Terms and Conditions
Contracts
If you verbally commit to a speech and language therapy sessions, you are agreeing to accept the terms and conditions below. Please read them carefully and do not hesitate to ask any questions that may arise from them.
Location of sessions
Assessments will generally be offered in your own home, so that your child can be assessed and observed in familiar and relaxed surroundings. I would ask that you provide a quiet environment, free from distraction (e.g. phone, TV) where possible. It is also expected that you will stay with your child for the duration of the session. Unless otherwise arranged, therapy sessions will be provided at my premises in Godalming, Surrey.
If you wish to discuss the possibility of arranging sessions elsewhere, please contact me by email or telephone.
Geographical area covered
I am willing to provide assessments, and possibly some therapy session, to homes within a 10 mile radius of Godalming, Surrey. This covers GU postcodes in most of west Surrey, and parts of north east Hampshire. If you live out with this area, I may be able to offer sessions with an additional travel cost. Please contact me to discuss this further.
Working hours
I provide sessions usually between 9am and 5pm, with the last appointment starting no later than 4.30pm. If you wish to discuss the possibility of arranging sessions outside these hours, please contact me by email or telephone.
Role of the parent/carer
During a child's block of therapy, I usually provide tasks for you to carry out with your child for short times between therapy sessions. Completion of these tasks is as important as the therapy sessions themselves, and regular home support usually results in more positive outcomes.
It is therefore essential that you commit to attending all the agreed therapy sessions where possible, to ensuring that an adult consistently attends with your child, and to carrying out the tasks provided, and modelled by me.
Services and Fees
All fees include administrative tasks outside the contact time with you and your child, e.g. liaison, paperwork, session planning, preparation of resources and also the cost of materials provided.
If you commit to speech and language therapy assessment, you will be asked to make a payment of £85 on the first day of assessment. This cost will include taking a detailed case history about your child and his/her development, assessment of speech, language and communication skills (including any subsequent sessions which will need to be arranged to complete assessment), and a written report discussing your child's speech and language development, highlighting areas of concern, and informing you of my recommendations. These recommendations may include therapy sessions, however you do not have to commit to these with myself unless you choose to.
If recommendations include onward referrals (for example to a paediatrician), this may require you to ask your GP to make the referral on your behalf.
If you choose to take up therapy sessions with myself, it is usually appropriate to offer therapy in 'blocks' of 6 sessions, followed by a short break of around 6-8 weeks and then a review. You can either pay for each session on the day, or you can pay for block of speech and language therapy in advance.
A review appointment should also be paid for in advance of, or on the day of the appointment. Following reassessment of speech, language and/or communication skills, a decision will be made as to whether or not your child requires another block, home programme and review, or discharge, and this will be discussed with you.
Home programmes
At times it will be appropriate to provide a home programme, for example, following a block of therapy, or a review appointment. Home programmes contain activities and advice for you to use with your child. Costs for home programmes range in price from £10-£60, dependent on the amount of planning required to devise the programme.
Cancellations
24 hours notice is required. Sessions cancelled by you after this time, or not attended, will incur a 50% payment before or on the day of the next session. This includes sessions cancelled because of illness. If I am ill I will offer a replacement session as soon as possible.
Failed payments
If a session is not paid for by the day of the appointment or at least by the date on your invoice (usually 7 days later), I may suspend further sessions until payment has been made. You will be sent one further reminder after which payment must be received if debt collection proceedings are to be avoided.