UK Therapy Guide – Therapist’s Terms of Engagement
- These Terms govern the relationship between UK Therapy Guide (“UKTG,” “we” “us”, “our”, or “Platform”) and the Therapist (“you” or “your”).
- The Platform acts as a “Conduit Platform”, bringing together the Public and Therapy Professionals.
- The Platform invites the Therapist to provide their services to the Platform’s Users.
- The Therapist accepts this invitation, subject to the following terms
- These terms cover the legal and contractual aspects of the relationship between UKTG and the Therapist.
Definitions:
Client: means an individual over the age of 18 who uses the UK Therapy Guide platform to connect with and receive therapy services from a therapist.
Therapist: means a qualified and registered professional who provides therapy services to clients through the UK Therapy Guide platform.
UK Therapy Guide: The online platform and service that connects clients with therapists and provides related administrative and support services.
Platform: The UK Therapy Guide website.
Services: The therapy services provided by therapists to clients through the UK Therapy Guide platform, as well as the placement and customer support services provided by UK Therapy Guide to clients.
1. Eligibility:
1.1 Professional Qualifications and Registration:
1.1.1 To participate in our operations, all Therapists are required to hold relevant qualifications in psychotherapy, counselling, or a related field from a recognised institution,
1.1.2 Therapists must be registered members of and in good standing with a relevant UK professional body, such as the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), or the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) where applicable (e.g., for Practitioner Psychologists).
1.1.3 Therapists must provide evidence of their qualifications and registration upon application and maintain active registration throughout their engagement with UK Therapy Guide.
1.2 Insurance:
1.2.1 Therapists must maintain valid professional indemnity insurance that meets the requirements of their professional body and this shall also cover any services provided to clients using the UK Therapy Guide platform.
1.2.3 Evidence of current, up-to-date Professional Liability insurance with a recognised UK Insurer must be provided upon application to UKTG, and renewed annually, with a letter or confirmation copy of the current year’s premium having been paid. Such confirmation shall be held by UK Therapy Guide for the purposes of verifying such insurance is in place, and retained in accordance with its Privacy & Data Policy. A minimum insurance value of £2m liability cover is required to be held.
1.3 Legal Requirements:
1.3.1 Therapists may be required to undergo a criminal record check (e.g., a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check) to ensure the safety and well-being of UKTG Users. A copy of which shall be held on file by UKTG and in accordance with its Privacy Policy.
1.3.2 Therapists must have the legal right to work as a self-employed professional in the UK. Such evidence shall be provided to UKTG to enable us to comply with our legal requirements under UK Immigration Law, that anyone obtaining paid work through UKTG, must have the legal Right to Remain and Work in the United Kingdom. This proof shall be held on file as per our Privacy Policy. Should it be discovered that the Therapist does not hold the required right/s or loses such rights, then the engagement with UKTG shall come to an immediate end.
2. Acceptance of Terms and Ethical Conduct:
2.1 When an Applicant has been accepted to our Register of Therapists, they shall be subject to these Terms of Engagement.
2.2 Acceptance of an Applicant as a Therapist is at the sole discretion and judgement discretion of UKTG.
3. Suitability and Reputation:
3.1 A Therapist should not engage in any outside political, religious, offensive or campaign activity which could be considered detrimental to UKTG’s reputation or bring UKTG into disrepute. The Therapist shall at all times abide by the applicable Codes of Conduct of their respective professional body.
3.2 The Therapist shall be entitled to engage in their own private client therapy or for other organisations or other paid work, but shall refrain from the provision of counselling therapy services for anyone who would in normal assumption, be a competitor to the services of UKTG, and shall not undermine, circumvent or otherwise diminish UKTG.
3.3 Therapists must act at all times in a professional manner towards clients, adhering to the ethical framework of their respective professional body (e.g., BACP Ethical Framework, UKCP Code of Ethics).
3.4 Any behaviour deemed unacceptable or inappropriate, or any unwanted or inappropriate actions towards our Users will lead to an immediate suspension of further Therapy or contact being delivered pending our review.
3.5 UKTG therefore reserves the right to terminate the engagement of any Therapist whose conduct is, or may deemed to be in normal assumption or in UKTG’s reasonable opinion, damaging to the character of the site or whose actions amount to a breach of the Terms of Engagement or where such expulsion otherwise, is considered to be in the interests of the Users and other Therapists of UKTG.
3.6 Therapists must only offer services within their areas of competency and within the scope of their training and qualifications.
3.7UK Therapy Guide reserves the right to request information about a therapist’s training and experience to ensure they are working within their competency.
4. Service Agreement
4.1 UK Therapy Guide operates an online platform that facilitates connections between prospective clients seeking therapy, and qualified, registered therapists in the UK.
4.2 The platform provides therapists with a profile page to showcase their qualifications, experience, and therapeutic approach.
4.3 UK Therapy Guide handles client bookings, payment processing, and administrative tasks related to connecting clients and therapists.
4.4 UKTG provides customer support via a dedicated, responsive team to users of the platform, and also to therapists on the basis of Administrative support basis only.
5. Professional Conduct and Platform Values
5.1 The Therapist agrees to provide therapy services to clients in a professional and ethical manner, adhering to the standards of care and ethical guidelines of their UK professional body (e.g., BACP, UKCP).
5.2 The Therapist agrees to conduct themselves in a manner that upholds the values, spirit, and reputation of the UK Therapy Guide platform.
5.3 The Therapist makes a good-faith effort to align their practices with the principles outlined in the UKTG Therapist Guidelines, contributing to a positive, supportive, and professional environment for clients. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Conducting thorough initial assessments to determine the client’s needs and goals.
- Emphasising the benefits of consistent, weekly therapy and multi-session packages.
- Maintaining accurate and up-to-date availability on the platform.
- Upholding Platform Reputation: Refraining from any conduct that could be considered detrimental to UK Therapy Guide’s reputation or bring UK Therapy Guide into disrepute.
- UK Therapy Guide reserves the right to address any conduct or user concerns, that, while not a direct breach of these Terms of Engagement, is deemed to be significantly inconsistent with our stated values, detrimental to the platform’s community or reputation, or harmful to clients. Such conduct may result in an improvement notice or termination of the Therapist’s profile.
6. Clinical Responsibilities
6.1 The Therapist is responsible for conducting initial clinical assessments to determine the suitability of clients for therapy and to ensure they can provide the correct form of appropriate support.
6.2 The Therapist is responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of all client information in their care or which is revealed to them. The Therapist should also adhere to the stipulations of the UK GDPR and any relevant ethical guidelines of their professional body.
6.3 The Therapist should maintain their own individual privacy & Data Policy, and such should be broadly in line with the Privacy & Data Policy of UKTG.
6.4 It is the Therapist’s sole responsibility to ensure that they have the appropriate technology and a suitable environment for conducting online therapy sessions, such as a reliable Internet connection, phone signal and uninterrupted, quiet working space which avoids distractions.
7. Platform Exclusivity
7.1 Exclusivity for UK Therapy Guide Clients: All therapy services provided to clients introduced to the Therapist via the UK Therapy Guide platform must be conducted exclusively through the platform. Therapists shall not solicit, encourage, or accept such clients for private sessions outside of the UK Therapy Guide platform.
7.2 Platform Usage: Therapists are required to use the UK Therapy Guide booking platform for all appointments with clients introduced by UK Therapy Guide. Such use may be monitored or recorded for safety and administrative purposes and the Therapist agrees to such record being made. The Therapist is not obliged to take sessions or work via UKTG, nor is the Platform obliged to offer any.
7.3 Consequences of Non-Compliance: In respect of any violation of these Terms of Engagement, the UK Therapy Guide reserves the right to impose a fee to cover lost revenue and administrative costs directly attributable and associated with the breach of this agreement. Such fee will not exceed the amount of any actual loss.
7.4 No Guaranteed Volume: UK Therapy Guide does not guarantee a specific number of client referrals or any minimum client fees to Therapists using the platform.
8. Fees and Payment
8.1 Setting Appointment Prices: Details of session fees are agreed before inclusion of a Therapist onto our site.
8.2 Therapist Fee Changes: Therapists may request a change of their agreed fees, but any changes must be submitted to UK Therapy Guide in writing (via email) at least 30 days in advance. UK Therapy Guide reserves the right to approve or deny fee change requests based on market conditions, platform pricing strategy, and other relevant factors. Approved fee changes will only apply to new bookings made after the effective date of the change.
8.3 Therapists agree to maintain consistent fees across all platforms and websites where they offer their services.
8.4 UK Therapy Guide displays its use fees to Users. However, we reserve the right to review and adjust Therapist fees on the platform to ensure compliance with this policy. In the event of a discrepancy, UK Therapy Guide will discuss the matter with the Therapist and may require the Therapist to adjust their fees on UK Therapy Guide, to align with their rates advertised elsewhere. Failure to comply with this policy may result in the withdrawal of the Therapist’s profile.
8.5 UK Therapy Guide applies a 25% commission fee to all therapist services on the platform
8.6 Platform Fee Changes: UK Therapy Guide reserves the right to modify its fees and will give at least 30 days written notice (via email) of any changes to the fee structure, to ensure that the Therapist agrees to those changes. Changes to the commission structure will only apply to bookings made after the effective date of the change. The Therapist will be at liberty to disagree those changes, decline further engagement and be removed from the UKTG Directory. Should the Therapist continue to use the Platform after the notification period, they will be deemed to have accepted those changes in the Terms of Engagement (The Contract for Services being rendered).
9. Payment Collection and Invoicing
9.1 The Client will make their payments on the UKTG platform, whereupon all payments (including any fee owing to the Therapist), shall be placed into an ‘Escrow’ function on trust.
9.2 The Therapist will receive a Client’s appointment confirmation via the Platform, from where the User chooses their individual Therapist from the website and pays the initial fee online.
9.3 The Therapist shall then invoice UKTG at the end of each month for the previous month’s client therapy appointments.
9.4 The Therapist shall be required to submit such invoices by the 5th working day of each month, with all sessions completed within a calendar month to be invoiced the following month.
9.5 Whereupon after approval, the amount due to the Therapist shall be released for payment. At all times, it is the Therapist’s sole responsibility to ensure that their invoice/s is/are sent in a timely manner and before the required date. Without them, payments will not be processed. Any amount that is missed due to failure to invoice by the due date, will be processed at the next monthly cycle.
10. Liability and Indemnity
10.1 The Therapist is solely responsible for its therapy services provided to clients through the UK Therapy Guide platform. The Therapist shall ensure that their services comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and professional standards, including but not limited to the ethical guidelines of their respective professional body (e.g., BACP, UKCP).
10.2 The Therapist acknowledges that at all times, they are acting as a Self-Employed Contractor, and not as an employee or agent of UK Therapy Guide. As such, the Therapist is responsible for all aspects of their services and practice, including clinical decisions, client care, and record-keeping. Furthermore, the Therapist shall be solely responsible for the payment of any taxes or National Insurance Contributions (NICs) on any income they derive from UKTG.
11. Professional Liability Insurance
11.1 The Therapist shall maintain professional liability insurance that covers all aspects of their practice, including any claims arising from negligence, breach of duty, or malpractice. The insurance must be adequate to cover potential liabilities arising from the provision of therapy services through the UK Therapy Guide platform, including remote or international services if applicable.
11.2 As per Clauses 2.1 and 2.2, the Therapist shall provide proof of insurance to UK Therapy Guide upon request and ensure that the insurance remains in effect throughout their engagement with the platform. Failure to maintain adequate insurance may result in a block upon or termination of the Therapist’s profile.
12. Indemnification
12.1 The Therapist shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless UK Therapy Guide (including its affiliates, directors, officers, employees, agents, and suppliers) from and against any and all losses, liabilities, damages, claims, and expenses (including reasonable attorney’s fees and costs) arising out of or relating to:
a) the Therapist’s breach of these Terms of Engagement;
b) the Therapist’s negligent acts or omissions in providing their therapy services;
c) any claims made by clients or third parties arising from the Therapist’s provision of therapy services; or
d) the Therapist’s violation of any law, regulation, or professional standard.
12.2 This indemnification obligation shall survive the termination of this agreement. UKTG shall not exclude death or personal injury caused as a direct result of its own directly attributable negligence, nor for any other act or omission which we are unable to exclude by Law.
13. Limitation of Liability
13.1 To the maximum extent permitted by law, UK Therapy Guide’s liability for damages or losses arising from this agreement shall be limited to the amount of fees paid by the Therapist to UK Therapy Guide in the six (6) months prior to the event giving rise to the liability.
13.2 UK Therapy Guide shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits or revenues or opportunity, whether incurred directly or indirectly, or any loss of data, use, goodwill, or other intangible losses unless caused by our own attributable negligence.
13.3 UK Therapy Guide makes no representations or warranties regarding the suitability, reliability, or timeliness of the platform for the provision of its Therapy service. The Therapist acknowledges that the use of the platform is at their own risk and indemnifies UKTG for any losses whatsoever, unless caused by our own attributable negligence.
14. Dispute Resolution
14.1 In the event of any dispute, controversy, or claim arising out of or relating to this agreement, including the breach, termination, or validity thereof, it shall be resolved in accordance with the following procedure:
(a) Mediation: The Parties shall first attempt to resolve the dispute through mediation administered by the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) or another mutually agreed-upon mediation service. The mediation shall be conducted in accordance with the CEDR Model Mediation Rules (or the rules of the agreed-upon mediation service). The parties shall share the costs of the mediation equally.
(b) Litigation: If the dispute is not satisfactorily resolved through the mediation process of our appointed ADR Provider, then either Party may then commence litigation in the Courts of England and Wales, which shall have exclusive jurisdiction to settle any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with this agreement. Depending on the nation of your residence, you may also be able to launch proceedings in the Courts of Scotland or Northern Ireland.
15. Termination
15.1 Due to the operational needs of the Platform and our service, the UK Therapy Guide may terminate this agreement with the Therapist at any time, with or without cause, by providing 90 days’ written notice to the therapist.
15.2 UK Therapy Guide may also terminate this agreement immediately, without notice, if any of the following occur:
a) The Therapist breaches any material term of these Terms of Engagement;
b) The Therapist engages in unprofessional, unethical, or illegal conduct;
c) The Therapist’s registration with their professional body is suspended or revoked;
d) UK Therapy Guide receives and upholds complaints from clients or other Therapists regarding the Therapist’s conduct or services;
e) The Therapist’s actions are deemed under the Terms of Engagement, to be detrimental to the reputation or interests of UK Therapy Guide;
f) The Therapist fails to maintain adequate professional liability insurance;
g) UK Therapy Guide determines, in its sole discretion, that the Therapist is no longer a suitable fit for the platform
h) The Therapist loses the right to remain and/or work in the United Kingdom
i) The Therapist is found to be lacking in skill or ability after any agreed initial ‘probationary’ or test period.
15.4 The Therapist may terminate this agreement at any time by providing 90 days’ written notice to UK Therapy Guide.
15.5 During the notice period following either termination by the Therapist or by UK Therapy Guide, the Therapist must ensure that all remaining therapy sessions with clients introduced to them via the UK Therapy Guide platform continue to be booked and conducted through the platform. This ensures continuity of care for the client and proper management of bookings and payments through the UK Therapy Guide system.
15.6. Consequences of Termination: Upon termination of this agreement, the Therapist shall cease providing therapy services through the UK Therapy Guide platform, and the UK Therapy Guide shall:
a) Pay the Therapist any outstanding fees or services provided prior to the termination date, subject to any deductions for breaches of this agreement; and
b) Remove the Therapist’s profile from the platform
Termination of this agreement shall not affect any rights or obligations that have accrued prior to the termination date.
15.7. The provisions relating to indemnification, limitation of liability, intellectual property, and governing law shall survive the termination of this agreement.
15.8. During and after this agreement the Therapist shall not hold themselves out as an employee or agent of UKTG. The Therapist warrants and guarantees that during this agreement and for a period of 2 (two) years following the termination of this Agreement and their provision of services they shall not shall lure, engage or take on as a client, any current or former client of UKTG, or directly or indirectly engage in any similar online activity (whether paid or voluntary) or compete in a similar business to that of UKTG
15.9. During this Agreement and for a period of 2 (two) years after the termination of this Agreement and their provision of services, the Therapist agrees to keep confidential all dealings with UKTG, its clients or Officers and to respect all Confidential Information.
15.10 Upon termination, UK Therapy Guide will process any outstanding payments owed to the Therapist within 30 days, provided that the Therapist has submitted all required invoices and documentation. UK Therapy Guide reserves the right to withhold payments if there is a reasonable basis to believe that the Therapist has breached this agreement or engaged in misconduct.
16. Confidentiality
16.1 As used herein “Confidential Information” shall mean any and all technical and non-technical information provided by the Company, including but not limited to: data or other proprietary information relating to services, inventions, plans, methods, processes, know-how, developmental or experimental work, computer programs, databases, authorship, customer lists (including the names, buying habits or practices of any clients), the names of vendors or suppliers, marketing methods, reports, analyses, business plans, financial information, statistical information, or any other subject matter pertaining to any business of the UKTG or any its respective clients, consultants, or licensees that is disclosed to the recipient under the terms of this Agreement.
16.2 Confidential Information does not include information which:
a) has become generally known to the public through no wrongful act by the Recipient;
b) has been rightfully received by Recipient from a third-party without restriction on disclosure and without breach of an obligation of confidentiality running either directly or indirectly to the Recipient;
c) has been approved for release to the general public by written authorisation of the Disclosing Party;
d) has been disclosed pursuant to the requirement of a governmental agency or a Court of Law without similar restrictions or other protections against public disclosure; or,
e) has been independently developed by the Recipient without use, directly or indirectly of the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information.
17. Intellectual Property
17.1 All content on the UK Therapy Guide platform, including but not limited to text, graphics, logos, images, software, and other materials (collectively, “UKTG Content”), is owned by or licensed to UK Therapy Guide and is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.
17.2 Therapists are granted a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and use UKTG Content solely for the purpose of providing therapy services through the platform in accordance with these Terms of Engagement.
17.3 Therapists may not copy, modify, distribute, sell, or create derivative works based on UKTG Content without the express written consent of UK Therapy Guide.
17.4 Therapists retain ownership of the intellectual property rights to their own original content, including but not limited to their profile information, articles, blog posts, and other materials submitted to the platform (collectively, “Therapist Content”).
17.5 By submitting Therapist Content to the platform, Therapists grant UK Therapy Guide a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, distribute, and display such content on the platform and in connection with UK Therapy Guide’s marketing and promotional activities. Such permission/ licence shall be ended upon termination of the Therapist’s services to UKTG.
17.6 Therapists represent and warrant that they have the right to grant the licenses described in this section and that their content does not infringe the intellectual property rights of any third party.
18. Use of UK Therapy Guide Name & Branding
18.1 Therapists may use UK Therapy Guide’s branding and trademarks solely for the purpose of identifying themselves as participating therapists on the platform.
18.2 Therapists may not use UK Therapy Guide’s branding or trademarks in any manner that is misleading, deceptive, or disparaging.
18.3 UK Therapy Guide reserves the right to revoke a Therapist’s right to use its branding and trademarks at any time, for any reason.
19. Copyright Infringement
19.1 UK Therapy Guide respects the intellectual property rights of others and expects its therapists to do the same.
19.2 If you believe that your copyrighted work has been infringed on the UK Therapy Guide platform, please notify us in writing with the following information:
(a) a description of the copyrighted work that you claim has been infringed;
(b) a description of the material that you claim is infringing and its location on the platform;
(c) your contact information, including your name, address, telephone number, and email address;
(d) a statement that you have a good faith belief that the use of the material is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law; and
(e) a statement that the information in your notice is accurate and that you are the copyright owner or authorised to act on the copyright owner’s behalf.
19.3 UK Therapy Guide will investigate all claims of copyright infringement and take appropriate action, which may include removing the infringing material.
20. Governing Law and General
20.1 Governing Law: These Terms of Engagement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the Laws of England and Wales.
20.2 Entire Agreement: These Terms of Engagement constitute the entire Agreement between UK Therapy Guide and the Therapist with respect to the subject matter in hand and supersede all prior or contemporaneous communications and proposals, whether oral or written, between the parties with respect to such subject matter.
20.3 Severability: If any provision of these Terms of Engagement is held by a competent Court or Authority to be invalid or unenforceable, such provision shall be struck and the remaining provisions shall be enforced.
20.4 Waiver: No waiver of any provision of these Terms of Engagement shall be effective unless in writing and signed by the waiving party. No failure or delay by either party in exercising any right, power, or privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise thereof preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, power, or privilege.
20.5 Assignment: The se Terms of Engagement are specific to the Parties to them. The Therapist may not assign or transfer these Terms of Engagement, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of UK Therapy Guide. UK Therapy Guide may assign or transfer these Terms of Engagement, in whole or in part, without restriction.
20.6 Notices: All notices and other communications shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given when delivered personally, sent by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, or sent by email to the address set forth in the Therapist’s application or as otherwise specified by either party in writing.
20.7 Amendments: UK Therapy Guide reserves the right to amend these Terms of Engagement at any time by posting the amended terms on the platform. The amended terms shall be effective 30 days after posting. The Therapist’s continued use of the UKTG Service after the effective date of the amended terms shall constitute their acceptance of the amended terms.
20.8 Counterparts: These Terms of Engagement may comprise of various other Counterparts such as an Appendix, which terms and conditions shall form part of the overall terms of Engagement and are to be read in conjunction with them.