Leader's terms

The current terms for Group Leaders

1. The Role

   Menopause Support CIC (“MSC”) has a mission to raise public awareness of the menopause and to deliver the information and advice contained in its Menopause Support Programme (“the Programme”) to women and their families.

   Group leaders have the key role in achieving this. They are the people who will be the public face of MSC, running the Programme meetings, talks and ‘telephone workshop sessions’, and delivering our message to the wider community.

   We want to choose our leaders carefully, women who have an appreciation and understanding of the enormous changes that take place during the menopause. We want women who feel enthusiastic in leading women through the Programme so that they may find the best way through their own transition, always remembering that what is right for one woman might not be so for another. MSC will give leaders the training they need and then support them in fulfilling the company’s mission.

   But, more than that, we hope that, in the future, the leaders will also actively contribute and feel involved in the way MSC and the Programme develops, through sharing ideas on the leaders’ dedicated part of the company website and attending leaders’ meetings.

2. Qualifications

   Prospective leaders must:

   1. Have some personal experience of the menopause.
   2. Have some experience of teaching or leading group activities or discussions.
   3. Be willing to abide by MSC’s “house-style” (i.e. branding, non-partisan integrated approach, etc.).
   4. Agree to MSC’s formal terms (e.g. on booking protocol, fees, product sales).
   5. Be able and willing to communicate with MSC by e-mail.
   They should preferably:
   1. Have attended a Programme course.
   2. Live in a geographic location consistent with the MSC strategy.
   3. Be able to arrange appropriate venue/accommodation (at MSC’s expense) for the courses they will run.
   4. Have transport available for key portable equipment (e.g. product displays, stands etc.) as required for the relevant course.

3. Selection & Training

   1. Selection and training courses will be organised periodically to meet demand as the business expands. Contact us for details.
   2. We will be asking prospective leaders to submit a written application (as a CV with covering letter explaining why you wish to become a leader).
   3. Short-listed applicants will then be invited to attend an interview, where they will be asked to give a short presentation on a previously agreed topic.
   4. Selected applicants will be required to do some home study (mainly background reading) and to attend preliminary training in the form of two weekend courses, covering the technical content of the Programme and practical teaching and group leadership skills.
   5. Subject to satisfactory completion of the training, MSC will confirm a leader’s eligibility to conduct Programme courses.
   6. Applicants will be expected to pay for any books supplied and a contribution towards the costs of the training weekends (currently anticipated to be no more than £120 for each weekend).
   7. All leaders may be required to attend such further training as MSC considers appropriate from time to time, as a condition of remaining eligible to conduct courses within the Programme.

4. Appointment of Leaders

   1. Leaders will be self-employed contractors to MSC and nothing in the arrangements between MSC and any leader are to make that leader an employee of MSC or create any partnership. Leaders retain responsibility, therefore, for payment of tax and national insurance and liability for their acts or omissions outside the scope of their appointments.
   2. Leaders will be appointed by MSC to conduct such courses within the Programme as MSC and each leader may agree from time to time. Past appointment to run a course gives no right to be appointed to run a future course, which will always be at MSC’s discretion.

5. Organising Courses

   Leaders will:

   1. Arrange local advertising (as agreed with MSC and at MSC’s expense) using materials provided by MSC and in accordance with MSC guidelines.
   2. Organise the venue (including appropriate refreshments, toilet facilities and ensuring adequate occupiers liability insurance) in line with MSC guidelines.
   3. Present themselves to clients as representatives of MSC and comply with the MSC dress code.
   4. Be present at the venue from not less than 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start until the last client has left.
   5. Ensure only properly pre-booked clients attend the event.
   6. Conduct the courses in accordance with the MSC Programme.
   7. Be responsible for the care of MSC equipment provided for the event and its return, where appropriate.
   8. Collaborate with any observer at the course on behalf of MSC for quality audit purposes.
   9. Co-operate in MSC's supervision and support programme for group leaders.
   10. Collect client feedback forms for MSC.
   11. Comply with the Company’s policies and procedures, as notified from time to time.

6. Fees

   MSC will pay leaders for running courses and ‘telephone workshops’ and providing 1:1 telephone advice at such rates as may be agreed from time to time but which are presently anticipated to be approximately:

   1. £45 to £60 per night for evening classes (as part of a series of 8 classes), depending on the numbers attending but assuming between 8-12 participants; and
   2. £500 to £650 for a whole weekend course, again depending on the numbers attending but assuming between 12-18 participants.
   3. £35 per hour for 1:1 telephone advice sessions
   4. £300 for six ‘telephone workshop’ sessions running through the Menopause Support Programme

7. MSC Responsibilities

   For its part, MSC will:

   1. Advertise the courses on its website and provide advertising materials for local promotion of the events.
   2. Take bookings through its website (or otherwise as may be agreed) and provide details of attendees to the leader prior to each event.
   3. Collect the fees payable by clients.
   4. Pay for venues, as approved in advance by MSC.
   5. Provide key equipment, displays, literature and give-aways for clients in accordance with the Programme.
   6. Create the Programme and keep it up to date.
   7. Organise a Professional Advisory Board (of selected clinicians, therapists and other experts) to advise MSC on the content of the Programme and to keep it up to date.
   8. Organise relevant training courses for leaders from time to time (for which leaders may be asked to make a contribution to the costs).
   9. Provide a summary of client feedback on each leader’s events to that leader.
   10. Organise events for leaders to meet with other leaders.
   11. Provide a website to advertise MSC and its aims, courses and activities; to take bookings for courses; to offer relevant products for sale; to provide a means for clients unable or unwilling to attend a course to access the Programme on-line; and to provide on-line chat-rooms for clients wishing to communicate with other clients and, separately, for leaders to exchange information and views with other leaders on the progress of MSC and its Programme.
   12. Organise third party liability insurance on reasonable market terms for MSC and leaders acting within the scope of their appointments.

8. Copyright

   Leaders agree that MSC may record any events and publish the recordings as it thinks fit, subject to client confidentiality.

9. Good Faith

   1. Leaders shall do their best in good faith to maintain the goodwill and reputation of MSC.
   2. They shall not solicit any MSC client to seek advice or therapy from the leader (other than through the Programme) during a MSC course, on which that client has booked.
   3. They shall not provide any advice or therapy to any MSC client during a MSC course, on which that client has booked, except where the MSC client was also a current client of the leader at the start of the MSC course.
   4. In circumstances where a MSC client is also receiving independent advice or therapy from the leader, the leader shall notify a Director of MSC accordingly at the start of the relevant MSC course.

10. Confidentiality

    Leaders must keep confidential all information about clients at all times and shall not create a database of clients attending MSC events nor copy or publish details of the Programme or any of its contents, except as may otherwise be already in the public domain.