MFA, recovery routes and single-person credential dependencies.
06Money & payment limitsBanking, payroll, suppliers, refunds, client money where relevant, approval limits and backups.
07Contracts, mandates & approvalsWho may instruct, approve, sign, vary, renew or escalate commitments.
08Providers & third partiesBanks, SARS, regulators, laboratories, insurers, vendors and other external dependencies.
09Deadlines & renewalsFilings, court dates, project milestones, licence renewals, audits and client promises.
10Staff & operating coordinationWhat managers and staff may do, where their limits sit, and what cannot be casually delegated.
11Escalation & prohibited actionsWhat must not be done without the principal or required professional/provider approval.
12Evidence, testing & reviewWhat proves the arrangement exists, who accepted the role, and whether access and fallbacks were tested.
How it works

From free indication to a controlled plan.

01Free AssessmentFive profession-specific questions and a mini report.
02Practice Protection DiagnosticPCO tests the full 12-area pathway and produces findings.
03Guided Protection ReviewResponsibilities, limits, evidence and fallbacks are worked through.
04PPP + NEXUSApproved arrangements become a managed Practice Protection Plan.
Important boundary: neither the free assessment nor the Diagnostic verifies that a POA, bank mandate, professional registration, provider permission, system entitlement or other arrangement is legally or operationally effective merely because the client says it exists. PCO identifies and tests the dependency; the relevant adviser, institution, regulator or provider confirms what only they can confirm.
Two useful starting questions

Would the practice know what to do tomorrow?

01If you become unexpectedly unavailable and cannot give instructions, who identifies clients who may need urgent contact without exposing your whole caseload?
02Can an appropriate practitioner access the minimum information needed while reception, family and other staff remain outside confidential notes?
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