Terms and conditions

These Terms & Conditions govern your access to and use of Steadlo's website, mobile applications and related services, together referred to as the Platform.

They apply to individuals and families arranging support, Direct Payment recipients, private support workers, Personal Assistants and organisations using Steadlo to find, arrange or manage support.

By creating an account, purchasing a subscription, requesting or accepting support, making or receiving a payment, or otherwise using Steadlo, you agree to these Terms.

1. About Steadlo Ltd

The Platform is operated by:

Steadlo Ltd
Company number: 16587567
Registered office: Flat 401, Portland House, 102 Prince of Wales Road, Norwich, Norfolk, NR1 1NJ
Email: support@steadlo.com
Telephone: 01603 339390

2. Steadlo Ltd's role

Steadlo provides technology that helps people find, choose and arrange support with verified local private support workers.

Steadlo provides features including:

• matching and recommendations;
• worker profiles;
• availability;
• communication;
• booking management;
• attendance records;
• care notes;
• continuity and replacement support; and
• payment processing through third-party payment providers.

Steadlo does not employ private support workers and does not itself provide the care or support booked through the Platform.

Private support workers register with Steadlo on the basis that they operate independently and on a self-employed basis.

The agreement for the support provided is between the person arranging the support and the private support worker who accepts the booking.

Private support workers remain responsible for the services they personally provide.

3. Direct Payments and Personal Assistants

Steadlo may be used by people who receive Direct Payments, Personal Health Budgets, privately fund their support or arrange support on behalf of another person.

Direct Payment recipients may use Steadlo to find and engage private support workers, including Personal Assistants who have registered with Steadlo as self-employed.

A worker registering as self-employed does not, by itself, determine their legal employment or tax status.

Employment status depends on the actual circumstances and working arrangements between the person receiving support and the worker.

Direct Payment recipients should:

• check the conditions attached to their Direct Payment;
• confirm with their local authority that their proposed arrangement is permitted;
• consider whether the working arrangement could create employment responsibilities; and
• use HMRC's Check Employment Status for Tax service where appropriate.

Steadlo does not provide tax, employment-status or legal advice and does not determine the employment status of individual arrangements between users.

Where a council, NHS body or other organisation places conditions on how public funding may be used, the recipient remains responsible for complying with those conditions.

4. Private support workers

Private support workers register with Steadlo as self-employed.

They decide:

• when they are available;
• which requests they wish to accept;
• the fees they charge;
• which work they are prepared and competent to undertake; and
• whether to continue accepting work through Steadlo.

They are responsible for:

• providing accurate information about their skills, experience and qualifications;
• only accepting work they are competent to perform;
• providing support safely and professionally;
• complying with applicable safeguarding and legal requirements;
• maintaining accurate visit and care records where required;
• keeping their information and documents current;
• managing their own tax and National Insurance obligations where applicable; and
• maintaining the insurance required under these Terms.

Nothing in these Terms overrides the legal status that arises from the actual working relationship between the parties.

5. Verification

Steadlo will verify private support workers before approving them to accept paid work through the Platform.

The verification process will include, where applicable:

• identity verification;
• right-to-work verification;
• an Enhanced DBS check;
• an Adult Barred List check where the role and activities are legally eligible for that check;
• references;
• relevant training and qualifications;
• work history and experience;
• insurance verification; and
• other information reasonably required for safeguarding or compliance.

A private support worker will not be shown as approved until Steadlo's required checks have been completed.

Workers must tell Steadlo promptly about any material change affecting their:

• identity;
• right to work;
• DBS status;
• insurance;
• qualifications; or
• ability to provide support safely.

Verification reduces risk but cannot guarantee future conduct or suitability for every person.

Families and people arranging support remain responsible for choosing the private support worker they consider suitable for their individual circumstances.

6. Finding and choosing support

The person arranging support can provide information about:

• the support required;
• location;
• schedule;
• skills required;
• personal preferences;
• routines;
• availability requirements;
• maximum budget; and
• other information relevant to finding appropriate support.

Steadlo may use this information to recommend suitable private support workers.

Recommendations may consider:

• skills and experience;
• availability;
• location;
• familiarity;
• Preferences, Interests and compatibility;
• reliability; and
• price.

The person arranging support chooses which workers they wish to request.

A recommendation does not guarantee availability or suitability.

7. Worker rates and booking prices

Private support workers set their own hourly fees/rates which are displayed before selection.

The person arranging support may also set a maximum budget.

Selecting a worker constitutes approval of that worker's displayed rate and scheduled visit price.

Where several workers are selected for the same request, the person arranging support may authorise a maximum hourly amount equal to the highest displayed hourly rate among the selected workers.

When a worker accepts:

• only the accepted worker's exact approved booking total will be charged;
• any unused payment authorisation will be released in accordance with the payment provider's processes; and
• the worker's rate for that offer will remain locked.

No higher amount may be charged without fresh consent from the person paying for the support.

Any additional expense, including agreed travel costs, must be clearly disclosed and approved before it becomes payable.

8. Steadlo subscriptions

Steadlo may charge for access to Platform services through a subscription.

The current entry family subscription is £19 per month per person receiving care excluding VAT.

Where VAT at 20% applies, the total consumer price is £22.80 per month including VAT.

The complete amount payable, including applicable VAT and mandatory charges, will be displayed before a consumer subscribes.

Steadlo may offer different subscription levels depending on Platform usage or the services included.

Employers may pay for Steadlo subscriptions as an employee benefit.

Councils, NHS bodies and other organisations may purchase or fund Steadlo subscriptions for people they support.

Commercial pricing for employers, councils, providers and other organisations is governed by separate terms agreed with Steadlo.

A subscription does not include private support worker fees.

9. Subscription renewal and cancellation

Monthly consumer subscriptions renew automatically until cancelled.

Consumers will be able to cancel their subscription without unreasonable difficulty.

Cancellation prevents the next renewal payment. Access will normally continue until the end of the period already paid for unless otherwise stated or required by law.

Steadlo will provide subscription reminders where required by applicable law.

Where a statutory cooling-off or cancellation right applies, Steadlo will honour that right.

Nothing in these Terms limits statutory consumer rights.

10. Insurance

Every private support worker approved to accept paid work through Steadlo must have an accepted form of insurance.

There are two routes.

10.1 Personal insurance

A private support worker may provide their own insurance.

They must upload evidence of valid cover appropriate to the services they provide, including:

• Public Liability Insurance; and
• Professional Indemnity and/or Treatment Liability where applicable.

Steadlo will verify the insurance before approving the worker's insurance status.

Workers using their own insurance are responsible for keeping it valid and providing updated evidence before their cover expires.

10.2 Steadlo group insurance

Where an eligible private support worker does not provide acceptable personal insurance, they can use Steadlo's discounted group insurance arrangement, arranged through Mark Bates Ltd, an FCA-regulated insurance broker.

The worker pays £5 for each calendar month in which they complete work through Steadlo.

There is no £5 insurance charge for a calendar month in which the worker completes no work through Steadlo.

The charge may be deducted from the worker's first eligible payment during that calendar month and will be shown in their payment records.

Before relying on the group arrangement, the worker must:

• complete all required insurance declarations truthfully;
• provide information required for cover;
• meet the applicable eligibility requirements; and
• notify Steadlo promptly about anything that could affect their insurance.

Cover remains subject to the applicable policy terms, exclusions, limits and insurer eligibility requirements.

A worker who is not eligible for Steadlo's group arrangement must provide acceptable personal insurance before undertaking work through Steadlo.

The group insurance applies only to eligible work arranged and completed through Steadlo.

11. Payments

Payments are processed securely through third-party payment providers, including Stripe.

Steadlo does not store full payment-card details.

A payment method may be authorised when a support request is sent.

Where several workers are requested, the payment authorisation may reflect the highest approved rate among the selected workers.

Once a worker accepts:

• only the accepted worker's exact approved booking total will be charged;
• any excess authorisation will be released;
• no higher amount will be taken without further consent; and
• the accepted rate will remain locked for that booking.

The amount charged for the support is the private support worker's payment for the booking, subject to any agreed deductions, payment-processing fees or other applicable charges disclosed through the Platform.

Payment processing, settlement and payouts remain subject to Stripe's processing times, security procedures, reserves, chargebacks and banking processes.

Where an eligible worker requests an instant payout, applicable instant-payout charges may be payable by that worker.

Steadlo does not guarantee that a payment provider or bank will make money available instantaneously.

12. Recording visits

Private support workers may be required to use Steadlo to record the beginning and end of a visit.

Steadlo may use booking, time and permitted location information to:

• confirm attendance;
• maintain visit records;
• calculate booked duration;
• identify possible lateness;
• identify missed visits;
• identify overruns; and
• support continuity and replacement functions.

Workers must record attendance accurately.

Deliberately falsifying attendance, care or payment information is a serious breach of these Terms.

13. Care notes and records

Where care notes or visit records are required, private support workers must complete them accurately and promptly.

Care notes must:

• relate to the support provided;
• be factual;
• contain information relevant to the person's support;
• respect the person's dignity and privacy; and
• avoid unnecessary, discriminatory or inappropriate information.

Information about a person receiving support must be treated confidentially and used only for legitimate support, safeguarding purposes.

14. Cancellation of booked visits

Where a person cancels after a private support worker has accepted the booking, the following cancellation charges apply unless different terms were clearly agreed before booking:

More than 24 hours before the scheduled visit: no cancellation charge.

Within 24 hours of the scheduled visit: 50% of the booked visit price.

Within 4 hours of the scheduled visit, or after the worker has already set off: 100% of the booked visit price.

The applicable cancellation payment is payable to the private support worker whose confirmed booking was cancelled.

Steadlo may process the cancellation payment through the Platform on the worker's behalf.

Where the private support worker cancels, the family or person arranging support will not be charged for support that was not provided.

Steadlo will not suspend or penalise a worker merely because they cancel a booking.

Workers should notify the person receiving support as early as reasonably possible so alternative support can be sought.

15. Continuity and automatic replacement

A family or person arranging support may choose in advance how Steadlo should respond if a confirmed visit becomes at risk.

Replacement preferences may be configured through the user's Platform settings.

The user may instruct Steadlo in advance to identify and arrange a replacement worker where defined conditions are met.

Those instructions may include preferences relating to:

• familiar workers;
• skills;
• availability;
• location;
• compatibility;
• reliability;
• maximum price; and
• whether a replacement can be confirmed automatically.

Where a confirmed visit is cancelled or appears at risk, Steadlo may detect circumstances including:

• cancellation;
• lateness;
• non-attendance;
• significant visit overruns;
• ETA changes; or
• availability changes.

Any automatic replacement is arranged on the user's prior instruction and in accordance with the replacement rules the user has authorised in their settings.

Steadlo carries out those instructions using the information and preferences supplied by the user.

Where a replacement worker's rate is equal to or below the maximum price already authorised by the user, Steadlo may confirm that replacement where the user's settings permit it.

Where a proposed replacement would exceed the amount already authorised, Steadlo will seek fresh approval before confirming the replacement.

Users can change their replacement preferences through the Platform.

Steadlo cannot guarantee that a suitable replacement will always be available.

16. Safeguarding

Steadlo treats safeguarding as a core Platform obligation.

Worker safeguarding requirements

Approved private support workers must:

• complete the verification requirements in section 5;
• comply with Steadlo's safeguarding procedures;
• recognise and report suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation or harm;
• report serious incidents promptly;
• cooperate with legitimate safeguarding enquiries; and
• take immediate action where someone's safety is at risk.

Steadlo safeguarding responsibilities

Steadlo will:

• maintain a clear route for reporting safeguarding concerns;
• record and assess safeguarding concerns reported through the Platform;
• take proportionate steps where a concern involves a Steadlo user or booking;
• cooperate with relevant safeguarding authorities;
• make or support referrals to the relevant local authority safeguarding team where appropriate;
• contact or cooperate with the police where criminal conduct or immediate danger is suspected;
• make referrals or provide information to the Disclosure and Barring Service where Steadlo has a legal duty or lawful basis to do so; and
• preserve relevant information where required for safeguarding or investigation purposes.

A worker may be prevented from accepting new work where a safeguarding concern, verification issue or legal restriction creates a reasonable safety risk while the matter is considered.

Immediate danger

If someone is in immediate danger, seriously injured or requires urgent medical assistance:

Call 999.

Adult safeguarding concerns in Norfolk

Contact Norfolk County Council Adult Social Services on 0344 800 8020.

This includes concerns about abuse, neglect, exploitation or an adult being at risk of harm.

Concerns involving Steadlo

Contact:

support@steadlo.com
01603339390

Crime

Contact Norfolk Police on 101, report the matter online, or call 999 in an emergency.

Regulated care services

Concerns about a regulated care service can also be raised with the Care Quality Commission on 03000 616161.

Adult social care complaints

Where an adult social care complaint has not been resolved through the relevant council or provider's complaints process, the person may be able to contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

Steadlo will maintain a dedicated Safeguarding page on its website and applications containing appropriate reporting routes.

17. Emergencies

Where there is immediate danger or a serious medical emergency, call 999.

18. Conduct

Users must not:

• provide false or misleading information;
• harass, threaten, abuse, exploit or discriminate against another person;
• falsify attendance, care or payment information;
• misuse confidential information;
• use the Platform for unlawful purposes;
• compromise another person's account;
• commit or attempt fraud;
• misuse Direct Payment or public funds; or
• deliberately move a Steadlo-arranged booking off the Platform to avoid applicable Steadlo charges.

Steadlo may restrict or close an account where reasonably necessary for safety, safeguarding, fraud prevention, legal compliance or serious misuse.

19. Off-platform arrangements

Steadlo's group insurance and Platform protections applying to work arranged through Steadlo do not apply to support arranged and completed outside the Platform.

Steadlo is not responsible for private arrangements users make independently outside Steadlo.

20. Reviews

Steadlo may allow people receiving or arranging support and private support workers to review each other following a genuine booking.

Steadlo will take reasonable and proportionate steps to ensure that reviews displayed through the Platform are genuine.

Steadlo may:

• restrict reviews to users connected to a genuine booking;
• identify reviews relating to verified bookings;
• investigate suspicious review activity;
• reject or remove fake or misleading reviews;
• reject reviews created in exchange for undisclosed incentives;
• remove unlawful, abusive or irrelevant content; and
• act against accounts that manipulate reviews.

Users must not:

• submit reviews for experiences that did not occur;
• create or commission fake reviews;
• offer or accept incentives for positive or misleading reviews;
• manipulate ratings;
• pressure another user to change an honest review; or
• submit deliberately false or defamatory information.

Steadlo will not remove a genuine negative review merely because it is unfavourable.

Review moderation decisions may be challenged by contacting support@steadlo.com.

21. Platform availability

We aim to keep Steadlo available and reliable but cannot guarantee uninterrupted access.

Features may occasionally be unavailable because of maintenance, technical problems, third-party services or circumstances outside our reasonable control.

22. Disputes, refunds and chargebacks

If there is a problem with a booking, including attendance, recorded time, conduct, payment or support provided, the affected user should report it to Steadlo as soon as reasonably possible.

Steadlo may review relevant Platform records and information supplied by the parties.

Where appropriate, a payment or transfer may be paused while a matter is reviewed.

Refunds, reversals or adjustments may be made where:

• required by law;
• required by the payment provider;
• required under these cancellation terms;
• agreed between the relevant parties; or
• reasonably appropriate following investigation of a Platform dispute.

Nothing in these Terms removes statutory consumer rights.

23. Liability

Nothing in these Terms excludes or restricts liability where doing so would be unlawful.

Private support workers remain responsible for the support they personally provide.

Steadlo remains responsible for its own obligations in operating the Platform.

To the extent permitted by law, Steadlo is not responsible for losses that were not reasonably foreseeable when the relevant contract was entered into.

24. Account restrictions and termination

Steadlo may restrict, suspend or terminate access where reasonably necessary because of:

• a safeguarding or serious safety concern;
• suspected fraud;
• falsified information;
• an expired or invalid right to work;
• required verification no longer being valid;
• required insurance no longer being valid;
• payment abuse;
• serious misuse of the Platform;
• unlawful activity; or
• material breach of these Terms.

Where appropriate and safe to do so, Steadlo will explain the reason for an account restriction and provide an opportunity for the affected person to respond.

25. Changes to these Terms or subscriptions

Steadlo may update these Terms where its services, technology, legal obligations or commercial arrangements change.

Where a proposed change materially disadvantages a consumer, Steadlo will give reasonable advance notice.

The notice will explain:

• what is changing;
• when the change takes effect; and
• how the customer can cancel if they do not wish to accept the change.

Where a material change affects an ongoing consumer subscription, the consumer may cancel before the change takes effect without an additional cancellation charge.

A subscription price change will not retrospectively alter an amount already paid.

Steadlo will display the complete VAT-inclusive consumer price before a new price is accepted.

26. Privacy

Personal information is handled in accordance with Steadlo's Privacy Policy and applicable data-protection law.

Additional protections apply to health information, safeguarding information and criminal-offence data.

27. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales.

Consumers retain any mandatory legal rights concerning where proceedings may be brought.

28. Contact

Questions or complaints about these Terms can be sent to:

Steadlo Ltd
Email: support@steadlo.com
Telephone: 01603 339390