At The Dreadnought Centre, we are committed to delivering high-quality, consistent support to children, young people, and their families. These Terms of Service briefly outline our expectations and procedures to ensure our work remains safe, sustainable, and respectful for everyone involved. Full policy documents are available on request.

1. Our Commitment

We will:

●  Provide a confidential, professional service tailored to the needs of each young person.

● Ensure all staff and volunteers are appropriately trained, DBS-checked, and clinically supervised.

● Communicate openly and appropriately with parents/carers and referrers.

● Act in the best interests of the young person, safeguarding their wellbeing at all times.

2. Parent and Carer Code of Conduct

 To protect the safety and security of our staff and volunteers, we ask parents and carers to  be mindful of:

Respect and Courtesy: Treat all team members, whether staff or volunteers, with respect and politeness at all times.

Zero Tolerance for Abuse: We have a zero-tolerance policy for abusive, threatening, or aggressive behaviour, including raised voices, inappropriate language, intimidation, or harassment. This applies to all forms of communication (e.g., in person, phone, email, social media).

Consequences: Any breach of this policy may result in the immediate suspension or withdrawal of services. Serious incidents may be reported to relevant authorities.

We are committed to providing a safe working environment for our team and a safe service environment for the young people we support. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

3. Requirement for Purchase Order (PO) Numbers at Referral

To ensure a smooth start to support and to maintain our financial stability, all referrals must include a valid Purchase Order (PO) number. 

Why This Is Required:

Consistency: Delays in payment have previously disrupted services, which negatively impacts young people’s mental health and continuity of care.

Organisational Compliance: Most schools and local authorities (e.g. Cornwall Council) require a PO for payment authorisation.

Sustainability: As a charity, securing funding at referral helps us allocate resources responsibly.

Referrers must ensure all internal approval processes are complete before submitting a referral. Services may be delayed if a PO number is not received.

4. Pay in Instalments – Terms and Conditions

We offer the option for parents/guardians to pay in instalments.

Payment Schedule:

● The total fee for sessions will be split over agreed instalments.

● Each instalment must be paid before the corresponding session.

● A schedule will be issued in writing.

Non-Payment:

● Missed payments will result in sessions being paused until the balance is paid.

● If more than one instalment is missed, the remaining balance will become due in full before support resumes. 

Payment Methods:

● We accept bank transfers and card payments. We do not accept cash or cheques.

● Receipts are issued upon payment. 

Refunds & Cancellations:

● Payments are non-refundable unless in exceptional circumstances, reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

● If we cancel a session, a credit or refund will be offered for any prepaid sessions.

5. Invoicing Procedures 

Invoices are issued through our Xero accounting system and are due within 7 days.

Key Points:

● Invoices are generated per block of sessions.

● Xero will issue automated reminders if payments become overdue.

● Failure to pay may result in services being paused.

Payment Reminders Schedule:

Day 1: Invoice issued

Day 8: First reminder (1 day overdue)

Day 21: Second reminder (7 days overdue)

Day 30: Final automated reminder (14 days overdue)

Day 40: Personalised follow-up from our finance team

Day 50: Formal postal letter issued

Payment Splitting (Parent Funders Only):

Parents may request to split a total invoice into smaller instalments.

Email finance@thedreadnought.co.uk to discuss options.

6. Session Cancellation Policy 

Effective from May 2025 for new referrals only

At The Dreadnought Centre, we are dedicated to providing consistent and reliable support to the young people we work with. To ensure the effective running of our services and manage our resources responsibly, we have established the following cancellation policy. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

Session dates are sent out in advance of the block starting, please ensure that these dates are checked thoroughly and the office contacted as soon as possible before the first session begins if any changes are required. Once the block of sessions have begun the following policy is active.

 Cancellation by the Young Person / Family:

Cancellation with 24 Hours' Notice or More:

○  If you need to cancel a scheduled session, please provide us with a minimum of 24 hours' notice before the session's scheduled start time.

○ For young people with block bookings of 6 sessions or more, we can offer to rearrange one session per block booking with 24 hours notice.

○  This rearranged session will be scheduled at a mutually convenient time, subject to staff availability

Cancellation with Less Than 24 Hours' Notice or No Show:

Sessions cancelled with less than 24 hours notice will be reviewed on a case by case basis and sessions will only be rearranged under exceptional circumstances.

○ Please note: Only one such rearrangement initiated by the family is permitted per block booking (minimum 6 sessions). Subsequent cancellations within the same block, even with 24 hours' notice, will only be replaced with the agreement of the referrer, at an additional cost.

Cancellation by The Dreadnought Centre:

● Occasionally, we may need to cancel a session due to unforeseen circumstances, such as staff illness, essential training, or unavoidable operational reasons.

● If The Dreadnought Centre needs to cancel a session, we will inform you as soon as possible.

● We will always reschedule any session cancelled by us at a mutually convenient time. This rescheduled session does not affect your entitlement to potentially rearrange one session per block if you need to cancel with sufficient notice (as outlined above).

How to Cancel:

● To cancel a session, please contact The Dreadnought Centre directly on 01209 218 764

●  Please provide the young person's full name and the date and time of the session you wish to cancel.

Cancellation Policy Review:

This policy will be reviewed in September 2025.

7. Feedback and Complaints

We welcome feedback and are committed to resolving any concerns promptly.

Please refer to our separate Complaints Procedure for information on how to raise a concern formally.

In the event of a complaint involving a member of our team, in order to protect all parties, we may temporarily remove them from direct contact with your child while the matter is investigated.

8. Data Protection 

We process personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). Our full Privacy Policy can be found at www.thedreadnought.co.uk