Revised Terms and Conditions

Terms and Conditions of Use

Welcome to the Health Practice Associates Council website.

If you continue to browse and use this website, you are agreeing to comply with and be bound by the following Terms and Conditions of use, which, together with our Acceptable Use Policy, Privacy Policy, and Cookie Policy, govern Health Practice Associates Council's relationship with you in relation to this website. Please do not use our website if you disagree with any part of these Terms and Conditions.

Your attention is particularly drawn to our liability and limitation section for our Terms and Conditions, which appear later.

The terms "HPAC", "Health Practice Associates Council", "us", and "we" refer to the owner of the website. Health Practice Associates Council is a Community Interest Company (CIC) registered in England and Wales, company number 10830551.

The term "you" refers to the user of our website. The use of this website is subject to the following terms:

The term "UbiquiCore Limited" refers to the software and web platform provisioner to the Health Practice Associates Council.

1. Accessing and Using Our Site

Our site is made available free of charge to the public visitor. We reserve the right to introduce charges for certain features or services.

Access to our website is not intended for those under the age of 16. If you are under the age of 16, please do not use, register, or provide any personal information to our website.

Access to the HPAC website is temporary. We do not guarantee that our site, or any content on it, will always be available or be uninterrupted. We reserve the right to suspend, discontinue, withdraw, or amend the service we provide on our site without notice. From time to time, we may restrict access to some parts of our site, or our entire site, to users. If necessary, we may close the site indefinitely. We will not be liable to you if, for any reason, our site is unavailable at any time or for any period.

You are responsible for making all arrangements necessary for you to have access to our site. You are also responsible for ensuring that all persons who access our site through your internet connection are aware of these terms and that they comply with them.

If you wish to submit content to our website, you must also register with our site and comply with the content standards set out in our Acceptable Use Policy.

Our site is provided as a non-statutory register to help track and manage clinical, operational, professional, and safety standards.

We expressly disclaim all liability and responsibility for any direct, indirect, or consequential loss or damage incurred by any user or visitor to our website through reliance placed on information or materials posted on our website or by any user or visitor to our website or by anyone who may be informed of any of their contents. In particular, but without limitation, we will not be liable for the loss of profits, sales, business or revenue; business interruption; loss of anticipated savings; loss of business opportunity, goodwill or reputation.

We fully reserve the right in our sole and complete discretion to control, edit or remove any comments, postings, or other content generated by you or any third party where we consider necessary or appropriate. However, we are not obliged to oversee, monitor, or moderate any interactive service we provide or content hosted on the website and expressly exclude our liability for any loss or damage arising from the use of or reliance upon any interactive service or content by a user or any other person, whether the service is moderated or not.

We reserve the right in our sole and complete discretion to modify, suspend, or remove your account and to disable any user identification code or password without notice, at any time, and without liability to you. If we terminate your access to your account or you ask us to deactivate your account, your profile and all other data will no longer be accessible through your account, but those materials and data may still persist and appear elsewhere on the website.

HPAC reserves the right to increase any fees associated to the access and use of its site and/or services. At least 30 days notice will be provided to users who may be affected.

Your use of any information or materials on this website is entirely at your own risk, for which we shall not be liable. It shall be your own responsibility to ensure that any services or information available through this website meet your specific requirements.

This website contains material which we own. This material includes, but is not limited to, the design, layout, look, appearance, and graphics. Reproduction is prohibited other than in accordance with the copyright notice, which forms part of these Terms and Conditions.

2. Registration and Accounts

To be eligible for an individual account on our website, you must be at least 16 years of age and have the right to work within the United Kingdom.

You may register for an account on our website by completing and submitting the account registration form on our website.

You must not allow anyone else to use your account to access the website.

You must notify us in writing immediately if you become aware of any unauthorized use of your account.

You must not use any other person's account to access the website unless you have that person's express permission to do so.

If you register for an account on our website, you will be asked to enter a user email address and password. YOU MUST ONLY USE YOUR LEGAL NAME AND SURNAME ON YOUR HPAC REGISTRANT PROFILE.

Your user ID must not be liable to mislead and must comply with the content standards contained in our Acceptable Use Policy. You must not use your account or user ID for or in connection with the impersonation of any person.

You must keep your password confidential.

You must notify us in writing immediately if you have become aware of the disclosure of your password or if you change your name by deed poll.

You are responsible for any activity on our website arising out of any failure to keep your password confidential and may be held liable for any losses arising out of such a failure.

When you register with us, you must not choose a custom avatar or profile picture that is inappropriate, offensive, or otherwise in breach of the content standards in our Acceptable Use Policy. We have the right to remove any avatar or profile picture which, in our sole opinion, does not comply with such content standards.

You must inform HPAC if you have any outstanding complaints still under investigation or if you have been found guilty of a serious concern raised against you by a previous/current employer, member of the public or other relevant party.

Deregistration, while under investigation, will prohibit an individual from re-applying for registration with the HPAC for five years from the date deregistration is accepted.

3. Billing

Upon signing up immediate payment will be taken. There is a 14-day cooling-off period for annual subscription plans in which a refund can be sought, no refund can be sought after 14 days from the initial application. The refund period is subject to the conditions in this section. Please read them carefully.

If incorrect qualifications are submitted for the requested grade assessment, and no corresponding alternate grade is available in the register, the application will be denied, and no refund will be offered. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that they have the necessary qualifications to register. Visit www.hpac-uk.org/grades before submitting an application.

Prior to presenting a certificate as evidence of qualification for the grade being applied for, applicants are advised to verify which qualifications are accepted by HPAC. This information is available on the HPAC website at various stages before and during the application process, including www.hpac-uk.org/grades.

No refund will be issued by HPAC if qualifications or training evidence submitted for the applied grade does not align with the provided guidance at www.hpac-uk.org/grades or within the evidence sections.

The applicant is responsible for providing the necessary evidence and information and adhering to the application process.

Failure to complete the application process within 12 months will lead to the archiving of the application without recourse to any refund.

You must have the legal right to work in the United Kingdom (UK) in order to register with HPAC. Applications submitted by individuals who do not have a right to work in the UK will not be entitled to a refund.

Registrants are responsible for ensuring that their registered form of payment, i.e., credit or debit card or banking information, is approved for use by their bank and remains valid.

Monthly plans:
9.1 Monthly payments will recur on the same day of subscription each calendar month.
9.2 Monthly plans can be cancelled at any time, but they are not eligible for a refund or a cooling-off period once payment is made.

Annual payments will renew on the same day of subscription each year for a non-refundable period of 12 months.

If your account is expired and you submit updates to your profile, this will activate your subscription for a 12-month period based on the terms above.

Overdue accounts may be marked as a "Delinquent Account" on the register after 30 days of non-payment without receipt of a deregistration form. A £25 admin fee may apply to reactivate accounts that have expired through non-payment without formal deregistration.

If your account is marked as expired, delinquent, suspended, temporary suspension or it has been archived, you may not present yourself as an active member of the register under any circumstances.

For expired or delinquent accounts, grade status will be removed, blue light status will revert to undeclared (by HPAC) and the acronym on ID numbers will be removed.

Subject to 3.15, organisations sponsoring registrants may retrieve an allocated licence slot from a registrant/applicant and re-assign it to a different registrant/applicant on the HPAC register up to two times within twelve months.

The number of DBS checks and ID cards issued to registrants/applicants within the licence sponsorship option is limited to the number of slots originally purchased by the sponsoring organisation. i.e., 30 licences = a maximum of 30 DBS checks, 30 ID checks and 30 HPAC ID cards within a 12-month period. Additional DBS checks, ID checks and/or ID cards will attract a fee of £35 per additional DBS check, £5 per ID check and £30 per ID card. This cost can be passed onto the applicant/registrant by arrangement, but no verification work will be carried out on an applicant until the fees are paid.

A fair use policy is in place, if an organisation is deemed to be misusing the licensing programme they can have their right to purchase licences revoked and/or be removed from the portal as an organisation user.

Access to the HPAC portal will only be granted once payment has been successfully received.

HPAC reserves the right to withdraw organisation access to the portal at any time.

4. Deregistration / Cancellation

Notice of intended deregistration must be supplied no later than 14 days after the renewal date of your 12-month contract term. This must be supplied either by filling in the deregistration form or by recorded interview over the phone answering the same questions found in the deregistration form. Your HPAC ID card will subsequently be deregistered and must be returned, or a photographic image clearly showing it has been destroyed must be supplied. Please note that you will continue to be charged until your ID card has been returned to HPAC. You will lose your verified status, which will be duly reflected on your profile as expired. Any outstanding monthly subscription fees within the minimum 12-month recurring term must be paid in full. Any outstanding payments for additional services purchased from HPAC on a payment plan will be charged in full immediately via your registered payment card or bank account.

Conditions where the 12-month minimum term does not apply: In the case of a registrant either withdrawing from the verification process within 14 days of submitting an application, failing to provide the requested information or failing to pass verification because of reasonably foreseeable factors which would have led to an application being rejected but were not declared at the point of registration by the registrant and if no card has been issued, the 12-month minimum term does not apply, however if more than 14 days have elapsed from the application submission date no refund will be due.

If cancellation/deregistration is requested within 14 days of submitting an application, admin costs of a non-refundable fee of £25 will be deducted from any refund.

Verification can take up to 8 weeks to complete and is subject to registrants providing HPAC with all needed information, evidence and materials in a timely manner. Failure to provide any required information, evidence, materials or a valid means of payments requested by HPAC may result in a delay in registration. No refunds will be issued for periods of non-verification where the delay in processing verification exceeds 14 days from application submission date is as a result of registrants not supplying requested information, evidence and materials in a timely manner.

You may only re-apply to the HPAC Council register after 12 months have passed since deregistration.

5. HPAC Identity Cards & Dispatch Time

All cards issued by HPAC remain the property of HPAC.

Upon registering with HPAC, unless you request otherwise, you are placing an order for an ID card. The card will be sent via post, typically using Royal Mail, but an alternative courier may be used.

By placing an order for an ID card, you accept the risk that it may be lost or damaged during transit from the ID card manufacturer to you, the registrant. A replacement ID card will be dispatched at no extra cost in such cases.

When placing an order for an HPAC ID card, you expressly grant permission for shipment via a third-party courier. HPAC is indemnified from any liability related to the potential loss, theft, or destruction of your ID card during transit.

Due to the complexity of producing our ID cards, dispatch may take up to six weeks if our specialised base stock is depleted.

Replacing ID cards: A £30 fee applies for updating or replacing lost, stolen, or damaged cards issued within the last 24 months. If the last card was issued over 24 months ago and the registrant has paid at least 24 months' worth of registration fees since then, and, is up to date with their current registration fees, there is no charge for a replacement card.

You are required to first return your current ID card via prepaid postage provided by HPAC. Alternatively, you can provide us with photographic evidence of your current ID card having been destroyed by a shredder.

It can take up to five weeks from the time of your application being approved for your ID card to be produced and dispatched. If it does not arrive, please contact [email protected] with the subject "ID card not delivered"

The initial registration fee includes Background checks, a DBS check (if required), and ID card fees. Repeat checks or replacement ID cards will need to be paid for separately and are not included in any renewal fees.

If you cancel your registration and re-register within 24 months, you will have to cover the costs of background checks, DBS checks and ID card fees outlined in these terms in addition to your annual registration fee.

6. Submitting Content to Health Practice Associates Council CIC

By registering or applying to register with the HPAC, you enter into a parallel agreement with UbiquiCore Limited, the supplier of all software and features on the HPAC site and data management services, granting them full access to all content you upload or communicate on the platform. You permit UbiquiCore Limited to contact you directly regarding the system. This includes but is not limited to discussing issues you may be experiencing, development requests you may have, or for feedback.

Whenever you make use of any feature on our website or make contact with any other users of our site, you must comply with the content standards set out in our Acceptable Use Policy.

You must take all reasonable precautions, including using appropriate virus-checking software to ensure that any information, content, material or data you provide is free from viruses, spyware, malicious software, Trojans, worms, logic bombs and anything else which may have a contaminating, harmful or destructive effect on any part of this website or the websites of any third parties or any other technology.

You must check and ensure that all information, content, material, or data you provide on this website is correct, complete, accurate, and not misleading and that you disclose all relevant facts. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for any loss or damage you may suffer or incur if any information, content, material or data you provide on this website is not correct, complete and accurate, if it is misleading or if you fail to disclose all relevant facts.

By submitting user content for publication on this website, you are confirming that you accept the Terms and Conditions of our website use together with our Acceptable Use Policy, Privacy Policy, and Cookie Policy. Further, by submitting user content, you warrant that any user content submitted by you complies with the content standards set out in our Acceptable Use Policy and that you will be able to indemnify us for any breach of the warranty contained in our Acceptable Use Policy. This means that you will be responsible for any loss or damage we suffer as a result of your breach of warranty.

We have the right to remove promptly, disable access to or refuse to upload any user content (or other content) that we deem to be, or which is notified to us as being, potentially defamatory of any person, unlawful, fraudulent, misleading in violation of any third party rights or contravention of these terms of use and/or our Acceptable Use Policy.

We have the right to move, edit, close or delete any thread for any reason, including but not limited to the more efficient administration or organisation of this site.

You are solely responsible and liable for your conduct on this website and for the user content that you place on this website. You must ensure that you own your user content or otherwise have the right to grant the license. Your user content must not violate or infringe any privacy rights, intellectual property rights such as copyright, database rights, and trademarks or other rights of any third party, including any right of confidentiality. Your user content must not violate or infringe any law.

You agree that you will be liable to us for any damage, loss, claim, demand, liability, or expense, including reasonable legal fees that we may suffer or incur arising out of or in connection with your conduct on this website and/or your user content.

You will be automatically added to the HPAC mailing list for general communications.

7. Application, Account Approval and Auditing: Qualification Verification, Identity, Criminal Records Check (DBS), Background and Character Checks

All applicants to the register and users consent to HPAC contacting any person or organisation to obtain further information about their application or to verify the information that is provided and agree that any person who is so contacted may provide HPAC with any information about the applicant which that person or organisation holds and HPAC may, in turn, share the identity and evidence supplied by the applicant to HPAC with any organisation HPAC deems to be relevant in assisting in the validation of evidence process.

HPAC will conduct an enhanced DBS background check on all applicants, and any applicants who have a caution or conviction on their DBS will be deferred for review by the HPAC DBS panel for consideration.

All applicants must complete the enhanced DBS check application directly via the HPAC or provide an Enhanced DBS certificate that is on the Update Services and has all five areas requested.

All applicants must register their HPAC DBS certificate on the DBS update service within 28 days of their certificate being issued. There is no fee for HPAC applicants/registrants to register their DBS certificate generated from an HPAC check.

If an applicant/registrant has not registered on the update service within 21 days of their certificate being issued, applicants/registrants give HPAC expressed permission to register the DBS certificate on the applicant's behalf using the data provided on their application/HPAC profile.

HPAC may apply an admin fee of £30 for processing an applicant's DBS check if they do not provide a valid means of payment for their registrant account or if their bank has rejected the payment for their application, or if their nominated organisation sponsor fails to provide them with a licence slot.

The HPAC monitors all registrant DBS certificate statuses in real-time, this means that if a change to a DBS status/validity takes place the HPAC will detect such a change, usually within 24 hours, and will result in the registrant's profile being immediately removed from the HPAC register for review. A new DBS application must be completed for review by the DBS panel. (we use live DBS monitoring, which means we revalidate registrant's certificates daily with the Update Service; if you present your ID card to be scanned by an NFC device, it will show your full DBS certificate to the viewer. This will mean that when logging into a DBS Update Service account which has a certificate HPAC is checking against, under the checks carried out by the HPAC, registrants see a high number of automated pings/or status checks.)

If the registrant has not already self-reported the issue that caused the change in their DBS status, as per the code of conduct, this may result in a sanction.

Registrants must ensure that the enhanced DBS certificate that they provided to HPAC via the HPAC is maintained on the DBS Update Service.

If a DBS certificate is removed from the update service because a registrant has either neglected to renew the service or because there has been a status change on their certificate, a new DBS check needs to be carried out by the HPAC, and a DBS checking fee of £40 will be applied.

If supporting evidence is found to be inadequate for the grade applied for either an alternative grade of a lower scope of practice will be recommended or the application rejected. Additionally, even if evidence has been previously approved and verified, if it is discovered that the approval was made in error or is deemed to no longer meet the standard for the registered grade, the registrant's grade may be amended to a lower scope of practice or registration status withdrawn entirely. HPAC accepts no liability for loss of earnings or reputation as it is firstly the registrant's responsibility to ensure that the appropriate grade has been applied for based on training and qualification achieved.

If an applicant to the HPAC register has previously been struck off or suspended by any professionals' register and remains so at the time of applying to register with the HPAC, the application cannot be progressed any further, and his/her details will be removed from our application process with immediate effect if your circumstances change however you can consider re-applying at a later date.

Failure to declare such sanctions by a professional' register against yourself may lead to HPAC taking further action. This term is applicable to all current and new applications. This term is applicable to all applications not yet accepted, both current and new.

Checks may include:

Verification of the identity documents submitted by the applicant

Confirmation from education providers that the applicant's qualifications are genuine

Confirmation of the applicant's good standing and character

Identity, address, *driver's licence, passport number checks with Identity checking service providers – this will leave a footprint on your credit record. However, this is a soft check and does not affect your credit score.
*By providing your driver’s licence as a form of ID, you grant HPAC permission to verify your licence directly with the DVLA.

An enhanced background check with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)

Sharing of any documents supplied as evidence of training or qualification with the relevant organisation

Identifying the registrant to the organisations with whom HPAC conduct these checks

Your application to the HPAC register will NOT be accepted if you are or have ever been barred under the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006 and/or the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007 from working with VULNERABLE ADULTS or CHILDREN. This is because HPAC regulation is specific to staff working in regulated activities with Vulnerable Adults and Children.

In the unlikely circumstance of a grade being incorrectly assigned, we reserve the option to make the necessary revisions, adjustments and corrections to align with the HPAC framework.

If an application is rejected, you may re-apply to the register 36 months from your rejection letter/email date. You may also submit an appeal to a rejection decision within 14 days of the date on your rejection letter/email.

8. Grade Representation to the Public, Additional Education/Training & Skills declared by the registrant.

When seeking to gain employment and when providing care in the public as a self-employed clinician, you are to indicate your registrant grade on HPAC clearly. You are to ensure your uniform, vehicle and equipment livery, documentation and/or any other area of grade reference does not mislead the public or contracting organisations. i.e., an Emergency Care Assistant should not wear epaulettes that say Technician or Emergency Care Practitioner. However, they may choose to wear epaulettes that say Emergency Care Support Worker or something similar that does not obfuscate the boundaries of their scope of practice.

Exceptions: Your employer must have a clearly defined scope of practice for such roles that describe your grade differently from the HPAC, which are easily accessible to the public and/or service users. This must have medical direction/clinical governance, which provides policy, procedures and safe systems of work to protect the public, individual providers and the organisation. They must actively signpost service users such as contracting bodies and patients to these documents to ensure responsible and safe contracting takes place. At no time may your role/grade described either on your uniform, equipment or vehicle livery, documentation or anywhere else, mislead the public or give the impression that your skills and/or scope of practice are beyond their legitimacy.

Anyone who carries out work for an employer which actively misleads the public, contracting bodies or organisations either intentionally or unintentionally will be subject to sanctions from the HPAC and may be referred to the police for suspicion of conspiracy to commit fraud.

HPAC notes additional competencies beyond those traditionally associated with clinician grade but does not/cannot authorise the extended practice. The actual scope of practice is the responsibility of the individual and/or their employer with reference to the relevant law/guidelines/training/competencies in accordance with practice jurisdiction.

Any fraudulent, potentially fraudulent or misleading documentation or statement/s provided to the HPAC by an applicant, registrant or employer will be referred to the police for intelligence sharing and/or investigation under the Forgery Act. A £50 admin fee may be applied; access to the register will be revoked and legal charges may be brought against the individual or organisation by the HPAC.

HPAC may discuss any legitimate concerns and share any registrant or employer details/documentation with a third party potentially impacted by the suspected fraud i.e. a training provider whose certificate has possibly been used in the act of fraud; a faculty or membership body linked to clinical practice/status/qualification/endorsement who would help or enable the individual concerned gain access to patients/vulnerable adults or children; an employer using the services of a registrant or applicant as a medical responder who has potentially supplied fraudulent credentials; or the CQC if an employer is providing certification which is not aligned with the level of training provided.

9. Safeguarding Alerts, Cautions, Suspensions and Reporting Concerns

Any outstanding or anticipated complaints must be declared by the registrant upon registration and during their time as an active registrant on HPAC.

All registrants are required to immediately self-report any investigations which reflect upon their clinical competency, professionalism or ability to practice within 15 days after the investigation is commenced.

HPAC fully co-operates with law enforcement agencies as well as all other statutory services within the UK and abroad. As such, if a concern is raised against a registrant on our registry in relation to a police investigation, HPAC is given expressed permission by the registrant to contact the police to verify if the allegations are hearsay or valid. If they are found to be valid and the registrant has not self-reported, this may result in an immediate interim suspension.

Concerns raised by a statutory service such as police, fire and rescue as NHS will result in an immediate and proportionate response in relation to the concern raised. Full liability for any subsequent legal action from the registrant reported falls to the organisation or service which submitted the concern to HPAC. HPAC may update the registrant status based on the outcome of the investigation being undertaken by the reporting statutory service or the decision of the courts should their decision be successfully challenged by the registrant. For example, if a registrant has been suspended or had a caution added to their registration in response to a credible safeguarding concern but is subsequently cleared the registration will be updated to reflect an active status without any active concerns.

HPAC accepts no liability for loss of earnings or reputation damage that may result from safeguarding or professional conduct concerns raised against a registrant. The individual or organisation reporting any concern or concerns accepts full liability for any subsequent actions a registrant may peruse in defence of their registration status or subsequent damages they may claim to encounter as a result. Resolution of such matters will not be via HPAC and must be settled between the complainant and the registrant either in court or via their elected representatives.

In line with the safeguarding act, the law does not prevent the sharing of sensitive, personal information between organisations where the public interest served outweighs the public interest served by protecting confidentiality – for example, where a registrant has falsely claimed to possess qualifications to practice as a clinician by falsifying, misleading or withholding key information that would prevent their registration as said, clinician. As such, safeguarding concerns may be shared both with organisations registered on HPAC and with external organisations relevant to the provision of safe care to the public.

By registering with Health Practice Associates Council CIC, you agree to and accept that if a serious concern is reported to HPAC regarding your fitness to practice safely, we may activate a caution or suspension notification on your profile at any time. This may be reflected on your public profile and until such time as the matter is resolved.

If suspension notification is active, account access will be suspended until such time it is removed.

If a sanction applies to a registrant who is a minor, meaning they are below the age of 18, for safeguarding purposes, they will be removed from the HPAC register and will not be allowed to re-apply for a period of five years.

HPAC will endeavour to cooperate with any police or court requests for registrant information. As far as is essentially relevant to a police investigation documents supplied to HPAC by a registrant may be shared with the police or courts without notifying the registrant.

By registering with HPAC or submitting a concern, you accept in full this process and any subsequent liabilities.

10. Event Log

As part of HPAC's safeguarding system, all organisations a registrant is associated with may view all event logs entered by third party organisations. HPAC accepts no liability for these comments, and it is up to the registrant and complainant to resolve them.

11. Code of Conduct

HPAC is currently outlining its own code of conduct. However, all registrants must conduct themselves in accordance with the code of conduct, standards, performance and ethics of the employing or commissioning organisation.

Registrants must be honest in all their dealings with HPAC, Employers, commissioning organisations and service users. Registrants must self-report any changes in their circumstances that could affect their fitness to practice.

12. Complaint Handling

If you wish to complain about any user content posted on our website by a third party or any other content which appears on our site, please contact us via the website contact form or at the postal address given at the beginning of these Terms and Conditions.

Please precisely identify the user content or other content about which you are notifying us, including the page of the site on which it is posted. You should provide us with full details of your complaint and, if you are alleging copyright infringement, evidence that you own the copyright. We will then review the material and decide whether it complies with the content standards set out in our Acceptable Use Policy. We will deal appropriately with any user content or other content which, in our opinion, violates those content standards. We will endeavour to inform you of the outcome of our review within a reasonable time of receiving your complaint.

HPAC, as a rule, will not investigate anonymous complaints.

The complaints form must be completed in full and can be found on the home page or via this link: https://www.HPAC-uk.org/concerns_report_form

If a serious concern is raised by an organisation, in order to protect the integrity of an investigation, HPAC retains the right to unlink any associated organisations from a registrant profile or account who is the subject of said compliant without warning or seeking permission from either the registrant or the organisation.

All complaints received that meet the threshold for investigation will be shared with relevant organisations/stakeholders.

13. Account Closure

A deregistration request must be submitted via the deregistration from available within your account management page.
In the interest of public safeguarding, HPAC will retain a record of all qualification evidence and statements for the maximum pero permitted within UK law. If you request account deregistration, access to your profile will be revoked upon closure to prevent data alteration.
If a registrant has provided fraudulent information or if a safeguarding concern is raised against deregistered accounts, this information will be shared with relevant law enforcement and other public safeguarding agencies as per the Safeguarding Act. Proven evidence of fraud, patient endangerment, or conduct warranting a caution will result in your public profile being updated with a warning within five years of account closure.
Verified members who choose to close their accounts must return their ID Cards to Chantry House, 22 Upperton Road, Eastbourne, BN21 1BF, within 14 days of the closure request or evidence that their ID cards have been destroyed. If closing your account within your annual registration period there will not be a pro-rated refund. Additionally, outstanding payments for additional services will be charged immediately to your registered payment card or bank account.
1. Deregistration will take place immediately once a Deregistration form is received.
If your profile is looked up via the register website or an ID card scan an "invalid ID" result will be returned to the user.
Individuals whose accounts have been marked as expired, temporarily suspended, suspended, removed from register, or archived, cannot present themselves as active regstrants under any circumstances.
Accounts marked as expired, suspended, or archived may not use the HPAC ID card, logo, or any related materials to present themselves as active or endorsed members, either directly or indirectly.

14. RIGHT TO BE FORGOTTEN

HPAC will indefinitely retain all registrant data related to safeguarding, malpractice, or similar concerns.
As an applicant or registrant, you agree that your details can be held and shared where relevant to public safety, even after account closure or a request to be forgotten.
Additionally, you agree that HPAC may store the history of your account indefinitely as a reference point should you wish to re-apply to the registry in the future. This includes your name, surname, grade, pin number, uploaded documents, date of birth, and departing status, as well as reasons behind any concerns, such as cautions or suspensions.
If you have been struck off, your name will permanently remain searchable on the public register with the status: "Struck off".
HPAC will retain the information supplied in all applications and treat incomplete applications as partially registered profiles.

15. Data Protection Officer

Satswana Ltd

Pembroke House, St Christopher's Place Farnborough, Hampshire, GU14 0NH

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 01252 516898

16. Intellectual Property

By submitting user content to the website, a non-exclusive license is granted to the Health Practice Associates Council and UbquiCore Limited to use that user content, except where such user content consists of a private message. Although you will still own the copyright in your user content, we will have the right to freely use, edit, alter, reproduce, publish and/or distribute the material in your user content on the website. Any such license is free of charge, perpetual and capable of sub-license.

We keep this information secure and will not reveal it to any associated third parties. In addition, all members of Health Practice Associates Council staff and volunteers are bound by our data protection policy.

We will never sell or rent the registrant's personal information to third parties. Organisations making use of this site agree to our data protection policy and are fully liable and accountable for their use of registrant information. Organisations can only access detailed information regarding registrants if expressly granted access by that individual via the association request system. We also receive requests for statistics about the number of Health Practice Associates Council by, for example, age, area, or gender. We sometimes release these statistics, but we ensure no registrant can be identified.

The only information that we display about you on our public-facing register is your name, registration number, primary qualification, dates of the current registration cycle, the approximate geographical area of practice, and any conditions on your registration.

We draw your attention to the Acceptable Use Policy and remind you of your obligation to ensure that any user content placed on the website complies with our content standards as set out in that Acceptable Use Policy. You must ensure that your user content does not infringe any other person's copyright, database right, trademark or intellectual property. By submitting user content to this website, you are warranting that you have the right to grant us the non-exclusive copyright license as mentioned above.

17. Disclaimer

All content on our site (including but not limited to user content) is provided for general information only without any guarantees, conditions or warranties as to its accuracy. It is not intended to amount to advice (of any nature) upon which you should rely. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content of our site.

Although we aim to update our site regularly, we are under no obligation to do so, and any of the material on the site may be out of date at any given time.

18. Our Intellectual Property (IP)

Copyright in the information, data, intellectual property, content or other services or materials displayed or provided on this website is managed by Health Practice Associates Council and is owned and maintained by its software licence provider, UbiquiCore Limited. Our copyright cannot be used for any commercial purpose without our prior written consent. Any copy must retain all copyright or other intellectual property notices contained in the original material. Images displayed on this website are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without our prior written consent. Logos, trademarks or other service marks displayed in this website may not be printed or downloaded except as part of the text of which they form a part.

All intellectual property of UbiquiCore Limited is protected by copyright law, and any attempt to replicate, recreate or otherwise emulate IP content on our site without our expressed permission is strictly prohibited and may result in legal action being taken.

All content on our site (including but not limited to user content) is provided for general information only without any guarantees, conditions or warranties as to its accuracy. It is not intended to amount to advice (of any nature) upon which you should rely. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking or refraining from any action on the basis of the content of our site.

19. Non-Compete

By applying to register with the Health Practice Associates Council and by continuing to make use of our site, you confirm that you and/or your organisation are not currently directly or indirectly engaged in any competitive business related to the creation and/or maintenance of a non-statutory regulated register for roles within the UK who are currently on the HPAC register. This includes but is not limited to:

engaging in a business as an owner, partner, or agent,

becoming an employee or third party that is engaged in such business, for-profit, not-for-profit or otherwise,

soliciting any registrants or organisations on the Health Practice Associates Council for the benefit of a third party that is engaged in such business.

20. Information sharing with external regulatory bodies

Where deemed relevant, HPAC can and will share details or concerns regarding an application/registration with other regulatory bodies to which we believe a registrant may be linked.

HPAC may request information from regulatory bodies regarding registrants/applicants where deemed relevant.

HPAC has the right to refuse registration, suspend registration, apply a caution to an existing registration or any similar course of action if dishonesty, fraud or any failure to meet the standards of conduct, competency, and proficiency is detected.

HPAC may make a referral to a relevant external regulatory body based on information ascertained at any point during a registrant's involvement with HPAC where deemed necessary or in the public interest to do so.

21. Limitation of liability

"End user" refers to any user of the HPAC website or its services. This includes but is not limited to applicants, registrants, organisations, volunteers, staff, donors, advertisers and site visitors.
1.1 All terms apply to End users.
Nothing in these terms excludes or limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence or for our fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.

We use reasonable endeavours to ensure that information on this website is accurate and up to date and correct errors as soon as we can after becoming aware of them. We do not check, monitor or review, verify or endorse such material in any way. We are not responsible or liable for any loss or damage you may suffer or incur in connection with any information, content, material or data collected from or provided by third parties displayed on or otherwise available from this website or any third party websites. Such information, content, material or data may be inaccurate, incomplete or out of date. It is your responsibility to check that such information, content, material or data is accurate, complete, correct, and up to date.

Any views, opinions, advice, reviews, ratings or comments on this website or any third-party website that third parties make do not represent our views, opinions or advice and should not be relied upon by you and are not checked, monitored, reviewed, verified or endorsed by us. We are not responsible or liable for any loss or damage you may suffer or incur in connection with such views, opinions, advice, reviews, ratings or comments, including in relation to their accuracy, truthfulness or completeness.

We do not give any warranty or guarantee that this website, any third-party website or any information, content, material or data on this website or any third-party website is free from viruses, spyware, malicious software, Trojans worms, logic bombs or anything else which may have a contaminating, harmful or destructive effect on any technology. You must ensure that you use appropriate virus-checking software. We are not responsible or liable for any loss or damage you may suffer or incur in this regard caused by any third party.

We are not responsible or liable for any loss or damage you may suffer or incur in connection with your use of this website which is caused by any event beyond our reasonable control, including the electronic transmission of information, content, material and data over the internet and the interception or description of it by others.

We are not responsible or liable for any indirect loss or damage you may suffer or incur in connection with your use of this website, including any loss of savings you expect to make, loss of business or business opportunity or loss of profit or revenue or for any loss or damage you may suffer or incur in connection with your use of this website which was not foreseeable by us when you used this website.

We are not responsible for any loss or damage of any kind, however arising and whether caused by tort (including negligence), breach of contract or otherwise, even if foreseeable, provided that this condition shall not prevent claims for loss or damage to your tangible property or any other claims for indirect financial loss that are not excluded by any of the categories set out above.

Where our site contains links to other sites and resources provided by third parties, these links are provided for your information only. We have no control over the contents of those sites or resources, and we expressly exclude liability for any loss or damage that may arise from your use of them. You use any third-party sites and resources at your own risk and are responsible for assessing the suitability of any goods or services advertised by such third parties before signing up or placing an order for such goods or services.

Where you contract with a third party, they will be providing goods and services to you on their own Terms and Conditions. You must ensure you understand and agree to these Terms and Conditions before entering into a contract to obtain that product or service. We are not responsible or liable for any loss or damage you may suffer or incur in connection with the Terms and Conditions applying to any contract entered into by you with any third party in relation to any product or service or any acts, omissions, errors or defaults of any third party in connection with those Terms and Conditions.
Indemnity and Protection Against Duplicate Claims

Exclusive Accountability of Health Practice Associates Council (HPAC)
End users acknowledge that Health Practice Associates Council (HPAC) is the sole authority responsible for addressing any questions, concerns, or disputes related to services, data management, and system functionality provided through HPAC’s platform. UbiquiCore Limited, acting solely as the system developer and data processor for HPAC, holds no direct liability to end users.
Indemnification of UbiquiCore Limited
By using HPAC’s platform, end users agree to indemnify and hold UbiquiCore Limited harmless against any claims, actions, or liabilities arising from or related to their use of the platform. This indemnity extends to all aspects of data handling, technical issues, or other operational support provided by UbiquiCore Limited on behalf of HPAC.
Protection Against Duplicate Claims
End users further agree that HPAC shall not be subject to duplicate or repetitive claims arising from the same underlying facts or occurrences. Any single incident, data transaction, or event related to HPAC’s services may give rise to only one claim, ensuring that HPAC is not exposed to multiple claims based on the same issue, consistent with the principle of “double jeopardy” in law.
Clarification of HPAC’s Sole Responsibility
This provision establishes HPAC’s exclusive accountability for end-user concerns, with any disputes or claims to be handled solely by HPAC. It does not invite or encourage claims but serves to clarify responsibility, thereby protecting both HPAC and its service providers from unnecessary or repetitive legal exposure.

22. Associated Organisations

By granting a third party organisation associate status, you agree to their making use of your information in the manner they deem fit. This includes but is not limited to the sharing and recording of clinical, operational, correctional, educational, complimentary and complaint-based information in relation to you. This information will be permanently recorded in the events segment of your profile, some or all of which may be made visible to other third-party organisations to whom you grant associate status.

Please be aware that, with the exception of private messages, all content you post on our site is available to view by organisations you grant associate status, which means that it is visible to all organisational users of our site to whom you grant associate status. Please do not disclose any personal information on our site that you do not wish to make public. A limited version of your information will also be publicly available to view, which means that it is visible to public users of our site. This includes if your profile is deregistered, suspended or has been restricted in any manner by HPAC administration.

If you would like to restrict how much of your profile information can be seen by other users, you can do so by editing your associated organisations in your profile settings section of this website.

HPAC retains the right to unlink any associated organisations from your profile or account without warning or seeking permission from either the registrant or the organisation.

23. Jurisdiction and Applicable Law

The English Courts will have exclusive jurisdiction over any claim arising from or related to a visit to our site, although we retain the right to bring proceedings against you for breach of these conditions in your country of residence or any other relevant country.

These terms of use and any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection with them or their subject matter or formation (including non-contractual disputes or claims) shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the law of England and Wales.

24. Variations

The content of the pages of this website is for general information and use only. We may revise these terms of use at any time by amending this page. You are expected to check this page from time to time to take notice of any changes we have made, as they are binding on you. Some of the provisions contained in these terms of use may also be superseded by provisions or notices published elsewhere on our website.

25. Use of HPAC Banners and Logo

If you would like to link to our site, please read the following conditions. The use of the HPAC banner and/or logo is subject to you agreeing to these terms:

Health Practice Associates Council is the sole owner of the HPAC logo. Your use of the logo acknowledges the Health Practice Associates Council's ownership of the logo.

Health Practice Associates Council reserves the right to take action against any use of the logo that does not conform to any of the conditions herein, infringes any intellectual property or other rights of Health Practice Associates Council, or violates applicable law. All use of or the goodwill associated with the HPAC logo will be conveyed to the benefit of the Health Practice Associates Council.

Use of the HPAC logo does not indicate or create any endorsement, approval, sponsorship or affiliation of or with your website by the Health Practice Associates Council.

The HPAC logo is provided without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including, without limitation, warranties of the title of non-infringement. Use of the logo is solely at your own risk.

Health Practice Associates Council hereby grants you a license to use the HPAC logo, provided that you agree:

The logo will be used solely for the purpose of linking to the HPAC website.

The link will always be an active link.

The HPAC logo will always stand alone and not be combined with other graphical elements.

The HPAC logo will not be altered in any manner, including its proportions, font, design, arrangement, colors or elements or animated, morphed or otherwise distorted in perspective or appearance.

The HPAC logo will not appear more prominently than your personal, company, product or service website name.

The HPAC logo will be displayed in a positive manner and will not be used in any way that adversely affects the Health Practice Associates Council's credibility.

You will not transfer, assign, sell, reproduce, distribute or otherwise exploit your link to us or your use of our logo.

The HPAC logo will appear as provided by the Health Practice Associates Council.

The HPAC logo will not appear on any pages of websites, including content or advertising for alcoholic beverages, tobacco, religious or political material or firearms.

The HPAC logo will not appear on pages including content which the Health Practice Associates Council finds in its sole discretion to be objectionable or which includes obscene, pornographic, violent, intolerant, tasteless, denigrating or sexually-oriented content or materials.

The HPAC logo will not create or give the appearance of creating an endorsement, approval, sponsorship, affiliation or recommendation of any product or service by the Health Practice Associates Council.

The use of phrases on your own website, online forums or promotional material of any kind which imply endorsement of any kind by HPAC/Health Practice Associates Council must be approved in writing by Health Practice Associates Council.

The HPAC logo will not be used or displayed in any way that disparages Health Practice Associates Council or its software provider, infringes any intellectual property or other rights of Health Practice Associates Council, violates any national or international law, or diminishes or otherwise damages health Practice Associates Council goodwill in the logo.

Health Practice Associates Council reserves the right to make any change to the information and/or license provided herein at any time for any reason. You acknowledge and agree that you are responsible for keeping up with any such changes.

Health Practice Associates Council also reserves the right to revoke the logo license for any reason, in which case you agree to remove the link and stop the use of the logo within two business days of notice of revocation. In such a case, you will be prohibited from reinstating the link or using the logo without further written permission from the Health Practice Associates Council.

26. Agreement to HPAC Terms and Policy

If you select free or paid registration to our website, we do insist that all users abide by our rules and policies. When you register with our site, you confirm that you accept and agree to the terms of our website Use, our Privacy Policy, our Acceptable Use Policy, and our Cookie Policy.

The continued use of our Site constitutes your agreement and understanding, and your use of this site is subject to the aforementioned policies and that you understand what conduct and content is and is not acceptable on our site.

27. Miscellaneous

HPAC makes no warranty or representation that any product or service referred to on this website or any service we provide is available or otherwise appropriate for use outside of the United Kingdom. If you choose to use this website from locations outside the United Kingdom, you do so at your sole risk, and you are responsible for compliance with all applicable local laws.

If any provision of these terms is held to be unlawful, invalid or unenforceable, that provision shall be deemed deleted from these terms and the validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions of these terms shall not be affected.

these terms constitute the entire agreement between you and us relating to your access to and use of this website and supersede any prior agreements (including any previous terms of use of this website).

28. Provision of False or Misleading Information is an Offence

Any registrants identified as having purposefully supplied false or misleading information in respect of their identity, DBS, clinical qualifications or blue light driving entitlement either preceding registration acceptance or post-acceptance will be reported to the relevant authorities on grounds of fraud as well as public endangerment and legal action may be taken against them by Health Practice Associates Council CIC.

In line with the Safeguarding Act 2014, any registrants found to have provided false or misleading information will be subsequently reported to associated organisations both nationally and internationally.

A suspension notice will be applied to your public profile and remain live for a minimum of five years.

For clarification of the presence of an interim suspension, expired or inactive notice on registration does not indicate that a registrant is guilty of any offence.

HPAC accepts no liability for loss of earnings or reputation during this period. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not register. Please ensure you have read our full terms and conditions before registering. Thank you.

29. Organisation Registration and Account Management

29.1 Annual Registration and Commitment

Registration for organisations on the Health Practice Associates Council (HPAC) website is annual. Organisations agree to a 12-month commitment period upon registration or renewal of their accounts.

Monthly payments, agreed upon at the time of registration, are part of this annual commitment and must be fulfilled regardless of the usage levels throughout the year.

29.2 Account Setup

Organisations must complete the registration form provided on the HPAC website and submit all required documentation and information, including proof of authorisation to operate within the United Kingdom.

Upon submitting the registration form, organisations agree to comply with all terms and conditions set forth by HPAC, as well as any additional policies related to the use of the HPAC services.

29.3 Account Validation and Activation

The HPAC reserves the right to verify the information provided during the registration process. The account will only be activated once all checks have been satisfactorily completed.

HPAC may request additional information or clarification as part of the verification process before activating the organisation account.

29.4 Payment Terms

Following registration, organisations are required to provide payment details for the monthly or annual charges associated with the service. These charges are either billed annually or divided into 12 monthly payments depending on the payment option that was selected by the organisation.

Failure to complete these payments as scheduled may result in suspension or termination of the service.

29.5 Cancellation and Termination

Organisations may cancel their registration by providing written notice to HPAC.

If cancellation is requested within 14 days following the annual renewal date or the initial registration, organisations may withdraw without penalty.

Cancellation requests received after 14 days from the renewal or initial registration date will result in the immediate deactivation of the account, and no refund will be issued for any payments made, regardless of the portion of the remaining service period.

29.6 Immediate Account Withdrawal

Upon cancellation after the specified 14-day period, the organisation's account will be withdrawn immediately from the HPAC platform. This action is final, and there will be no recourse to a refund, either in part or in whole.

29.7 Data Management and Responsibilities

Organisations are responsible for maintaining the accuracy and confidentiality of their account information. This includes managing access rights and safeguarding any sensitive information related to their operations on the HPAC platform.

Organisations must ensure that all activities conducted through their HPAC accounts comply with applicable laws and regulations as well as the ethical standards set forth by HPAC.

29.8 Changes to Organisation Details

Any changes to the organisation’s details, including contact information, business structure, or operational scope, must be promptly updated in the HPAC account. Failure to maintain accurate records may impact the organisation’s ability to use the HPAC services effectively.

29.9 Compliance with Laws

Organisations must ensure that their use of the HPAC platform complies with all applicable laws, regulations, and these Terms and Conditions.

HPAC reserves the right to terminate or suspend access to any organisation that fails to comply with legal obligations or these Terms and Conditions.

29.10 Indemnification

Organisations agree to indemnify and hold harmless HPAC, UbiquiCore and their affiliates, officers, agents, and employees from any claim or demand made by any third party due to or arising out of the organisation’s use of HPAC services, violation of the Terms and Conditions, or infringement of any intellectual property or other rights of any person or entity.

Organisations agree to indemnify and hold harmless HPAC, UbiquiCore and their affiliates, officers, agents, and employees from liability for any loss of earnings that may occur through software failure or error.

30. Privacy Policy

HPAC and UbiquiCore Limited ("us", "we", or "our") operate the www.hpac-uk.org website (the "Service"). This section informs you of our policies regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information when you use our Service.

Information Collection and Use: While using our Service, we may ask you to provide us with certain personally identifiable information that can be used to contact or identify you. Personally identifiable information may include, but is not limited to, your email address, name, phone number, postal address, and other information ("Personal Information").

Log Data: We collect information that your browser sends whenever you visit our Service ("Log Data"). This Log Data may include information such as your computer's Internet Protocol ("IP") address, browser type, browser version, the pages of our Service that you visit, the time and date of your visit, the time spent on those pages, and other statistics.

Cookies: Cookies are files with small amounts of data, which may include an anonymous unique identifier. Cookies are sent to your browser from a website and stored on your computer's hard drive. We use "cookies" to collect information. You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, if you do not accept cookies, you may not be able to use some portions of our Service.

Service Providers: We may employ third party companies and individuals to facilitate our Service, to provide the Service on our behalf, to perform Service-related services or to assist us in analyzing how our Service is used. These third parties have access to your Personal Information only to perform these tasks on our behalf and are obligated not to disclose or use it for any other purpose.

Security: The security of your Personal Information is important to us, but remember that no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage, is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your Personal Information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

Links to Other Sites: Our Service may contain links to other sites that are not operated by us. If you click on a third-party link, you will be directed to that third party's site. We strongly advise you to review the Privacy Policy of every site you visit. We have no control over, and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services.

Children's Privacy: Our Service does not address anyone under the age of 16 ("Children"). We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children under 16. If you are a parent or guardian and you are aware that your child has provided us with Personal Information, please contact us. If we become aware that we have collected Personal Information from children under 16 without verification of parental consent, we will take steps to remove that information from our servers.

Changes to This Privacy Policy: We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page. If we make any material changes to this Privacy Policy, we will notify you either through the email address you have provided us, or by placing a prominent notice on our website.

Jurisdiction: This Policy shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

31. Acceptance of Terms and Modifications to Terms:

HPAC reserves the right to modify these Terms and Conditions at any time. Organisations will be notified of significant changes and continued use of the service will constitute acceptance of the new Terms and Conditions.

By continuing to access or use our Service after those revisions become effective, you agree to be bound by the revised terms. If you do not agree to the new terms, you are to stop using the Service.

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