Refunds, Cancellations and Rescheduling Policy

2.1 Purpose

This policy explains how cancellations, rearrangements, refunds and payment disputes are handled by The Neurodiversity Service.

It applies to assessment services, initial support sessions, post-diagnostic support sessions, 1:1 support programmes, group support programmes and any other services we provide unless separate written terms apply.

2.2 Key principle

Our fees relate to the service process and professional work undertaken, not to any guaranteed diagnostic or support outcome.

For assessment services, this includes clinical preparation, review of forms and questionnaires, appointment time, room or venue costs, clinician time, multidisciplinary review, report writing, feedback and administration.

2.3 Your statutory rights

Where you are a consumer purchasing online or at a distance, you may have statutory cancellation rights. These rights can be affected once you ask us to start providing the service during the cancellation period.

When booking, we may ask you to confirm that you want us to start work before the end of any 14-day cancellation period and that you understand you may have to pay for work carried out before cancellation.

Nothing in this policy affects your statutory rights.

2.4 Starting the service

The service may start before your first appointment. Work may include opening or setting up your case; reviewing forms or questionnaires; triage or administrative review; clinical preparation; contacting you or third parties with consent; arranging clinicians, rooms or assessment slots; creating clinical or operational records; processing payment or finance arrangements; or preparing for assessment.

Once work has started, any refund may be reduced to reflect the work carried out and costs committed.

2.5 Assessment service stages

For refund purposes, an assessment may include the following stages:

1. Booking and payment/finance confirmation.
2. Case setup and administration.
3. Forms, questionnaires and consent.
4. Clinical review and preparation.
5. Initial consultation or pre-assessment contact where applicable.
6. Assessment session or sessions.
7. Additional information gathering where required.
8. Multidisciplinary review or panel discussion where applicable.
9. Report writing and quality review.
10. Feedback session.
11. Discharge/signposting and case closure.

Not every assessment follows exactly the same pathway. The clinically appropriate pathway may vary.

2.6 Cancellation before work starts

If you cancel before any work has started and before any appointment, clinician, room or other resource has been committed, we will usually refund the amount paid, less any unrecoverable payment processing fees or administrative costs that we are legally entitled to deduct.

2.7 Cancellation after work starts but before assessment session

If you cancel after work has started but before the first assessment session, we may deduct a reasonable amount for work already completed and costs already committed. This may include administrative work, clinical preparation, review of forms, consultation time, booking costs, room costs and payment processing costs.

Where appropriate, we may offer a partial refund or a credit/rebooking option.

2.8 Cancellation after an assessment session

Once an assessment session has taken place, significant clinical work has been delivered. Refunds are usually not available after this point, except where required by law or where we decide at our discretion that a partial refund or other remedy is appropriate.

No refund is due because you disagree with the diagnostic conclusion, do not receive a diagnosis, or later receive a different opinion elsewhere.

2.9 Cancellation after report writing, panel or feedback stage

Once report writing, multidisciplinary review, panel discussion or feedback preparation has started, fees are usually non-refundable except where required by law or where we decide otherwise at our discretion.

2.10 Rescheduling sessions

You must give at least 48 hours’ notice if you need to cancel or rearrange a booked session.

We understand that genuine difficulties can arise. We may allow one late rearrangement request without charge as a goodwill exception. After that, late cancellations, repeated rearrangements or non-attendance may be charged, deducted from a bundle, or treated as a used session.

Where a room, clinician or specialist has already been booked, late changes may cause costs that cannot be recovered. We reserve the right to charge for those costs or treat part of the relevant stage as delivered.

2.11 Non-attendance

If you do not attend a session without giving at least 48 hours’ notice, we may treat the session as delivered and no refund will be due for that session. For assessment services, non-attendance may also delay the assessment pathway and report timeframe.

2.12 Consent withdrawn or refused

If consent is withdrawn, refused or unclear before or during a session, we may pause or stop the service.

Where this happens before a session and sufficient notice is given, we may offer a rebooking or partial refund depending on the work already completed.

Where this happens at or shortly before a session, we may offer one rebooking as a goodwill option where clinically appropriate. However, we may still charge for work already undertaken, clinician time, room costs and other committed costs.

If consent issues mean the assessment cannot safely or ethically proceed, we may terminate the service. Refunds will be considered according to the stage reached and the work already completed.

2.13 Abusive behaviour or unsafe situations

If we cancel, stop or refuse to continue a service because of abusive, threatening, unsafe, discriminatory or inappropriate behaviour, refunds may be limited or unavailable. We may charge for work completed and costs committed.

2.14 Initial support and individual support sessions

Single sessions are generally non-refundable once delivered.

If you cancel or rearrange with at least 48 hours’ notice, we will usually offer a rearranged session or credit. If you cancel with less than 48 hours’ notice or do not attend, the session may be treated as used.

2.15 Support bundles

Where you buy a bundle of support sessions, unused sessions may be refundable at our discretion if less than 50% of the bundle has been used and cancellation is requested with reasonable notice.

Once 50% or more of the bundle has been used, no refund will usually be available.

If we agree to refund part of a bundle, we may calculate the refund by charging used sessions at the standard single-session rate rather than the discounted bundle rate, plus any unrecoverable costs.

2.16 1:1 Identity Programme

The 1:1 Identity Programme is a structured support programme. Sessions are booked individually or as a programme schedule.

If you cancel before the programme starts, we will consider a refund based on whether preparation, scheduling or other work has started. Once sessions have started, refund availability will depend on the number of sessions used, preparation completed and costs committed.

Once 50% or more of the programme has been delivered, no refund will usually be available.

2.17 Identity Group Programme deposit and waiting list

The Identity Group Programme may require a 50% deposit to join the waiting list.

The deposit secures your interest in joining a suitable future group. It does not guarantee a specific start date, venue, facilitator, group composition, cohort size, day or time.

We will use reasonable efforts to form a suitable group based on factors such as location, availability, cohort fit, support needs, facilitator availability and practical scheduling.

If we cannot offer a suitable group within 6 months of your deposit payment, you may choose either a full refund of your deposit, or to remain on the waiting list for a further period.

If we offer you a suitable group and you cannot attend, we may offer one rollover to the next suitable group where available. We are not required to offer repeated rollovers.

Once a group is confirmed and you pay the remaining 50%, fees are generally non-refundable because staffing, venue, planning, materials and places for other clients are affected.

If we cancel the programme and cannot offer a reasonable alternative, we will offer a refund or transfer. If we materially change the date, venue or delivery format after confirmation and the new arrangement is not reasonable for you, we will offer a transfer or refund where appropriate.

2.18 Humm-funded bookings

If you paid using Humm finance and a refund is approved, we may need to notify or process the refund through Humm. Any adjustment to your finance agreement or repayment account will be handled in accordance with Humm’s process and terms. See our Humm Finance Terms.

You may remain responsible for payments to Humm unless and until Humm confirms that your finance account has been adjusted or cancelled.

2.19 Disputes and chargebacks

If you raise a payment dispute, chargeback, Section 75 claim, Humm complaint or Financial Ombudsman Service complaint, we may provide evidence of the service provided. This may include booking records, attendance records, consent records, communication records, refund records and non-clinical evidence of service delivery.

Clinical records, reports, safeguarding information and health information will only be shared where lawful, necessary, proportionate and appropriately protected.