Fora Terms of use

Our Terms of Use outline how we provide services. It includes our rights and responsibilities as a service provider, and your rights and responsibilities as a customer.

Please note: Our Terms of Use are subject to change. Account managers will be alerted about changes to the Terms of Use via email.

If you have any questions, please contact us on 1800 921 422.

1. Parties

This Terms of Use is for the Participant or the Participant’s Account Manager, and is made between the Participant or the Participant’s Account Manager and Fora Therapy Pty Ltd.

2. The NDIS and this Service Agreement

This Service Agreement is made for the purpose of providing therapy supports under the participant’s NDIS plan or for when the participant wishes to pay for the service privately.

Regardless of whether the parties are participants of the NDIS, the parties agree that this Service Agreement is made in the context of the NDIS, which is a scheme that aims to:

• support the independence and social and economic participation of people with disability; and
• enable people with a disability to exercise choice and control in the pursuit of their goals and the planning and delivery of their supports.

3. Schedule of supports

Fora Therapy agrees to provide the Participant with therapy supports for as long as the Participant would like to use the service.The therapy supports and their prices are set out below. All prices are GST inclusive (if applicable) and include the cost of providing the supports.

Additional expenses (i.e. things that are not included as part of a Participant’s NDIS supports) are the responsibility of the Participant/ Participant’s representative and are not included in the cost of the supports. Examples include entrance fees, event tickets, meals, public transport, etc.

If the client wishes to participate in an activity with an entry cost associated with it, we advise that they apply for a companion card available at www.companioncard.org.au. This allows a companion free entry to selected activities when with the client. If a client needs an employee to visit a place like a swimming pool or a gym and does not have a companion card, we recommend that you cover the costs at the time of entry so that the activity cost does not appear on your invoice.

If you are using NDIS funding, please note that the NDIS does not cover entry costs and this will have to be paid for privately. Alternatively, you may wish to cover the costs at the time of entry so that they do not appear on your invoice.

4. Fora Therapy’s Responsibilities

Allied Health Professionals:

As part of their responsibilities at Fora Therapy, An Allied Health Professional can:

• Involve you in decisions about your life
• Make sure you have all the information you need to make informed decisions
• Develop a therapy plan with you and the people who are important to you
• Keep a record of therapy and other supports they provide
• Ask for your feedback and work with your ideas
• Help you participate in the community
• Help you achieve more independence
• Promote safe work practices and environments
• Make sure all therapists are qualified and attend regular training
• Respect your privacy and make sure your information is protected

Therapy Assistants (Allied Health Assistants):

As part of their responsibilities at Fora, Therapy Assistants can:

• Assist you to implement your therapy plan and strategies created by an allied health professional (AHP).
• See you independently in-between their appointments with your allied health professional(s).
• Assist you to practice and reinforce what you’ve learned or has been prescribed by your allied health professional(s)
• Assisting with activities of everyday life related to your therapy (for example, driving you to a therapy appointment, helping with morning routines to build independence etc)

Please note: A therapy assistant does not replace your allied health professional(s)

• An allied health professional is accountable for the client’s overall therapy management regardless of the amount of care provided by the therapy assistant.
• The allied health professional is accountable for ensuring that tasks delegated are appropriate for a therapy assistant.

In order to work with a therapy assistant you must have an ongoing relationship with an allied health professional

Risk, Emergencies and Disaster Management Responsibilities:

5. Travel Time and Transport Costs

We provide therapy in the locations where you want to receive it. This can include your home, school, workplace and in community settings.

Allied health professionals:

The cost of an allied health professional travelling to your home includes:

1. the time it takes for your allied health professional to travel to your home from their regular place of work (this will be charged at the usual hourly rate), and
2. 99 cents per kilometre to account for fuel costs and wear and tear on the vehicle.

Please note that allied health professionals delivering specialist services may charge travel from a different office location to your usual therapy team.

Where possible, we book appointments with other customers in your area on the same day to reduce travel costs.

You can also choose to receive therapy online via telehealth (video call) to reduce travel costs.

• The maximum we charge for travel per appointment in a metropolitan area is 30 minutes each way.
• The maximum we charge for travel per appointment in regional areas is 60 minutes each way.

Therapy Assistants (Allied Health Assistants):

Fora Therapy does not charge for allied health assistants to travel to and from work if they live under 20 minutes driving distance from clients home.

However, Fora Therapy’s allied health assistants can request to be paid for travel time to and from a client’s home when they are more than 20 minutes driving distance away. For this to occur, an agreement must be made between each client and therapy assistant. Fora Therapy can assist with this process.

Therapy Assistants can transport their client’s using their own vehicles if they have agreed to do so, and in these circumstances, a charge for travel will be incurred. This charge is the allied health assistants usual rate plus 99 cents per kilometre travelled to account for fuel and wear and tear on the therapy assistants vehicle.

If you request an allied health assistant to use your family vehicle during a shift, we recommend that you seek the appropriate car insurance.

Fora Therapy’s insurance does not cover any damage that may occur to your vehicle, a therapy assistant’s vehicle or any other vehicle that is used during a shift.

Therapy assistants that have nominated to provide transport must:

• Agree to Fora Therapy’s terms of use
• Hold a valid Australian Driver’s Licence
• Hold minimum third-party insurance for their vehicle and has considered the need for Comprehensive Vehicle Insurance
• Be able to verify their vehicles registration and insurance status upon request
• Check that the vehicle is safe, clean and roadworthy
• Request to see a copy of the vehicle registration
• Request to see a Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance on the vehicle if using their client’s vehicle
• Keep accurate records of the trips they have made using their own vehicle during a booking
• Consider the need for a first aid kit to be kept in the vehicle
• Discuss with their client any necessary precautions that need to be taken when driving you and/or the client (e.g. child-safe locks)

Fora Therapy does not complete vehicle registration nor car insurance checks for each therapy assistant. If you require transport, you must take the appropriate steps to ensure that the Therapy Assistant’s insurance and vehicle suits your needs.

6. Note writing costs

Allied Health Professionals:

Sessions with an allied health professional attract a 15-minute note writing charge per session. Note writing is one of our obligations as an NDIS registered provider. You may request access to your session notes by emailing info@foratherapy.com. Session notes are stored in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Allied Health Assistants:

We do not charge extra for allied health assistant note writing time. All AHAs are required to write a session note after each therapy session, the cost of which is covered under the hourly rate for AHAs. You may request access to your session notes by emailing info@foratherapy.com. Session notes are stored in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

6. Report writing costs

Allied Health Professionals:

The total charge for report writing depends on the length of time it takes for one of our allied health professionals to prepare the report for a participant. This time is charged at the standard rate for the allied health professional and does not include any travel or other associated costs.
Generally speaking, common reports such as NDIS Review Reports or Assessment Summaries usually take an allied health professional two (2) hours to prepare, although this may vary.

Allied Health Assistants:

Allied health assistants can only prepare one type of report, which is a summary of the work they have completed during their time working with NDIS participants. Allied health assistants are unable to make any recommendations regarding future therapy support or future funding, as this is the role of an allied health professional.

Reports prepared by an allied health assistant generally incur a two (2) hour charge to participants at the standard allied health assistant rate.

7. Responsibilities of the Participant/ Participant’s representative

The Participant/ Participant’s representative agrees to:

• inform Fora Therapy about how they wish the therapy supports to be delivered to meet the Participant’s needs;
• inform Fora Therapy when you cease seeing the allied health professional (speech pathologist, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, exercise physiologist and/or psychologist) that was providing guidance to your therapy assistant/s.
• treat Fora Therapy workers with courtesy and respect;
• talk to Fora Therapy if the Participant has any concerns about the therapy supports being provided;
• give Fora Therapy the required notice if the Participant needs to end this Service Agreement (see ‘Ending this Service Agreement’ below for more information); and
• let Fora know immediately if the Participant’s NDIS plan is suspended or replaced by a new NDIS plan, or the Participant stops being a participant in the NDIS.

8. Cost of therapy supports

The NDIS regulates the price of therapy services for participants of the program. Fora has aligned its fees in accordance with the NDIS Price Guide.

This price guide is publicly available at: https://www.ndis.gov.au/providers/pricing-and-payment

This price guide is scheduled to be updated every year. Fora prices may rise in accordance with NDIS price Guide.

Note: All Therapy assistant (also known as allied health assistant) sessions come with a 1.5-hour minimum duration. This 1.5-hour-long minimum payment does not apply if the session is split between two clients (for example, the therapy assistant splits the 1.5 hour session into two 45-minute sessions between two children in the same household).

Client’s using Core Support funding:

Fora doesn’t provide support workers. This rate is only applicable in certain cases where your therapy assistant agrees to work with you in a support worker capacity.

Minimum session length: 2 hours

Meet and greet:

When selecting an allied health assistant, participants/their Account Manager is entitled to one free initial 30-60 minute meeting and interview between the participant and the allied health assistant; with a maximum duration of 60 minutes.
Meet and greets are not available for initial sessions with allied health professionals.

9. Payments

Fora Therapy will seek payment for their provision of therapy supports after the therapy supports have been delivered.

If the funding for any of the therapy supports provided is managed by the NDIS Participant:

The NDIS Participant has chosen to self-manage the funding for NDIS supports provided. After providing those supports, Fora Therapy will send the NDIS Participant an invoice for those supports for the NDIS Participant to pay. The NDIS Participant will pay the invoice by direct debit / EFT within 14 days.

and/or

If the funding for any of the supports provided is managed by a Plan Nominee:

The NDIS Participant’s Nominee manages the funding for supports provided. After providing those supports, Fora will send the NDIS Participant’s Nominee an invoice for those supports for the NDIS Participant’s Nominee to pay. The NDIS Participant’s Nominee will pay the invoice by direct debit / EFT within 14 days.

and/or

If the funding for any of the supports provided is managed by the National Disability Insurance Agency:

The NDIS Participant has nominated the NDIA to manage the funding for supports provided. After providing those supports, Fora will claim payment for those supports from the NDIA.

and/or

If the funding for any of the supports provided is managed by a Registered Plan Management Provider:

The NDIS Participant has nominated the Plan Management Provider to manage the funding for NDIS supports provided. The NDIS Participant will provide their Plan Management Provider’s details to Fora and after providing supports to the Participant, Fora will claim payment for those supports from the Registered Plan Management Provider.

and/or

If the Participant does not have NDIS funding for the supports provided, Fora will send the Participant an invoice for those supports for the Participant to pay through whatever means they choose. The Participant will pay the invoice by direct debit / EFT within 14 days.

10. Goods and Services Tax (GST)

For the purposes of GST legislation, the Parties confirm that:

• a supply of therapy supports is a supply of one or more of the reasonable and necessary supports specified in the statement included, under subsection 33(2) of the NDIS Act, in the NDIS Participant’s NDIS Plan currently in effect under section 37 of the NDIS Act;
• the NDIS Participant’s NDIS Plan is expected to remain in effect during the period the therapy supports are provided; and
• the Participant/ Participant’s representative will immediately notify the provider if the NDIS Participant’s NDIS Plan is replaced by a new plan or the NDIS Participant stops being a participant in the NDIS.

11. Cancellation Policy

We understand that unexpected circumstances arise, and you may need to cancel or reschedule your session with an allied health professional or therapy assistant.

Allied Health Professionals

If you need to change or cancel an appointment, we ask that you provide two business days’ notice.

For example, if your appointment is at 9am on a Monday, you need to let us know by 9am the Thursday before.

To cancel or change an appointment, please contact your allied health professional directly or call our main line on 1800 921 422 during business hours or send an email to info@foratherapy.com.

If you miss an appointment or cancel within two business days, we will charge you the full cost of your appointment.

If your therapist needs to cancel an appointment we will reschedule the appointment at no penalty to you.

Therapy Assistants (Allied Health Assistants):

If you need to change or cancel an appointment, we ask that you provide at least 12 hours notice.

To cancel or change an appointment, please contact your therapy assistant directly or call our main line on 1800 921 422 during business hours.

If a session is cancelled within 12 hours of the session start time the participant will be charged for the duration of the session, up to a maximum of 2 hours.

If your therapy assistant needs to cancel an appointment we will reschedule the appointment at no penalty to you.

12. Changes to the Terms of Use

We reserve the right to modify these Terms of Use at any time in accordance with this provision. If we make changes to the Terms of Use, we will upload the revised Terms of Use to the Platform.

Changes to the Terms of Use will come into effect immediately upon such changes being uploaded on the Platform. Your continued use of the Platform following such upload will constitute your acceptance of any changes. If you disagree with the revised Terms of Use, you must terminate any agreement you may have with Fora, cease using the Platform and deactivate your Account.

If we make a material change to the Terms of Use, we will notify you either by posting a notice of the changes on the Platform and/or via the email address nominated by you in your Account.

13. Feedback, complaints and disputes

If the Participant (or any other person) wishes to give Fora feedback or make a complaint, they can do so by:

• speaking directly with a Fora Therapy staff member or giving a Fora Therapy staff member a completed Feedback and Complaints Form;
• emailing info@foratherapy.com; or
• phoning 1800 921 422; or

If the person does not want to make a complaint directly to Fora, or they are not happy with how Fora Therapy has responded to their complaint, they can complain to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.

Complaints to the NDIS Commission can be made:

• online at www.ndiscommission.gov.au; and
• by phone on 1800 035 544.

Complaints to the NDIA can be lodged:

• by email to feedback@ndis.gov.au; and
• by phone on 1800 800 110.

Complaints will be formally acknowledged within 2 working days. All complaints will be responded to as quickly as possible, and within 5 working days from acknowledgement. If a complaint cannot be responded to in full within 5 days of acknowledgement, the complainant will be provided with an update, including when a full response can be expected.

All feedback and complaints will be used by Fora Therapy to continuously improve service delivery.

14. Definitions

“Account” means the account that was registered by you on the Platform using your name, postcode, email address and password.

“Account Manager” means an authorised attorney or decision maker for, or custodial parent or guardian of, a Participant.

“Approved User” means a Registered User that has been approved by Fora and has logged into their Account to access and use the Platform.

“Booking” means an engagement or request made by a Participant (or a Participant’s Account Manager) for an Allied Health Assistant or Allied Health Professional to perform Therapy Services which has been confirmed by the Therapy Assistant or Allied Health Professional.

“Confidential Information” means information belonging to or in the possession of, Fora Therapy or which you obtained through your relationship and engagement with Fora Therapy and which Fora Therapy regards as confidential and includes, but is not limited to, any personal, medical, health, private or sensitive information (including your opinions) about Fora, another User, a Representative or their families, other than any information which is in the public domain (except through a breach of the confidentiality of that information).

“Fora” means Fora Pty Ltd (ACN 625 399 242) of Level 1, Exchange Tower, 530 Little Collins St Melbourne (also referred to as “we”, “us” and “our”).

“Fora Therapy Standards and Procedures” means the standards, statements and procedures of Fora available on the Platform, including, but not limited to the Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and codes of conduct, as may be amended from time to time.

“Therapy Assistant” means a person employed by Fora under an employment agreement to provide Therapy Services to Participants through the Platform.

“Intellectual Property Rights” include, but are not limited to, patents, copyrights, rights in circuit layouts, registered designs, trademarks, the right to have Confidential Information kept confidential, and any application or right to apply for registration of all present and future rights conferred by statute, common law or equity whether registered or unregistered.

“Participant” means an individual with a disability who has registered with, and been approved by Fora to obtain Therapy Services through the Platform.

“Platform” means the Fora website (currently, www.Fora.com.au), the Fora web app, the Fora iPhone App, iPad App and Android App and all parts and pages of the same.

“Privacy Policy” means Fora’s policy on the collection, use and disclosure of personal information (available on the Platform).

“Profile” means the information provided by you as part of the Registration Process and displayed in your Account on the Platform.

“Registered User” means an individual who is logged into their Account and is undertaking the Registration Process to become a Participant (or Account Manager), Therapy Assistant or Allied Health Professional.

“Registration Process” means Fora’s verification and approval process in determining an application to become a Participant (or Account Manager), Therapy Assistant or Allied Health Professional.

“Therapy Services” means the therapy services provided by Therapy Assistants and Allied Health Professionals during a Booking in accordance with the terms of the relevant employment and services agreement between you and Fora (as applicable).

“Unregistered User” means an individual who is accessing the Platform without logging into an Account.

“User” means an Unregistered User, Registered User and Approved User and any other person that uses the Platform.

“you” means the person that accesses or uses the Platform and your will be interpreted accordingly.

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Last updated: June 27th, 2022