Terms and Conditions
Terms and conditions set out the expectations for the service user and the therapist. They govern the contract between us and ensure that both parties are protected in the unlikely event that a disagreement occurs. Please read our terms and conditions and contact us if you have any questions.
Free Consultation
The purpose is to discuss your specific needs and describe the services available. The consultation is available via email or telephone. Following this consultation, you will be advised if an assessment is appropriate.
Assessment
If indicated a screening assessment will be conducted, this typically lasts up to 1 hour and includes a short-written report and verbal advice. This may include observation and discussion alongside formal and informal assessments. A screening assessment is charged at a standard fee which is outlined within the tariffs on the website.
Special Circumstances
In certain circumstances (e.g. complex cases) detailed assessments may last longer, or further assessment sessions may be recommended (e.g. a school / nursery visit, observation within a different environment). Additional time spent will be charged at the standard rate.
If referral information indicates that a home visit requires 2 members of the service to attend visits, then this may incur an additional charge which will be discussed on an individual case-by-case basis.
Standard Consultation / Therapy Session
Charges are set dependent on the length of the session, and the tariffs are outlined on the website. If sessions fall outside of typical working hours there may be an additional cost which will be agreed in advance. The fees include:
- Time spent directly with the individual
- Planning sessions and resource preparation if required
- Liaison with parents, relatives, carers and other professionals
- School visits & attendance at multi-disciplinary meetings (only made with prior parental agreement)
A standard session typically lasts between ½ – 1 hour depending on the needs of the individual.
Online sessions are offered as appropriate and considerations are made for:
- Suitability for online therapy
- Internet connections to support online therapy
- Telehealth platform used to support online therapy (including appropriate data security checks)
- Confidentiality in the persons environment
- Processes for if technology does not work and session cannot take place
It is often difficult to estimate the exact number of sessions of therapy that will be necessary. It is usual practice to offer a pre-agreed number of treatment sessions, with an opportunity to review management options with you at the end of the period. Therapy sessions can be stopped at any time by the parents, individual or carers. Equally, if it is felt that therapy is at any time not being effective this will be discussed this with you and it may be recommended that we change the input or stop. It is important to note that therapy is generally effective, but this cannot be guaranteed.
Letters, reports and treatment programmes
Written documents that are additional to the screening assessment report are charged for the total time taken to prepare them and based on the standard session rate. Individuals / Parents are responsible for distributing written documents where this is required.
Other services
Talks, workshops, training sessions and supervision / coaching are available, and these can be geared to specific areas of interest. Costs will be discussed on an individual basis.
Travel
A travel charge of 55p per mile is made when travel costs apply (this will be discussed at the point of booking). Additional travel costs such as tolls charges and parking may be chargeable, but these will be agreed at the point of booking.
Liaison
Liaison with all professionals involved in the individual’s care is good practice. I strongly recommend to families / carers / individuals that they keep everyone involved in the care provided and development informed. All reports will be sent to the individual, parents or carers who have initiated the assessment for them to distribute. Liaison with other professionals including NHS SLT’s is encouraged and supported by More than Speech Therapy.
Please note that fees may be subject to change, however this will be discussed in advance of your booking. Existing clients will be given at least 8 weeks’ notice of any changes in fees.
Cancellation policy
Please give a minimum of 24 hours’ notice of cancellation of appointments wherever possible. Failed appointments may be charged at the rate for standard sessions. There may be exceptions, however this will be agreed at the discretion of the individual therapist. If there are repeated cancellations More Than Speech Therapy reserve the right to discharge the person.
More than Speech Therapy aim to keep all appointments, but no liability can be accepted for inconvenience / expense if unforeseen circumstances which mean arrangements have to be cancelled or charged.
Payment
Fees for an initial consultation should be paid on confirmation of the appointment and in advance of receiving the service.
Invoices for therapy will be presented once a month at a prearranged date agreed with individual / parents. If you would like to pay more frequently, please inform the therapist. Individuals are requested to settle their accounts within 10 days of receipt. Cheques should be made payable to More than Speech Therapy. Bank details are provided on the invoice if you wish to pay by bank transfer.
In the event of non-payment, we will contact you to remind you that payment is overdue and an administration fee of £5 may be incurred for late payments. If payment is not received in full within 7 days of a reminder, you will receive written notice that therapy is suspended pending payment in full. If payment is not received within 7 days of therapy being suspended, we reserve the right to refer the matter to a solicitor and to commence legal action.
Please discuss with us directly if you are planning to pay via Health Insurance. You will need to contact your provider to discuss how many sessions they are willing to pay for and if they agree to paying our fees. We are registered with the private practice register which is powered by Health Code.
Data Protection and Consent
This statement sets out More than Speech Therapy’s policy in relation to the holding and using of information about you (your child / your family member) which may be obtained from you or other sources during your (your child’s / your family member’s) treatment. This information may include personal details, details relating to your family lifestyle and social circumstances, education and training details. This data may be shared with yourself, your relatives, and other healthcare or education professionals with your permission. We collect certain data from you to meet mandatory requirements regarding medical notes.
There is a legal requirement to keep medical notes for a period of time after treatment. This can vary in length depending on your age and ability to consent but will be for a minimum of 7 years. For children, all records will be kept securely until your child is 25 years old. After this time, all records will be destroyed.
We also collect data to assist in the administration of our businesses to provide you with an effective service. We would like to use your contact details to assist with the administration of your appointments/changes to scheduled appointments and/or reminders about appointments. To further enhance our service to you, we would like to be able to update you on any information regarding the practice.
We take your privacy seriously and will take all reasonable steps to ensure the protection if your data. Please note that your right to be forgotten cannot override the legal requirements to keep medical notes for the mandatory periods. You can request a copy of any data held about you or your child or request modifications of any inaccuracies by submitting an Access Request in writing. These requests will be dealt with within 30 days. Please refer to our Privacy Policy for further information.
This information is stored securely and treated confidentially according to General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Information is stored on a secure electronic system. Reports and programmes are password protected. Any paper based confidential information is stored securely in accordance with General Data Protection Regulations and the Data Protection Act 2018. If there are data breaches More than Speech Therapy will inform those that are affected and will inform the Information Commissioners Office (ICO). If you wish to complain about the handling of data, you can do this by directly contacting the ICO.
If online sessions take place, the platforms that are used for the sessions will have appropriate data security checks in place, which would be documented in the ‘Data Protection Impact Assessment’ (DPIA).
Maddy Murdoch is registered as a Data Controller with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO).
Consent will be gained within the first session which will include consent for the assessment and interventions/ therapy, consent to share information as appropriate, consent for email communication and other relevant areas. Consent will be gained from the person receiving the assessment / intervention if capacity indicated, alternatively a capacity assessment may be required and a best interest decision. For children under the age of 18 years consent will be gained from those with parental responsibility for the child.
Confidentiality
Information held by More than Speech Therapy is confidential except where a disclosure is required for safeguarding, legal obligations or with consent.
Safeguarding
More than Speech Therapy has an allocated Safeguarding Lead (Krystina Stanway). All members of More Than Speech Therapy have a DBS which is checked every 3 years. Service users may see our DBS enhanced disclosure at any time. All More than Speech Therapy staff members undertake Safeguarding training appropriate to their role. In the event of a safeguarding concern, where your child or another person is at risk of harm, we have a legal obligation to share that information with relevant professionals in line with the Children’s Act 2004 and the Care Act 2014.
For sessions taking place with children and /or vulnerable adults’ consideration is given as to whether a chaperone, parent or carer needs to be present for the sessions.
Professional registration and insurance
All members of More Than Speech Therapy are therapists that are registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and where applicable, members of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT) and Association of Speech and Language Therapists in Independent Practice (ASLTIP). All members of More Than Speech Therapy hold appropriate professional indemnity and public liability insurance.
Electronic communication
Email is not 100% secure method of communication. With your consent, it will be used for correspondence and to send letters, reports and other documents. Documents will be password protected and saved in Printed Document Format (PDF). Correspondence via email to other professionals will be copied to you as necessary. We will refer to you or your child using your initials only in emails.
Complaints
In the unlikely event that you are not satisfied with our service please contact us. We will make every attempt to resolve this through discussion. 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 or contact us directly to support with your complaint.
Declaration
Before an initial consultation, individuals, parents or carers are asked to sign and return a declaration indicating that they have read, understood and agree to the terms and conditions.
Discharge
A person / child will be discharged from More Than Speech Therapy due to:
- Person/ child choice
- Clinical recommendations
- Non-payment for sessions
- Non-attendance for sessions
- Conflict of interest identified
- Circumstances where the clinical needs fall outside of the scope of practice of the allocated therapist
Inclusivity
More than Speech Therapy is an inclusive organisation and where possible aims to make reasonable adjustments to support access to assessment and interventions. If you have any questions relating to this please contact info@morethanspeechtherapy.co.uk
