Terms and conditions set out the expectations for the service user and Therapist.  They govern the contract between us and ensure that both parties are protected in the unlikely event that a disagreement occurs.  Please read my terms and conditions and contact me if you have any questions.  Please sign both copies, returning one to me before our first appointment.  Thank you.

A)  First Appointment (Assessment)

1.         An invoice will be sent to you prior to your initial appointment. This invoice will need to be paid 48 hours prior to your appointment otherwise this appointment will be cancelled and reallocated. 

2.         At the end of the first appointment, the Therapist will explain whether your child requires further speech and language therapy support.  This may be further assessment or therapy. 

3.         The Therapist will let you know whether they have the correct skills and experience to meet their needs.

4.         The Therapist will signpost you to other professionals if necessary. 

B)  Further Appointments

1.         Your child must have attended an assessment appointment with Wise Words Speech Therapy or have a satisfactory speech and language report (that is no more than 6 months old) before commencing therapy.  This enables the Therapist to plan appropriate therapy.

2.         Therapy sessions can be arranged in your home, Clinic and/or your child’s educational setting.

3.         Therapy appointments will be agreed and booked in advance.  The Therapist will agree the number of sessions at the point of booking.

4.         The Therapist will review the need for further sessions at the end of each block of sessions.

5.         Therapy sessions last 45 minutes unless agreed otherwise.  This time may include direct work with your child, discussion of progress, demonstration/explanation of follow up activities.

C)  Fees

1.         The fee for your first appointment will be payable prior to your appointment.

2.         Fees for therapy sessions must be paid in advance of each session commencing.

3.         Additional reports, meetings or visits will be invoiced once completed.

4.         The Therapist will seek agreement from you prior to undertaking any additional work that will incur further fees.

5.         Please refer to “Services and Fees” on www.wisewordsspeechandlanguage.co.uk

D)  Fee Changes

1.         Fees are subject to annual increases from 31^st March each year.

2.         Existing clients will be given 8 weeks notice of any changes in fees

3.         Fee increases will not apply to therapy blocks which have already started or sessions which have already been booked or invoiced.

E)  Payment terms:

1.         Invoices must be paid within 7 days of the invoice date.

2.         Preferred method of payment is via bank transfer to the following account:

Wise Words Speech Therapy Limited, 20-89-56 | 80933503

3.         Cash or cheque payments are also accepted. Cheques should be made payable to Wise Words Speech Therapy Ltd

F)  Non-Payment

The following process will apply in the event of non-payment:

·       Wise Words Speech Therapy will contact you to remind you that payment is overdue

·       If an invoice is not paid within 7 days thereafter you will receive written notice that therapy is suspended pending payment in full

·       If payment is not received in full within 7 days of therapy being suspended, Wise Words Speech Therapy reserves the right to refer the matter to a solicitor and to commence legal action.

G)  Health Insurance

1.         If you are claiming fees through private health insurance, you will need to pay the Therapists fees in full in accordance with the payment terms above and then claim this back through your insurance.

2.         It is recommended that you check with your insurance company prior to booking appointments to ensure that you are covered.

H) Travel

1.         45p per mile return journey from the Therapist’s base will be charged

2.         Travel times are calculated using google maps

3.         All journeys are calculated from the Therapists base 

I)  Cancellations

1.         If your Therapist needs to cancel an appointment he/she will let you know as soon as possible and reschedule the appointment.

2.         If you need to cancel an appointment please contact the Therapist as soon as possible.

3.         The session will be refunded in full if you contact the Therapist before 9am on the day of the appointment.

4.         If you cancel the appointment after 9am on the day of the appointment, a cancellation fee of £30 will be incurred.

J)  Non-attendance

1.         The full session will apply in the event of non-attendance.  Non-attendance includes:

·       If you are not in when the Therapist comes to an appointment at your home

·       If your child is not at school or pre-school when the Therapist attends an arranged visit. 

2.         It is your responsibility to inform the Therapist if your child is not going to be at school or preschool for an appointment. 

K)  Reports and Programmes

1.         Reports and programmes will be supplied to you on request.

2.         Unless expressly included in the session fee or otherwise agreed, an additional fee calculated by reference to hourly rates will be charged for writing reports and/or programmes.

3.         Reports and/or programmes can be shared by you with other professionals as you choose.

4.         Reports and/or programmes will be sent to you via email.

L)  Resources

1.         The cost of making resources is charged per hour as per the up to date charges sheet. 

2.         A copy of resources for school or pre-school can also be provided as per the charges above.

3.         If you would like resources to be laminated the Therapist can provide this service at a charge of 50p per laminate.

4.         Laminating fees will be charged at the end of each therapy block.

M)  Data Protection

1.         Wise Words Speech Therapy are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) as a Data Controller.  You can view my ICO registration by visiting: www.ico.org.uk/ESDWebPages/Entry/ZA097792.

2.         All client details, case notes and correspondence will be stored securely and treated confidentially according to General Data Protection Regulations and the Data Protection Act 1988.

3.         Information is stored on a secure electronic system called “WriteUpp”.  Reports and programmes are password protected.

4.         Any paper based confidential information is stored securely in accordance with General Data Protection Regulations and the Data Protection Act 1988.

5.         In accordance with law, all records will be kept securely until your child is 25 years old.  After this time all records relating to your child will be destroyed.

6.         You may apply in writing to access an electronic copy of your child’s notes or to request modifications of any inaccuracies.  These requests will be dealt with within 30 days.

7.         For further information please refer to Wise Words Speech Therapy Ltd at   www.wisewordsspeechandlanguage.co.uk

N)  Safeguarding

1.         For your peace of mind, your Therapist’s DBS is renewed annually.  Service users can see the Therapists DBS enhanced disclosure at any time.

2.         In the event of a safeguarding concern, where your child or another person is at risk of harm, the Therapist has a legal obligation to share that information with relevant professionals in line with the Safeguarding Children’s Act 2004.

O)  Liaison with other professionals

1.         To offer the best service to your child it is often important for the Therapist to liaise with other professionals involved in their care. 

2.         This includes people such as NHS Speech and Language Therapists, school/pre-school staff, your GP or other medical/educational staff.

P)  Use of Video

1.         Some assessments and therapy techniques involve the use of video to record your child playing with you.

2.         The videos are temporarily stored on an encrypted, password protected tablet.  Once the video has been used as needed in therapy it will be deleted.  No copies will be retained.

Q)  Electronic communication

1.         Email is not a 100% secure method of communication.  With your consent, it will be used for correspondence and to send letters, reports and other documents.

2.         Documents will be password protected and saved in Printed Document Format (PDF)

3.         Correspondence via email to other professionals will be copied to you as necessary

4.         The Therapist will refer to your child in emails by their initials or first name only.

S)  Complaints

1.         In the unlikely event that you are not satisfied with Wise Words Speech Therapy please contact us on sltenquiries@speechandlanguage.co.uk.  We will make every attempt to resolve this through discussion.

2.         If it is not possible for us to resolve matters, and you wish to complain formally, please contact the Association of Speech and Language Therapists in Independent Practice at www.helpwithtalking.com

Declaration                                                                  *Please delete as appropriate

I understand I can contact Wise Words Speech Therapy before signing the terms and conditions if I have any questions

I agree to my Therapist liaising with other professionals when it is in my child’s best interests  *YES

I agree to my Therapist using video as necessary in my child’s speech and language therapy sessions as described above    *YES/

I understand that my Therapist will be storing and processing my child’s personal information as described above     *YES

I give consent for my Therapist to use email as a form of communication with me and other professionals as described above     *YES

By signing below, I am agreeing to these terms and conditions.

SIGNED:                                                          Print Name …………………………

                                                                        Relationship to Child ………………

                                                                        Date ……………………………

Please give the email address(es) you would like me to use in correspondence with you

Email address ……… ………………………………………………………………