Terms of Service

Terms and Conditions

Terms and conditions set out the expectations for both the client and the therapist. They aim to avoid disagreement and, in the unlikely situation where a disagreement occurs, they protect both parties. The terms ‘we’, ‘us’ and ‘therapist’ used throughout this document refer to Beth Shelley and Jenny Castledine at Traintalk Limited.

Please read the terms and conditions carefully and feel free to contact your therapist with any questions.

Role of the Parent/Carer

During your child’s therapy, strategies and/or activities will be suggested for you to carry out with your child between therapy sessions. Your therapist will discuss and agree with you an appropriate and manageable level of home practice. Completion of home practice is as important as the therapy sessions themselves, and regular home/ school support results in more positive outcomes.

Prior to the Initial Assessment

You will be provided with a copy of these Terms and Conditions. These should be read and signed prior to the initial assessment session. You will also be sent a case history form which needs to be completed and returned to the therapist before the initial appointment wherever possible.

Initial Assessment

You will receive written confirmation by text message with the details of your child’s initial assessment including the date and time. The location and fee will have been agreed prior to the session. Initial assessments last between 1 and 1.5 hours and are a combination of case history, discussion, informal and/ or formal assessment. At the conclusion of your first appointment, it will be agreed whether further appointments are required based on the individual needs of your child. If specifically requested, a written summary report can be provided. Reports are charged separately per hour with time rounded up to the nearest 15 minutes. If insufficient information is gathered during the first appointment it may sometimes be necessary to carry out further assessment of your child. This will be discussed and agreed with you and you will be informed of any associated costs.

Therapy

Therapy sessions last up to 1 hour (unless otherwise agreed) and can take place at your home or your child’s education setting. The session will include a combination of direct therapy with your child (which typically lasts between 30 and 45 minutes depending on the attention and age of the child), discussion of progress, demonstration/explanation of follow up activities with parents and/or education staff. No fee is charged for time spent planning and writing notes outside of therapy sessions. It is difficult to estimate the exact number of therapy sessions that will be necessary as the frequency and number of therapy sessions depends on the individual needs of your child. This will be discussed and agreed with you prior to commencing therapy and will be reviewed regularly, depending upon the progress your child makes.

Video and Audio recordings

Video and Audio recordings may be taken during your child’s session. These will be viewed following your child’s session for the purpose of writing up the clinical case notes and will be deleted within 24 hours. If videos/audio recordings need to be saved then this will be discussed with you, and the recordings will be stored on a password protected tablet/laptop/mobile phone and then deleted after use. These videos will also be sent to the parent/guardian via Whatsapp so they can retain their own copy.

School/ nursery visits

Teachers/ practitioners often request school/nursery visits. Such visits are only made with parental agreement. These will be charged at the hourly rate. Therapy undertaken in school/ nursery on a regular basis is charged at the standard rate, plus travel. Where home activities are provided, it is the responsibility of the parents/carers to ensure that the therapy materials are sent back on the appropriate day, and for informing the therapist if their child will be absent from school. Parents/carers are encouraged to come to school-based sessions by arrangement with the school and the therapist.

Discharge Criteria

Parents may choose to withdraw their child from therapy at any time. At least 1 weeks notice would be appreciated. Your therapist may also withdraw treatment or discharge the child for any of the following reasons:

• The child’s speech and language skills are within the normal range for their age.
• The child is not making the expected level of progress.
• All appropriate strategies are in place and advice has been given.
• Therapy/intervention is not deemed appropriate.

Fees and Payment

Please refer to the fee information on www.traintalk.org.uk for details of assessment and therapy costs. Initial assessments and therapy sessions will be invoiced electronically via our accounting software following the appointment and must be paid within 24 hours of the invoice date. Fees are subject to annual increase from 1st April each year. Existing clients will be given 8 weeks’ notice of any changes in fees.

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

1. After the agreed 24 hour payment window you will be contacted to remind you that payment is overdue.
2. If an invoice is not paid within 7 days thereafter, you will receive written notice that therapy is suspended pending payment in full. An admin fee of £5 will be added for each late payment.
3. If payment is not received in full within 7 days of therapy being suspended, your therapist reserves the right to refer the matter to a solicitor and to commence legal action.

For school-based contracts, arrangements will be made for invoices to be sent on a termly basis.

Travel Costs

There is no charge for travel within a 5 mile radius of your therapists home. Travel will be charged at 45p per mile thereafter.

Beth Shelley – LE16 7

Jenny Castledine – LE7 9

Cancellation

Notification of a cancelled session must be received by 8pm the day before or you may be required to pay the full cost of the session. It is your responsibility to inform your therapist if your child cannot make an appointment at school, nursery or your home. If your therapist attends an arranged visit to school/nursery/your home and your child is not present you will be charged the full session fee and any applicable mileage charges. If for any reason your therapist has to cancel an appointment with you this will be done as soon as possible and your session rearranged for a mutually convenient time.

Working with the NHS

In many cases, children that receive independent speech and language therapy will also be eligible for (or already receiving) NHS speech and language therapy. It is anticipated that the child’s parent/carer will inform both the Independent and NHS therapist. To ensure effective assessment and therapy, it is beneficial for therapists to liaise for the purpose of information sharing. Additional fees for liaison with other professionals will be discussed and agreed with parents prior to any contact being made.

EHCP assessments, Medico- legal work and Tribunals

Traintalk Ltd. therapists do not write reports for EHC Plans. We do not offer medico-legal assessments or reports or offer tribunal support, e.g. as an expert witness.

Professional registration

Traintalk Ltd. work according to professional guidelines set out by the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) and Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

Data Collection, Data Protection and Information Sharing

Please refer to our Privacy Policy, Data Collection and GDPR document which can be viewed on the Traintalk website at www.traintalk.org.uk.

Safeguarding

Our therapists are DBS (Data Barring Service, formally CRB) checked and hold enhanced certificates. You may request to see those certificates at any time. Safeguarding children is paramount. In the event of a safeguarding concern, where your child or another person is at risk of harm, your therapist has a legal obligation to share relevant information with professionals in accordance with the Safeguarding Children’s Act 2004. You will be informed before doing so providing that in the therapist’s opinion, to do so does not put you or your child at further risk. Our safeguarding policy is available upon request.

Complaints

Most complaints can be resolved by communicating directly with your therapist. Please contact your therapist if you are concerned or dissatisfied in any way. If you wish to make a formal complaint, please contact the Association of Speech and Language Therapists in Independent Practice at www.helpwithtalking.com.

Updated: 31st October 2022