⚠️ DRAFT v0.1 — for UK legal counsel review. NOT legal advice. UK counsel must finalise before use. Last updated: [PLACEHOLDER: date]
Faresay UK Therapist Agreement
This Therapist Agreement (the "Agreement") is entered into between Faresay and the independent mental-health professional who accepts it (the "Therapist"). It governs the Therapist's participation in the Faresay marketplace platform in the United Kingdom.
By clicking to accept, signing, or by providing services through the Faresay platform, the Therapist agrees to be bound by this Agreement.
1. Parties and Definitions
1.1 Parties
1.1.1 "Faresay" means [PLACEHOLDER: registered entity name], a company [PLACEHOLDER: company type / registration number] whose registered office is at [PLACEHOLDER: registered address] (also referred to as "we", "us", "our", and the "Platform Operator").
1.1.2 "Therapist" means the individual mental-health professional identified in the onboarding registration, who is contracting in their own capacity (or, where permitted, through their own practice entity) (also referred to as "you" and "your").
1.1.3 Faresay and the Therapist are each a "Party" and together the "Parties".
1.2 Definitions
In this Agreement:
- "Client" means an individual who books, accesses, or receives clinical services from the Therapist via the Platform.
- "Clinical Record" means the clinical notes, assessments, treatment plans, and other professional records the Therapist creates in connection with the care of a Client.
- "Clinical Services" means the mental-health / psychotherapy / counselling services the Therapist provides to Clients.
- "Faresay Policies" means the policies referenced in clause 17, including the Clinical Governance Policy (
uk-clinical-governance-policy.md), the Crisis/Safeguarding Policy (uk-crisis-safeguarding-policy.md), the Privacy Policy (uk-privacy-policy.md), the Security & Data Protection Policy (uk-security-data-protection-policy.md), and the Terms of Service (uk-terms-of-service.md), each as updated from time to time.
- "Platform" means the Faresay website, applications, software, and related technology, discovery, scheduling, payment, and marketing services.
- "Platform Fee" means the fee described in clause 5.2.
- "Session Fee" means the fee payable by a Client for a session of Clinical Services, as set in accordance with clause 5.1.
- "Territory" means the United Kingdom.
2. Nature of the Relationship
2.1 Self-employed independent contractor. The Therapist is a self-employed independent contractor and not an employee, worker, partner, joint venturer, or agent of Faresay. Nothing in this Agreement creates an employment, worker, or agency relationship. The Therapist:
2.1.1 is responsible for their own working methods, scheduling (subject to bookings accepted), and the manner in which Clinical Services are delivered, consistent with applicable professional standards;
2.1.2 is under no obligation to accept any particular booking or to make themselves available for any minimum amount of work, and Faresay is under no obligation to offer any minimum volume of bookings;
2.1.3 is not subject to any exclusivity and is free to provide services to Clients and to other platforms, practices, or organisations on their own account;
2.1.4 may, subject to clause 3 (Eligibility) and with prior notice to Faresay, send a suitably qualified, registered, insured, and credentialed substitute to perform Clinical Services where their professional and ethical obligations permit;
2.1.5 provides their own equipment and professional tools (save for the Platform technology Faresay makes available); and
2.1.6 is solely responsible for their own income tax, National Insurance contributions, VAT (where applicable), and other taxes (clause 5.6).
⚠️ COUNSEL: Employment-status risk under UK law (employee / worker / self-employed for both employment-rights and tax/IR35 purposes) turns on the practical reality of the relationship, not just the contract wording. UK counsel must review the substitution, control, mutuality-of-obligation, exclusivity, and integration factors against current case law (and HMRC guidance) before use, and the operational practice must match the drafting.
2.2 The Therapist owns the clinical relationship. The professional relationship between the Therapist and each Client is exclusively the Therapist's. The Therapist exercises independent professional clinical judgement and is solely responsible for all clinical decisions. Faresay does not direct, control, or interfere with the Therapist's clinical judgement or the content of Clinical Services.
2.3 The Therapist owns the Clinical Record. The Therapist is the owner of, and the data controller / custodian of, the Clinical Record, and is responsible for creating, maintaining, retaining, and securing it in accordance with applicable law and professional obligations. Faresay processes Client data as described in clause 9 and the Privacy Policy.
2.4 Faresay is a technology and marketing platform. Faresay provides software, client discovery and acquisition, scheduling, payment processing, and related administrative and marketing services. Faresay does not provide Clinical Services, does not employ the Therapist to provide Clinical Services, and is not a party to the clinical relationship.
2.5 Characterisation of the Platform Fee. The Platform Fee is a fee for the technology and marketing platform and services Faresay provides (software, discovery, scheduling, payments, client acquisition, and administrative support). It is not a division, split, or share of the Therapist's professional or clinical fee.
⚠️ COUNSEL: UK counsel to confirm the platform/technology/marketing-fee characterisation is sound, consistent with professional-body guidance on referral and marketing arrangements (e.g. BACP, UKCP, NCPS, BPS, HCPC standards), and is reflected accurately in Client-facing and Therapist-facing materials. Do not represent this characterisation as settled until confirmed.
3. Eligibility and Credentialing
3.1 Registration and right to practise. The Therapist must hold, and maintain at all times, the registration and entitlement required to provide the relevant Clinical Services in the United Kingdom, namely:
3.1.1 current registration with an appropriate UK professional body or a register accredited by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) — for example BACP, UKCP, or NCPS — as appropriate to the Therapist's profession; or, where the Therapist's title or profession is statutorily regulated, current statutory registration (for example HCPC registration for practitioner psychologists);
3.1.2 a valid, current, and unrestricted entitlement to practise the relevant Clinical Services (with no condition, suspension, or restriction affecting fitness to practise); and
3.1.3 the legal right to work and to provide the Clinical Services in the United Kingdom.
⚠️ COUNSEL: The psychotherapy/counselling professions are largely self-regulated through PSA-accredited registers rather than statutory registration. UK counsel and the clinical lead to confirm the acceptable registers and minimum-membership criteria per profession, and how protected titles (e.g. "practitioner psychologist" under the HCPC) are handled. See uk-clinical-governance-policy.md.
3.2 Insurance. The Therapist must hold and maintain professional indemnity insurance meeting the requirements of clause 13 throughout the term.
3.3 Background and identity checks. The Therapist consents to, and must satisfactorily complete, identity verification, credential verification, and background checks as Faresay reasonably requires, including an enhanced DBS check (or PVG-scheme check in Scotland / AccessNI check in Northern Ireland) where appropriate to the role.
3.4 Ongoing monitoring. The Therapist authorises Faresay to verify and to monitor on an ongoing basis the status of the Therapist's registrations, insurance, and right to practise, and to use third-party verification services for this purpose. The Therapist must notify Faresay within [PLACEHOLDER: notice period, e.g. 3 business days] of any change, lapse, suspension, condition, investigation, complaint, restriction, or revocation affecting any registration, insurance, or fitness to practise.
3.5 Accuracy. The Therapist must ensure all credentialing information and profile content remains accurate, current, and not misleading.
Subject to this Agreement, Faresay provides the Therapist with access to:
4.1 a professional profile and listing for client discovery and marketing;
4.2 scheduling, booking, and calendar tools;
4.3 secure messaging and an online video-session environment, or integration with one;
4.4 payment collection from Clients and payout processing to the Therapist;
4.5 administrative tooling to support record-keeping (noting the Therapist remains owner of the Clinical Record per clause 2.3);
4.6 customer-support and dispute-handling functions; and
4.7 such other features as Faresay may make available from time to time.
Faresay provides the Platform on an "as available" basis and may modify, add, or remove features, subject to clause 11.
5. Fees and Payment Flow
5.1 Session Fee. The Session Fee for each Client session is [PLACEHOLDER: set by the Therapist within Faresay parameters / set by Faresay / agreed]. Clients pay for sessions directly through the Platform.
5.2 Platform Fee (15%; 10% founding). Faresay retains a Platform Fee of fifteen per cent (15%) of the Session Fee for each session delivered through the Platform (or ten per cent (10%) for founding Therapists, where Faresay has confirmed founding status in writing), as consideration for the technology and marketing services described in clause 4. As stated in clause 2.5, the Platform Fee is a platform/technology and marketing fee and not a split of the Therapist's professional fee.
5.3 Payout. Faresay (directly or through its payment processor) collects the Session Fee from the Client, deducts the Platform Fee, and pays the remaining balance (eighty-five per cent (85%), or ninety per cent (90%) for founding Therapists) to the Therapist, less any amounts properly withheld under this clause 5. Payouts are made [PLACEHOLDER: payout schedule / method] to the Therapist's nominated account.
5.4 Payment processor. Payments are processed by [PLACEHOLDER: payment processor, e.g. Stripe]. The Therapist must complete the processor's onboarding (including any required identity/KYC steps) and is subject to the processor's terms.
5.5 Refunds, cancellations, and chargebacks. Refunds and cancellations are handled in accordance with the Terms of Service and Faresay's cancellation policy. Where a Client refund, reversal, or chargeback relates to a session for which the Therapist has been (or is to be) paid, Faresay may deduct or recover the corresponding amount (including any associated processor fees) from current or future payouts. ⚠️ COUNSEL: confirm allocation of chargeback liability and processor fee pass-through.
5.6 Taxes. The Therapist is solely responsible for determining, reporting, and paying all taxes (including income tax, National Insurance contributions, and VAT where applicable) arising from the Therapist's income. Faresay does not operate PAYE or withhold employment taxes. The Therapist must provide any tax information reasonably required for UK tax-reporting purposes.
5.7 No fee for unbooked time. Faresay pays only for Clinical Services actually delivered through the Platform. The Therapist is not paid for availability, profile time, or non-session activity.
6. Therapist Obligations
The Therapist must at all times:
6.1 Standard of care. Provide Clinical Services with the reasonable skill, care, and diligence expected of a competent professional in the relevant discipline, and in accordance with applicable professional, ethical, and regulatory standards.
6.2 Scope of practice and competence. Practise only within the scope of the Therapist's registration, training, and competence, and decline or refer where a Client's needs fall outside that scope (including where in-person or higher-acuity care is clinically indicated).
6.3 Remote-delivery compliance. Comply with all applicable laws, professional guidance, and technical-safety requirements relevant to delivering Clinical Services remotely in the United Kingdom, including verifying the Client's location (within the UK) and identity at each session as required.
6.4 Informed consent. Obtain and document appropriate informed consent for assessment and treatment, including consent to remote/online delivery, before providing Clinical Services.
6.5 Confidentiality. Maintain the confidentiality of Client information in accordance with professional duties of confidence, this Agreement, and applicable data-protection law (clause 9), disclosing only as permitted or required by law or to protect against serious harm.
6.6 Safeguarding and disclosure. Comply with all applicable safeguarding, duty-of-confidence, and lawful-disclosure obligations under UK law and professional standards.
6.7 Crisis and safeguarding. Adhere to Faresay's Crisis/Safeguarding Policy (uk-crisis-safeguarding-policy.md) and Clinical Governance Policy (uk-clinical-governance-policy.md), each incorporated into this Agreement by reference, including escalation and risk-management procedures and the signposting of Clients in crisis to appropriate UK services (for example 999, the Samaritans on 116 123, NHS 111, or the SHOUT text service on 85258).
6.8 Record-keeping. Create and retain Clinical Records in accordance with applicable law and professional standards for the required retention period, and make them available to the Client (and, where lawfully required, to a continuing clinician) as required.
6.9 Conduct. Behave professionally toward Clients and Faresay staff, keep profile and marketing content accurate, and not make any false, misleading, or guaranteed-outcome claims.
6.10 Cooperation. Cooperate with Faresay's quality-assurance, clinical-governance, complaints, and audit processes.
7. Client Relationship and Non-Circumvention
7.1 Introductions. Faresay invests in client acquisition and marketing. Clients introduced to the Therapist through the Platform are introduced in consideration of the Therapist's participation in, and use of, the Platform.
7.2 Non-circumvention. During the term and for [PLACEHOLDER: period, e.g. 12 months] afterwards, the Therapist must not, for any Client first introduced to the Therapist through the Platform, solicit or arrange for Clinical Services to be provided and paid for outside the Platform with the primary purpose of avoiding the Platform Fee.
⚠️ COUNSEL: Non-circumvention / non-solicitation terms must respect (a) the Client's right to choose and continue with their clinician, (b) continuity-of-care and professional-ethics obligations, and (c) restraint-of-trade / enforceability limits under UK law. This clause must not be drafted or enforced so as to compromise patient care or abandon Clients. UK counsel to confirm scope, duration, and carve-outs.
7.3 Continuity carve-out. Nothing in clause 7.2 prevents the Therapist from continuing to treat a Client where required by professional ethics or continuity-of-care obligations, or where the Client independently chooses to continue treatment; clause 7.2 addresses only deliberate fee-avoidance.
8. (Reserved)
This clause number is intentionally reserved.
9. Data Protection and Confidentiality
9.1 Roles. With respect to Client personal data, the Parties acknowledge that the Therapist (as the clinician owning the clinical relationship and the controller of the Clinical Record) and Faresay (as the platform operator) each process personal data, and that their respective roles as controller, joint controller, or processor must be clearly mapped per processing activity and recorded in a data-sharing agreement and/or data-processing agreement between the Parties. The detailed allocation is set out in the Privacy Policy (uk-privacy-policy.md) and the Security & Data Protection Policy (uk-security-data-protection-policy.md).
⚠️ COUNSEL: The controller / joint-controller / processor mapping is legally significant and fact-specific. UK counsel and the DPO must confirm the mapping and put in place the correct UK GDPR Article 26 (joint controller) / Article 28 (processor) arrangements, and a data-sharing agreement where the Parties are independent controllers, before launch.
9.2 UK GDPR. Both Parties must comply with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. Client clinical data is special-category (health) data requiring an appropriate lawful basis and Article 9 condition, and a high standard of security and confidentiality.
9.3 Security. The Therapist must comply with the Security & Data Protection Policy, use only Faresay-approved or otherwise compliant tools to handle Client data, and report any personal-data breach to Faresay without undue delay and in any event within [PLACEHOLDER: e.g. 24 hours] of becoming aware of it.
9.4 Confidential information. Each Party must keep confidential the other's non-public business information and use it only to perform this Agreement. This clause 9.4 does not limit the Therapist's separate professional duty of clinical confidentiality owed to Clients.
10. Intellectual Property and Licence
10.1 Faresay IP. Faresay (and its licensors) own all rights in the Platform, the Faresay name, logos, and marks, and all Faresay-created content. No rights are granted except as expressly set out here.
10.2 Licence to the Therapist. Faresay grants the Therapist a non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to use the Platform, and to use Faresay marks and materials, solely to provide and promote Clinical Services through the Platform and in accordance with Faresay's brand guidelines.
10.3 Therapist content. The Therapist retains ownership of content they supply (such as profile text and credentials) and grants Faresay a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to host, display, reproduce, and use that content to operate and market the Platform and the Therapist's listing.
10.4 Clinical Record. For the avoidance of doubt, this clause 10 does not affect the Therapist's ownership of the Clinical Record under clause 2.3.
11. Representations and Warranties
11.1 The Therapist represents and warrants that, on an ongoing basis:
11.1.1 they hold all registrations and entitlements required to provide the Clinical Services in the United Kingdom (clause 3);
11.1.2 they are not subject to any unspent disqualification, suspension, exclusion, debarment, or restriction that would prevent them from providing Clinical Services;
11.1.3 they hold the insurance required by clause 13;
11.1.4 all information they provide to Faresay is accurate and not misleading; and
11.1.5 they will comply with all applicable laws, professional standards, and Faresay Policies.
11.2 Except as expressly stated, the Platform is provided "as is" and Faresay disclaims all other warranties to the maximum extent permitted by law.
12. Indemnification
12.1 The Therapist will indemnify and hold harmless Faresay and its affiliates, and their officers and staff, from and against losses, liabilities, damages, claims, and reasonable costs (including legal fees) arising out of or in connection with:
12.1.1 the Therapist's provision of (or failure to provide) Clinical Services, including any clinical negligence, malpractice, or breach of professional duty;
12.1.2 the Therapist's breach of this Agreement, the Faresay Policies, or applicable law;
12.1.3 any claim that the Therapist lacked the required registration, entitlement, or competence; and
12.1.4 the Therapist's breach of data-protection or confidentiality obligations.
12.2 Faresay will indemnify the Therapist for losses arising from Faresay's breach of this Agreement or its negligence in operating the Platform, subject to clause 14 (limitation of liability).
⚠️ COUNSEL: Mutual scope, caps, carve-outs, and the interaction with insurance and with the limitation of liability must be reviewed by UK counsel. Certain liabilities (e.g. clinical negligence to a Client) cannot be contracted away and must be backed by insurance.
13. Insurance Requirements
13.1 The Therapist must, at their own cost, hold and maintain professional indemnity insurance with a reputable insurer, with cover of at least [PLACEHOLDER: minimum cover amount and basis, e.g. per-claim / aggregate] appropriate to the Clinical Services provided.
13.2 The Therapist must provide evidence of cover on onboarding and on request, and must notify Faresay promptly if cover lapses, is reduced, or is cancelled.
13.3 Cover must remain in force during the term and, where the policy is claims-made, for [PLACEHOLDER: run-off / tail period] after termination.
14. Limitation of Liability
14.1 Nothing in this Agreement limits or excludes liability that cannot lawfully be limited or excluded, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud, or any other liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.
14.2 Subject to clause 14.1, Faresay is not liable for indirect or consequential loss, loss of profit, loss of goodwill, or loss of anticipated savings.
14.3 Subject to clauses 14.1 and 14.2, Faresay's total aggregate liability arising out of or in connection with this Agreement is limited to [PLACEHOLDER: cap, e.g. the total Platform Fees paid by/attributable to the Therapist in the [12] months before the claim].
14.4 For the avoidance of doubt, Faresay is not responsible for the Clinical Services or for the Therapist's clinical decisions, which are the Therapist's sole responsibility.
⚠️ COUNSEL: Caps and exclusions must be reviewed by UK counsel for enforceability (e.g. under the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977) and reconciled with the indemnity (clause 12) and insurance (clause 13).
15. Continuity of Care on Termination
15.1 The welfare of Clients takes priority on any termination or suspension. The Therapist must not abandon a Client and must comply with their professional continuity-of-care obligations.
15.2 On notice of termination (by either Party), the Parties will cooperate in good faith to manage an orderly transition, which may include:
15.2.1 the Therapist completing or safely concluding in-progress care, or arranging an appropriate handover or referral;
15.2.2 the Therapist providing the Client (and any continuing clinician the Client chooses) with access to the relevant Clinical Record as required by law and professional standards; and
15.2.3 Faresay supporting affected Clients in finding an alternative clinician on the Platform where the Client wishes.
15.3 The Therapist must give Clients reasonable notice of their departure where clinically appropriate, in a manner agreed with Faresay so as not to breach clause 7 while fully respecting Client choice and clause 15.1.
⚠️ COUNSEL / ⚠️ CLINICAL: Continuity-of-care, record-handover, and Client-notification mechanics must align with uk-clinical-governance-policy.md, uk-crisis-safeguarding-policy.md, and UK professional ethics rules.
16. Term, Suspension, and Termination
16.1 Term. This Agreement starts when the Therapist accepts it and continues until terminated under this clause 16.
16.2 Termination for convenience. Either Party may terminate on [PLACEHOLDER: notice period, e.g. 30 days'] written notice, subject to clause 15 (continuity of care).
16.3 Termination for cause. Faresay may suspend access or terminate immediately on written notice if the Therapist:
16.3.1 loses, or has restricted, any required registration, entitlement to practise, or insurance;
16.3.2 is subject to a regulatory, safeguarding, or fitness-to-practise concern that Faresay reasonably considers presents a risk to Clients;
16.3.3 commits a material breach of this Agreement or the Faresay Policies (and, if remediable, fails to remedy it within [PLACEHOLDER: cure period]); or
16.3.4 becomes insolvent or ceases to practise.
16.4 Suspension. Faresay may suspend the Therapist's access pending investigation of any matter under clause 16.3 where reasonably necessary to protect Clients, acting in good faith.
16.5 Effect of termination. On termination, the licence in clause 10.2 ends and the Therapist must stop using Faresay marks. Accrued payment rights, and clauses intended to survive (including clauses 2.3, 5.5–5.6, 7, 9, 11–15, 18, and 19), survive termination.
17. Compliance with Faresay Policies
17.1 The Therapist must comply with all Faresay Policies, which are incorporated into this Agreement by reference, including:
- Clinical Governance Policy —
uk-clinical-governance-policy.md
- Crisis/Safeguarding Policy —
uk-crisis-safeguarding-policy.md
- Privacy Policy —
uk-privacy-policy.md
- Security & Data Protection Policy —
uk-security-data-protection-policy.md
- Terms of Service —
uk-terms-of-service.md
17.2 Faresay may update the Faresay Policies from time to time in line with clause 19.2. Where a Policy conflicts with this Agreement on a clinical-safety or legal-compliance matter, the more protective requirement applies; otherwise this Agreement prevails.
18. Dispute Resolution and Governing Law
18.1 The Parties will first attempt in good faith to resolve any dispute through discussion and, if needed, [PLACEHOLDER: escalation / mediation process].
18.2 This Agreement and any dispute arising out of it are governed by the laws of England and Wales [PLACEHOLDER: confirm — England and Wales / Scotland / Northern Ireland as appropriate to the Therapist], and the Parties submit to the [PLACEHOLDER: exclusive / non-exclusive] jurisdiction of the courts of [PLACEHOLDER: venue].
⚠️ COUNSEL: UK counsel to confirm governing law and venue (and to address the position for Therapists in Scotland and Northern Ireland), and any arbitration or alternative-dispute-resolution provisions.
19. Notices
19.1 Notices under this Agreement must be in writing and sent to: (a) Faresay at [PLACEHOLDER: legal/notices email and address]; and (b) the Therapist at the contact details in their account.
19.2 Routine operational communications may be given through the Platform or by email and are deemed received [PLACEHOLDER: e.g. on the next business day].
20. Entire Agreement, Amendments, and General
20.1 Entire agreement. This Agreement and the documents it incorporates by reference are the entire agreement between the Parties on its subject matter and supersede prior discussions.
20.2 Amendments. Faresay may amend this Agreement or the Faresay Policies on [PLACEHOLDER: notice period] notice; continued use of the Platform after the effective date constitutes acceptance. Material changes adverse to the Therapist will be notified, and the Therapist may terminate under clause 16.2 if they do not accept them. ⚠️ COUNSEL: confirm unilateral-amendment mechanics are enforceable under UK law.
20.3 Assignment. The Therapist may not assign this Agreement without Faresay's consent. Faresay may assign to an affiliate or successor.
20.4 No partnership/agency. Nothing creates a partnership or agency (clause 2.1).
20.5 Severance. If any provision is unenforceable, the rest remains in effect and the provision is modified to the minimum extent necessary.
20.6 Waiver. A failure to enforce any right is not a waiver of it.
20.7 Third-party rights. Except as expressly stated, no third party has rights to enforce this Agreement under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999 [PLACEHOLDER: confirm position].
End of draft. ⚠️ This document is a v0.1 first draft and must be reviewed and finalised by qualified UK legal counsel before use. It is not legal advice.