LUCY COLCOMBE SPEECH THERAPY - TERMS AND CONDITIONS (2022)

Payment

A monthly invoice of received services, as agreed in these Terms & Conditions, will be emailed directly to the appropriate finance department for processing of payments. Payments must be settled in full via bank transfer within three working days (Monday-Friday) of the invoice date.

In the case of failure to pay, all scheduled appointments (including any requested report writing) will cease until payment is received in full. Any outstanding debts will be collected through legal proceedings.

Delays and Cancellation

It is the client’s responsibility to arrive at appointments on time. This includes logging-in to appointments via teletherapy. Appointments will always commence at the scheduled time, unless the therapist has been delayed due to unforeseen circumstances. In circumstances in which the client may be delayed, the therapist must always be contacted via email or telephone call and informed of the delay as soon as possible. The client will still be charged for the full appointment fee regardless of circumstances. In circumstances where the therapist may be delayed, the client will also be contacted as soon as possible and the appointment, or a future appointment, will be extended when possible or the appointment can be rescheduled without charge or cancelled.

It is possible that technical issues may arise during teletherapy appointments. The client is responsible for ensuring that any perceived technical and connection issues are resolved as far as possible prior to their appointment commencing and to maintain adequate connectivity, including audio and visual quality, throughout their appointment. If the therapist is displaying technical issues, any time lost during an appointment will be compensated during that same appointment, or will be allocated to another scheduled appointment. Alternatively, reimbursement of costs for the time lost can be requested.

It is understood that an appointment may need to be cancelled due to illness or unforeseen circumstances. Please cancel appointments at least 24 hours in advance to avoid any charge. If an appointment is cancelled within 24 hours, or no prior notice is given, the full fee of the appointment will be charged.

Should the therapist have to cancel, the client will be informed as early as possible and an alternative date will be offered and arranged as soon as possible.

Individual clients are entitled to withdraw from Speech and Language Therapy services at any time, but giving a minimum of two weeks’ notice would be appreciated. On the occasion of ceasing all services from Lucy Colcombe Speech Therapy for organisations and educational establishments, a minimum of one month’s formal notice must be given.    

Referral

Anyone is able to make referrals to Lucy Colcombe Speech Therapy and are advised to contact the therapist directly to discuss requirements. The full spectrum of services are available to access and often can be delivered effectively via teletherapy. The mode of service delivery will never compromise the achievable outcomes of any therapy intervention your therapist provides.

All assessment and therapy sessions, regardless of the mode of service delivery, are grounded in the most evidence-based research and best practice principles to ensure all therapy needs are met and at the highest possible standards. A client, however, has the right to request a different service delivery model at any time throughout treatment. However, other service delivery models may not always be an option for every client.

Assessment and Treatment Sessions

Should therapy be considered appropriate, the type, length and number of sessions will be discussed and jointly agreed upon with the client, the legal consent holders and carers/key workers. A review of therapy intervention will be scheduled at the end of a block of treatment to discuss prior and any further ongoing intervention where necessary.

For safeguarding reasons, an adult is required to be present at all times during direct contact time between the therapist and the client receiving assessment and/or therapy sessions.

All products and services by Lucy Colcombe Speech Therapy are underpinned by substantial research and evidence-based practice. However, results from therapy are never guaranteed and can be impacted by many factors; only a few of which include the severity of a disorder, client motivation, and involvement from family and significant others. Therefore, as stipulated by law, Lucy Colcombe Speech Therapy makes no guarantees that a client receiving therapy will achieve any specific results. Though it is highly likely that the client’s communication skills will improve with the specialist support and expertise that our therapy services provide. Considering that there are no guarantees in therapy, by signing below, you agree not to attempt to hold Lucy Colcombe Speech Therapy, or the Speech and Language Therapist, liable for any unsatisfactory results, at any time, under any circumstance.

Lucy Colcombe Speech Therapy has the right to decline or cease services at any time without prior notice. However, in typical circumstances, the therapist will aim to provide at least 2 weeks’ notice of service termination. 

Sharing Information

To ensure the best therapy outcomes, it is sometimes necessary to share personal information, such as therapy reports and recommendations, with other professionals (e.g. education, medical, health, and social care professionals). This will only be done with prior written consent from the client and/or legal consent holder as appropriate and stipulated by law. By law, it is the therapist’s duty to comply with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).

Please be aware that if any information is disclosed in an appointment that suggests that the client or any other person (adult or child) is being harmed or could be at risk of harm, this information will be discussed with the Safeguarding Authority, in which permission does not have to be sought.

Data Protection

As part of the assessment and treatment process, personal data will be stored (e.g. name, age, date of birth, address, medical and developmental history, etc.), including storage of assessment and therapy notes, results, treatment plans and reports. Auditory and visual recordings may also be stored as necessary and appropriate for assessment and treatment. Documents and other information is stored and can be shared using the fully GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) compliant Google Business Workspace platform. Clients can request sharing of information via other means (e.g. secure and encrypted email platforms) if they choose. Information that has been shared by other relevant professionals, such as medical/healthcare/educational/social care reports, is also stored securely. This data is necessary and important to inform assessment and treatment. All client personal and professional data is stored securely in either paper and/or electronic form and is only shared following explicit consent from the client and/or legal consent holder. Data relating to a child is legally kept until their 25th birthday and is then properly destroyed. A parent has the right to access their child’s notes by written request. The individual also has the right to rectify or erase any data held about them or their child. Consent to the storage and sharing of information can be withdrawn at any time by informing the therapist in writing/email/verbally. Any information given to the therapist is voluntary, but failure to disclose information or restrict the sharing of important and relevant information may compromise treatment and progress.

There is a small possibility that your Personally Identifiable Information (PII) may be compromised whilst using some teletherapy platforms. However, Lucy Colcombe Speech Therapy will ensure the upmost possible standards in line with current data protection guidelines at all times throughout teletherapy.

Professional Affiliations

The therapist is a member of the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists (RCSLT), Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the Association of Speech and Language Therapists in Independent Practice (ASLTIP). The therapist has an enhanced disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) pertaining to both adult and child contacts. The therapist is registered with the DBS update service which consistently maintains the therapist’s most up-to-date DBS records. The therapist’s consent must be given before others are able to check the therapist’s DBS status online. The therapist is also registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). Written proof can be obtained upon request.

Complaints Procedure

Please discuss any complaints or concerns that you may have with your therapist in the first instance. If the concern is unable to be resolved and you would like to instigate a formal complaint, you can contact ASLTIP (www.helpwithtalking.com) or the HCPC (www.hcpc-uk.org.uk) to discuss your concerns.

Consent

Before initial contact, clients and/or the legal consent holder, as well as the organisation in which services may be provided, are asked to sign a declaration to confirm that they have understood and agree to these terms and conditions. Written consent will also be sought from the legal consent holder regarding consent to treatment and recording and sharing of information. The legal consent holder has the right to refuse or cease services at any time by contacting the therapist directly. This includes declining or ceasing the sharing of any personal service information or documentation, such as reports, to other people or establishments at any time and without prior notice. Payment of any documentation or services already performed is still required from the person/organisation who initially requested it.