These Terms and Conditions govern the use of the services provided by Take Control Alcohol Support.
By booking or attending an appointment, you agree to these Terms and Conditions.
Please read them carefully before engaging with the service.
1. About the Service
Take Control Alcohol Support provides confidential, one-to-one online alcohol support for adults who wish to change their relationship with alcohol.
Support is provided by Ian Conroy, a Registered Social Worker, using evidence-informed approaches, including Motivational Interviewing.
The service is intended to help individuals explore, reduce or stop their alcohol use in a supportive, non-judgemental environment.
This service is not medical treatment, psychotherapy, counselling, or a substitute for NHS or emergency services.
2. Eligibility
To use this service, you must:
- Be aged 18 years or over.
- Be living in England.
- Be engaging voluntarily and willing to participate in the support process.
- Provide accurate information relevant to your support.
Before accepting a client, I must carry out an initial screening to ensure the service is appropriate, to identify any actual or potential conflicts of interest, and to confirm that I am able to provide support safely, ethically and professionally.
As part of my professional responsibilities, I cannot provide private support where there is an actual or potential conflict of interest arising from my statutory role as a local authority social worker. This includes individuals who live within the areas in which I carry out statutory mental health assessments or where there is any possibility that my public and private roles could overlap. If such a conflict is identified, I will be unable to offer support and, where appropriate, will signpost you to alternative services.
This service is not suitable for:
- Anyone requiring emergency medical treatment.
- Anyone experiencing an immediate mental health crisis or at immediate risk of harm.
- Individuals who would be better supported by specialist medical, psychiatric or addiction services.
If I believe this service is not appropriate for your needs, I may decline or discontinue support and, where possible, suggest alternative sources of help.
3. Booking Appointments and Payment
Appointments can be requested through the website, by email or by other agreed methods of contact.
An initial 20-minute consultation is offered free of charge to discuss your needs and determine whether the service is appropriate for you.
Standard support sessions last approximately 60 minutes and are charged at £65 per session.
Payment is required in advance of each session by bank transfer. Bank details will be provided once an appointment has been agreed. Payment should normally be received no later than 24 hours before the scheduled appointment unless otherwise agreed.
Your appointment will be confirmed once payment has been received.
4. Cancellation and Missed Appointments
If you need to cancel or rearrange an appointment, please provide at least 24 hours’ notice wherever possible.
Appointments cancelled with less than 24 hours’ notice, or missed without prior notice, may be charged at the full session fee.
I understand that unexpected events and emergencies can occur. Any decision to waive a cancellation fee will be made at my discretion and on a case-by-case basis.
If I need to cancel or rearrange an appointment, I will provide as much notice as possible and will offer an alternative appointment at the earliest mutually convenient opportunity.
5. Confidentiality
I am committed to providing a confidential and respectful service. Information shared during consultations and support sessions will be treated as confidential and handled in accordance with my professional, ethical and legal responsibilities.
Confidential information will not normally be shared with anyone else without your knowledge or consent.
There are circumstances where I may need to share information without your consent. These include:
- Where there is a serious concern that you or another person is at risk of significant harm.
- Where disclosure is required by law or by a court.
- Where I have a legal or professional safeguarding duty.
- Where disclosure is necessary to prevent or detect a serious crime.
Wherever possible, I will discuss the need to share information with you before doing so.
I maintain confidential records of appointments and support provided. These records are stored securely in accordance with my Privacy Policy and applicable data protection legislation.
6. Professional Boundaries and Communication
Support is provided by scheduled appointment only.
I aim to respond to emails and other routine enquiries within two working days, although this may vary depending on my professional commitments and annual leave.
Communication between sessions should be limited to arranging or changing appointments, payments or other administrative matters.
This service does not provide ongoing support between appointments, crisis intervention, or an emergency response service.
If you require urgent help between appointments, you should contact your GP, NHS 111, your local NHS Mental Health Crisis Service, or call 999 in an emergency.
7. Ending the Service
You are free to end support at any time.
I may also end the professional relationship where:
- I believe the service is no longer appropriate for your needs.
- A conflict of interest arises.
- There is a breakdown in the professional relationship.
- Fees remain unpaid.
- Behaviour towards me is abusive, threatening or inappropriate.
Wherever possible, I will explain the reasons for ending support and, where appropriate, provide information about alternative sources of support.
8. Limitation of Liability
Take Control Alcohol Support provides professional support to help individuals explore and change their relationship with alcohol. While every effort will be made to provide high-quality support, no guarantee can be given regarding specific outcomes or results.
You remain responsible for the decisions you make and the actions you take during and after our work together.
Nothing in these Terms and Conditions limits or excludes any liability that cannot lawfully be limited or excluded under English law.
9. Complaints
I am committed to providing a professional, respectful and high-quality service.
If you are unhappy with any aspect of the support you receive, I encourage you to raise your concerns with me in the first instance so that I have the opportunity to resolve them.
If your concern cannot be resolved informally, a formal complaints procedure is available on request.
Nothing in this section affects your right to raise concerns with the appropriate professional or regulatory body where applicable.
10. Changes to these Terms and Conditions
These Terms and Conditions may be updated from time to time to reflect changes in legislation, professional guidance or the way the service operates.
The most recent version will always be available on this website.
11. Contact
If you have any questions about these Terms and Conditions, please contact:
Ian Conroy
Take Control Alcohol Support
Email: takecontrolalcoholsupport.co.uk
Take Back Control Alcohol Support 