Terms of Use

These Terms of Use govern your access to and use of the Care Opt website, apps, platform, and related services.

Care Opt is a trading name of Agency Care Staff Ltd (“Care Opt”, “we”, “us”, or “our”). By using Care Opt, creating an account, browsing profiles, booking services, or otherwise accessing the platform, you agree to these Terms of Use. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not use the platform.

1. About Care Opt

Care Opt is an online platform that helps clients, elderly people, family members, representatives, and other service users find and book independent Support Workers in the UK.

Unless we expressly state otherwise in writing, Care Opt operates as an introductory and payment-facilitation platform. We provide technology, profile listings, search tools, booking functionality, messaging tools, payment processing, and administrative support. We do not ourselves provide the care or support services booked through the platform.

The care or support services booked through Care Opt are provided by the Support Worker, not by Care Opt. The service relationship is between the client and the Support Worker.

2. Definitions

In these Terms:

• “Client” means a person who uses Care Opt to search for, contact, or book a Support Worker, whether for themselves or for another person.
• “Support Worker” means an independent worker who creates an account on Care Opt to offer support or care-related services.
• “Booking” means any confirmed service arrangement made through the platform.
• “Services” means the platform services provided by Care Opt, including account access, listings, booking tools, payment handling, communications, and related support.
• “Visit” means an agreed support session, shift, appointment, or booking carried out by a Support Worker.

3. Eligibility

You may only use Care Opt if:

1. you are at least 18 years old;
2. you can enter into legally binding contracts;
3. all information you provide is accurate and complete; and
4. you will use the platform only for lawful purposes.

If you create an account on behalf of another person, you confirm that you have the authority to act for them.

4. Care Opt’s role

Care Opt provides a digital platform to:

• allow Clients to search for Support Workers by location, including by postcode;
• display Support Worker profiles and availability;
• enable Clients and Support Workers to communicate through the platform;
• facilitate bookings and payments; and
• provide limited administrative, trust, and safety support.

5. No medical or regulated care advice

Care Opt does not provide medical advice, nursing advice, diagnosis, treatment, or emergency services.

The platform is not intended for emergencies. If there is an urgent risk to health or safety, you should contact the appropriate emergency or medical services immediately.

Clients must ensure that any care needs disclosed on the platform are accurate and sufficiently detailed. Where needs are complex, clinical, high-risk, or regulated, the Client must take independent advice and ensure the chosen Support Worker is appropriately qualified, experienced, and legally permitted to undertake the work.

6. Accounts

You must create an account to access certain parts of the platform.

You are responsible for keeping your login details secure and for all activity carried out through your account. You must notify us promptly if you suspect unauthorised access to your account.

We may suspend or close accounts where we reasonably believe that:

• the information provided is false, misleading, or incomplete;
• the account is being used unlawfully or in breach of these Terms;
• there is a safeguarding or safety concern; or
• continued access may expose Care Opt, other users, or the public to risk.

7. Support Worker profiles and information

Support Workers are responsible for ensuring that their profiles, qualifications, experience, right to work, DBS status, availability, rates, and other information are accurate, current, and not misleading.

Care Opt may carry out checks, request documents, verify information, or review profiles, but we do not guarantee the completeness, accuracy, or ongoing validity of any profile or supporting information unless expressly stated.

8. Nature of the relationship between Client and Support Worker

When a Client books a Support Worker through Care Opt, the agreement for the actual support services is between the Client and the Support Worker.

The Client is responsible for clearly setting out the required support, location, schedule, risks, household conditions, and any relevant information before the booking is confirmed.

The Support Worker is responsible for deciding whether to accept a booking and whether they are competent, available, insured, and legally able to perform the requested services.

9. Fees, payments, and commission

Clients pay for Bookings through the Care Opt platform.

Care Opt may collect payment from the Client at the time of booking or at another point stated on the platform. Funds may be held by our payment provider or through the payment structure we operate until the Visit has been completed or otherwise confirmed in accordance with our payment process.

Once a Visit is marked as completed or otherwise verified under our procedures, Care Opt will arrange payment to the Support Worker, less Care Opt’s commission.

Support Workers are responsible for their own tax affairs, registrations, reporting obligations, National Insurance, and any legal obligations arising from their self-employed status.

10. Payment provider

Care Opt may use Stripe or another third-party payment provider to process payments, hold funds, transfer earnings, verify identity, or manage connected accounts. By using Care Opt, you also agree to comply with any applicable third-party payment provider terms that are presented to you.

11. Cancellations, refunds, and no-shows

Clients may cancel a Booking without charge if they cancel at least 48 hours before the scheduled start time of the Visit. If a Client cancels less than 48 hours before the scheduled start time, the Booking will be treated as a late cancellation and the full Booking fee will remain payable. No refund will be due. If a Client is not present at the agreed location, denies access, cannot be contacted, or otherwise prevents the Visit from starting within 30 minutes of the scheduled start time, the Booking will be treated as a Client no-show and the full Booking fee will remain payable. No refund will be due.

Support Workers may cancel a Booking without penalty if they cancel at least 48 hours before the scheduled start time of the Visit. If a Support Worker cancels less than 48 hours before the scheduled start time, or fails to attend, or is more than 30 minutes late without prior notice and a valid reason, the Booking will be treated as a Support Worker late cancellation or no-show. In that case, the Client will receive a full refund.

If a Visit has started and is then ended early by the Client for convenience, the full Booking fee will remain payable unless the Support Worker agrees otherwise in writing through the platform.

If a Visit has started and cannot continue because the Support Worker chooses to leave early without valid reason, the Client will be entitled to a partial or full refund, determined by reference to the proportion of the Visit not completed.

Where a Client claims that the services were not delivered with reasonable care and skill, Care Opt may investigate the complaint and may issue a full or partial refund where the complaint is supported by the available evidence.

All cancellation deadlines are measured by reference to the local time at the location of the Booking. Refunds, where due, will be returned to the original payment method.

12. Client responsibilities

Clients agree to:

• provide accurate information about the person receiving support;
• disclose relevant risks, health information, mobility issues, allergies, behavioural concerns, pets, smoking, and household hazards where relevant to the booking;
• treat Support Workers respectfully and lawfully;
• provide safe access to the property and a safe working environment;
• not require a Support Worker to perform unlawful, unsafe, inappropriate, or undeclared tasks;
• pay all charges due through the platform; and
• raise any concern promptly through Care Opt.

Clients must not ask a Support Worker to undertake tasks that require a regulated professional, specialist training, registration, or authority unless the Support Worker is suitably qualified and the task is lawful.

13. Support Worker responsibilities

Support Workers agree to:

• provide accurate, complete, and current profile information;
• hold all licences, registrations, checks, insurance, and permissions required for the services they offer;
• perform services with reasonable care, skill, professionalism, and respect;
• work only within their competence, training, and legal authority;
• maintain confidentiality;
• keep booking and completion records accurate;
• not work while impaired by alcohol, drugs, fatigue, or any condition that makes the service unsafe; and
• comply with applicable laws, tax obligations, safeguarding duties, and platform policies.

14. Safeguarding and safety

Care Opt takes safeguarding and user safety seriously. We may investigate concerns, request information, suspend bookings, pause payouts, remove content, restrict accounts, or contact relevant authorities where we reasonably believe there is a safeguarding, fraud, abuse, exploitation, violence, or serious safety risk.

Users must report any safeguarding concern, abuse allegation, serious incident, criminal allegation, or immediate safety risk to us without delay and, where appropriate, to the police, local authority, adult safeguarding team, or emergency services.

15. Reviews, ratings, and feedback

Clients may be able to leave reviews or ratings about Support Workers, and Support Workers may be able to leave feedback about Clients.

Reviews and feedback must be honest, lawful, respectful, and based on genuine experience. They must not be abusive, discriminatory, threatening, misleading, or defamatory.

Care Opt may remove or moderate reviews or other content at its discretion.

16. Acceptable use

You must not:

• use the platform for any unlawful, harmful, fraudulent, or abusive purpose;
• provide false or misleading information;
• impersonate another person;
• interfere with platform security, code, performance, or access controls;
• circumvent booking, payment, or commission processes;
• harass, discriminate against, exploit, or threaten another user;
• upload harmful software, spam, or malicious content; or
• collect or misuse another user’s personal information without lawful basis.

17. Off-platform dealings

Care Opt invests in sourcing Clients, operating the platform, providing payment infrastructure, and supporting trust and safety. Users must not seek to avoid our fees or commission structure by arranging first-time or ongoing platform-introduced bookings outside Care Opt where this would circumvent our business model or published rules.

If Care Opt introduces a Client and a Support Worker to one another through the platform, we may treat any attempt to move that relationship off-platform as a breach of these Terms and may suspend or terminate the relevant accounts and recover lost fees where legally permitted.

18. Intellectual property

All intellectual property rights in the Care Opt website, platform, branding, software, design, text, graphics, logos, and content belong to Care Opt or its licensors.

We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, revocable, non-transferable right to use the platform for its intended purpose in accordance with these Terms.

You must not copy, reproduce, distribute, modify, reverse engineer, scrape, or commercially exploit any part of the platform except as permitted by law or with our prior written consent.

19. Privacy and data protection

Our Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share personal data.

By using Care Opt, you acknowledge that personal data may be processed as described in our Privacy Policy, including for account management, booking administration, identity verification, payment handling, fraud prevention, safeguarding, legal compliance, and service improvement.

Users must only use personal data obtained through the platform for lawful and legitimate purposes connected with the booking and must comply with applicable data protection law.

20. Availability of the platform

We do not guarantee that the platform will always be available, uninterrupted, secure, or error-free.

We may suspend, withdraw, modify, or update any part of the platform at any time for operational, security, legal, or commercial reasons.

21. Disclaimers

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the platform and services are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis.

Care Opt does not guarantee:

• that any Support Worker will be available in a given area or postcode;
• that any booking request will be accepted;
• that services booked through the platform will meet a Client’s expectations;
• that any particular result, health outcome, or personal outcome will be achieved; or
• that profile information, reviews, or availability will always be complete, accurate, or current.

Nothing in these Terms excludes liability that cannot legally be excluded.

22. Liability

Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation, or any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited by law.

Subject to the paragraph above, Care Opt shall not be liable for:

• any indirect or consequential loss;
• loss of profit, income, revenue, business, opportunity, goodwill, or reputation;
• loss of data;
• any act, omission, misconduct, negligence, or failure of a Client or Support Worker; or
• any injury, loss, damage, dispute, cost, or claim arising out of the services provided by a Support Worker, except to the extent caused directly by our own breach of law or negligence.

Subject to the above, Care Opt’s total liability arising out of or in connection with these Terms or the platform shall not exceed the total platform fees or commission retained by Care Opt in relation to the relevant booking, or £500, whichever is greater.

23. Indemnity

You agree to indemnify and keep indemnified Care Opt, its officers, directors, employees, and affiliates against losses, claims, liabilities, damages, costs, and expenses arising from:

• your breach of these Terms;
• your misuse of the platform;
• your breach of law;
• your content, data, or statements; or
• your acts or omissions in relation to any booking or service arrangement.

24. Suspension and termination

We may suspend, restrict, or terminate your access to Care Opt immediately if:

• you breach these Terms;
• we reasonably suspect fraud, abuse, safeguarding risk, or unlawful activity;
• required checks are not completed;
• a payment provider restricts or closes your payment capability;
• there is a serious complaint or repeated poor conduct; or
• we are required to do so by law or a regulator.

You may stop using the platform at any time. Any rights, obligations, fees, payment liabilities, accrued claims, or provisions intended to survive termination will continue after termination.

25. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. The latest version will be posted on the platform with the effective date.

Where changes are material, we may notify users by email, account notice, or platform alert. Continued use of Care Opt after the effective date of updated Terms will constitute acceptance of the revised Terms.

26. Complaints and disputes

If you have a complaint, please contact us first at:

We encourage users to try to resolve disputes promptly and in good faith. Care Opt may, but is not obliged to, assist with communication or evidence review where a dispute arises between a Client and a Support Worker.

27. General

• If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in full force.
• Our failure to enforce any provision shall not be a waiver of that provision.
• You may not assign or transfer your rights under these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign our rights and obligations under these Terms where permitted by law.
• These Terms do not create any partnership, joint venture, employment relationship, or agency relationship between Care Opt and any user, except as expressly stated.

28. Governing law and jurisdiction

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

If you are a consumer resident in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you may also have the benefit of mandatory local consumer law protections and may bring proceedings in your home jurisdiction where permitted by law.

Otherwise, the courts of England and Wales shall have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms or the use of Care Opt.