Terms of agreement: Home & Family Support

The Reigate Doula

Home & Family Support Terms & Conditions

1. The Home & Family Support Service

Home & Family Support offers practical, flexible help with the everyday demands of family life.

Support is tailored to your household's needs and may include light household tasks, meal preparation, errands, organisation and an extra pair of hands with the children.

We'll agree on priorities together, allowing you to use your support time where it will make the biggest difference.

This is a practical family support service rather than a professional cleaning or housekeeping service. I won't undertake tasks requiring specialist training, equipment or qualifications, or tasks I consider unsafe or outside the scope of my role.

2. Subscription and Payment

The subscription is £140 per month, payable monthly in advance.

Your first payment is due when your subscription begins. Subsequent payments are due on the same date each month.

Each monthly subscription provides four hours of support, arranged as either:

• One 4-hour visit per month
• Two 2-hour visits per month

Visits are arranged in advance at mutually agreed times, subject to availability.

The subscription covers the agreed support time, not a guaranteed completion of a particular list of tasks.

3. Initial Commitment and Renewal

The initial subscription commitment is three months.

After the first three months, the subscription continues on a rolling monthly basis until either party ends the agreement in accordance with Section 12.

The monthly subscription fee will remain £140 unless a change is agreed with you in advance.

4. Client Cancellations and Rescheduling

I understand that family life doesn't always go to plan. If you need to cancel or rearrange a visit, please give me at least 48 hours' notice wherever possible.

Client-requested changes must be rearranged within the same calendar month as the original visit and are subject to my availability. I cannot guarantee an alternative appointment, particularly where less than 48 hours' notice is given.

If a short-notice cancellation cannot be accommodated at another time within that calendar month, the hours reserved for that visit will normally be treated as used.

Please contact me as soon as possible if your plans change so we can explore the available options.

5. My Doula Commitments and Rescheduling

Alongside Home & Family Support, I provide birth and postnatal doula support. These commitments can be unpredictable and may occasionally need to take priority, sometimes at short notice.

If I need to rearrange a visit, I'll let you know as soon as possible and offer alternative dates.

Where a visit cannot be rearranged within the original period, the affected hours may be carried forward for up to one month, subject to mutually agreed availability.

I'll make reasonable efforts to provide the support you've paid for. If I'm unable to provide the agreed service, your statutory rights and any remedies required by law will apply.

6. Illness Within the Household

Please let me know as soon as possible if anyone in your household is unwell before a scheduled visit, including the nature of their symptoms.

Depending on the circumstances, I may still be able to help with household tasks, meal preparation, collecting prescriptions or other agreed errands.

As I also support newborn babies and families who may be particularly vulnerable to infection, I'll consider the nature of the illness and the needs of other families I'm supporting before deciding whether it's appropriate to attend.

If I decide not to attend because of infection concerns, the affected hours may be carried forward for up to one month from the original visit date, subject to mutually agreed availability.

If a suitable alternative cannot be arranged, we'll discuss an appropriate resolution in accordance with your statutory rights.

7. Holidays and Planned Absences

Your holidays

Please let me know about planned holidays or other periods when you're unavailable as early as possible. We'll try to arrange visits around your plans.

Your subscription will continue during your holidays. Client-requested changes remain subject to Section 4.

My holidays

I'll give you as much notice as possible of planned time off and arrange visits around my availability.

If my holiday means I cannot provide a scheduled visit, the affected hours may be carried forward for up to one month, subject to mutually agreed availability.

If I'm unable to provide the outstanding support, your statutory rights and any remedies required by law will apply.

8. Supervision of Children and Babysitting

As part of Home & Family Support, I can help supervise and engage with children while a parent or responsible adult remains on the premises. Parents and guardians retain responsibility for their children's care and wellbeing.

Babysitting is available as a separate service at a reduced rate for Home & Family Support subscribers. It must be booked separately, is subject to availability and is charged in addition to the monthly subscription. Separate babysitting terms and arrangements will apply.

9. Errands, Purchases and Mileage

I can help with agreed errands such as grocery shopping, collecting prescriptions and other household tasks.

Any purchases made on your behalf, along with reasonable expenses such as parking, will need to be reimbursed by you. Expenses will be discussed and agreed in advance wherever practicable.

Time spent travelling specifically to complete errands is additional to your four hours of support and will not be deducted from your allocated support time.

Where I use my own vehicle for agreed errands, mileage will be reimbursed at 45p per mile.

10. Access to Your Home

Visits may take place whether you're at home or out, provided we've agreed access arrangements in advance.

If you provide a key, access code or other means of entry, I'll treat these securely and confidentially. Any keys provided will be returned when our agreement ends.

I'll take reasonable care of your home and belongings while carrying out agreed tasks.

Please tell me about any relevant security arrangements, pets or household considerations before my visit.

11. Health, Safety, Insurance and Confidentiality

Health and safety

Please ensure your home provides a reasonably safe working environment and let me know about potential hazards, faulty equipment, pets or other circumstances that may affect a visit.

I may decline or stop a task I reasonably consider unsafe, unsuitable or outside the scope of my service. If this affects a scheduled visit, we'll discuss the next steps under the relevant cancellation and rescheduling terms.

Insurance and accidental damage

I maintain business insurance appropriate to the services I provide.

I'll take reasonable care when working in your home, handling your belongings and carrying out agreed tasks. If accidental damage occurs, I'll let you know as soon as possible so we can discuss how best to resolve it.

Please tell me about delicate or valuable items, faulty equipment or particular household considerations before a visit.

Nothing in this agreement excludes or limits liability where doing so would be unlawful.

Confidentiality and privacy

I understand that welcoming someone into your home involves trust, and I'll respect your family's privacy.

Personal information shared with me, or that I become aware of while supporting your household, will be treated confidentially and handled in accordance with applicable data protection legislation and my Privacy Policy.

I won't share information about your family without your permission unless disclosure is required by law or necessary to protect someone's safety or wellbeing.

12. Late Payments and Ending the Agreement

Late or missed payments

If a payment fails or is overdue, I'll contact you to arrange payment. I may pause visits until outstanding payments are received, giving reasonable notice before cancelling a scheduled visit where practicable.

Pausing visits does not automatically end the subscription or remove outstanding payment obligations. Persistent non-payment may lead to the agreement being ended.

Ending the subscription

After the initial three-month commitment, either party may end the agreement by giving one month's written notice.

I may suspend or end the agreement where there are serious concerns about safety, abusive or threatening behaviour, a serious breach of these terms or persistent non-payment.

Where appropriate, I'll explain the concern and give you an opportunity to resolve it. Where there is a serious and immediate concern, I may end the agreement without notice.

Any outstanding payments, unused support hours and prepayments will be dealt with fairly and in accordance with applicable law. Statutory rights take precedence over anything in this agreement.

13. Consumer Rights and Cancellation

Nothing in these terms removes your statutory consumer rights.

Where your agreement is made online, by telephone or away from my business premises, you may have a statutory 14-day cancellation right. Where applicable, I'll provide the required cancellation information and explain any conditions that apply if you ask me to begin providing support during that period.

Any cancellation, refund or other remedy required by law will be honoured.

14. Acceptance of These Terms

By ticking the agreement checkbox at checkout and completing your subscription purchase, you confirm that you have had the opportunity to read these Terms & Conditions and agree to them.

Your subscription will be subject to these terms, alongside any applicable statutory consumer rights.

Please retain a copy of these Terms & Conditions for your records.