Terms & Conditions

Thanks for visiting the Professional Writing Academy website.

This is the legal bit, where we explain our terms and conditions for booking courses and services, and for using our site.

By continuing to browse our website, you agree to our terms and conditions. If you have any questions please get in touch and we’ll be happy to answer them.

This page includes information on:

• Booking terms and conditions
• Website terms and conditions
• Online classroom usage
• Online classroom terms and conditions
• Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

 

Booking terms and conditions

These are our terms and conditions for booking a course or service with Professional Writing Academy Ltd. For courses and services owned, offered and operated by our partners, please see the terms and conditions on their websites. By booking a course or service you agree to these terms and conditions.

 

Course and service information

All course and service information is correct at the time of publication. We reserve the right to make changes to the advertised course or service, including, but not limited to, course content, tutors and timings, for any reason at any time. If we do make a change we’ll aim to provide as much notice as possible, and will always try to replace tutors with someone of equal experience and standing.

Booking information

You must be 18 or older to book and/or take part in any course or service. Your place on a course or service is not confirmed until we receive your non-refundable downpayment, full payment, or first payment if we’ve agreed that you can pay by instalments or on a session-by-session basis. If we don’t receive the balance by the course or service start date, or as otherwise agreed, we reserve the right to offer the place to someone else and your downpayment will be forfeit. You are only guaranteed a place for the sessions you have paid for.

Downpayment

Paying a non-refundable downpayment secures your booking and means that you are committing to the course or service for its full duration. As such, you are liable to pay the full fees before the course or service starts, or as otherwise agreed.

Transfers

At our discretion, you may be able to transfer your booking to another course or service of the same cost and duration, subject to availability. We’ll consider transfers up to two weeks before the course or service starts, and any payment made will be allocated to the new course or service you choose. If you ask to transfer a booking after this time, we may do so only if we have already received the full course fee from you and we are able to confirm another booking to replace yours. If either of these conditions is not met, we will, unfortunately, have to treat your booking as cancelled and shall retain the full fee as forfeit.

Payment plans

By placing an order through our website, you warrant that you are legally capable of entering into binding contracts and that this contract is binding on and enforceable against you. We reserve the right to offer or decline payment agreements at our discretion.

You will be billed on a recurring and periodic basis (such as weekly or monthly), depending on the plan you agree to. By choosing our instalment payment plan to pay for your course or workshop, you are committing to making all payments. Therefore, it is your responsibility to ensure that your payment details are valid so timely payments can be collected.

We reserve the right to cancel access to your course or workshop should payment fail.

When you make a purchase with us, you agree that we can send you emails to communicate about our services and offers.

Cancelling before the course or service starts

We accept cancellations up to six weeks before your course or service starts and we’ll refund the full cost less an administration charge (this will be no more than the downpayment of the course in question). This can be credited to another course taken within a year of the cancellation.

If you need to cancel less than six weeks before, we’ll do our best to find someone to replace you. If we succeed, we’ll return the balance of your payment less an administration charge (this will be no more than the downpayment of the course in question). If we can’t find a replacement, we reserve the right to keep the full amount you’ve paid.

Cancelling after the course or service has started

If you leave the course or service after it has started, you’ll still have to pay the full fees. We may make exceptions to this in extreme circumstances and at our discretion.

What happens if we cancel the course or service?

We rarely need to cancel, but if we do we’ll give you as much notice as possible and we’ll either offer you an alternative course or service of the same standing, or return all fees paid, but shall not pay any other costs.

Attending your course or service

By booking a place on a course or service you commit to attending all the sessions to the best of your ability. We ask you to do this because:

• It’s not practical for someone else to take your place on a course if you cancel after it’s started
• Attending all sessions means you’ll get the most benefit from your learning
• Unfortunately, we cannot automatically offer refunds or exchanges if you miss a course or service session due to illness or any other reason, but we may give you the option of joining another course or service at a later date.

 

Website terms and conditions

Who owns this website?

This website is owned by Professional Writing Academy Ltd. We are registered in England and Wales under company registration number 07561848 and our registered address is Henleaze Business Centre, 13 Harbury Road, Bristol, BS9 4PN.

Visiting our website

We aim to make our site available at all times unless we’re doing routine maintenance or there’s a technical issue beyond our control. You’re welcome to browse our site entirely at your own risk. We’re not liable for any loss or damage of any kind in connection with the use of this website. Your use of this website and any dispute arising out of such use is subject to the laws of England and Wales. Unauthorised use may result in a claim for damages and/or be a criminal offence.

Who owns the content?

All content is owned by or licensed to us, or used with permission and is protected by copyright, trademarks, database rights and/or other intellectual property rights. This includes, but is not limited to, the design, layout, appearance, logos, graphics, photographs and text.

Using the content on our website

Our website is for your information only. We aim to keep it up to date and correct, and we may change it without notice. We make no warranty or guarantee, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability of the information, content, products or services on this website. You acknowledge that such content may contain inaccuracies or errors, for which we are not liable.

We include links to other websites. We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites and linking to them does not imply a recommendation or endorsement of the views expressed within them. You are not permitted to reproduce any part of this website at any time or in any format.

 

Questions, concerns and complaints

We’re dedicated to providing a positive learning experience. If you have a question about the way we provide your course or service, or if something goes wrong, please tell us so that we can continue to improve.

How to ask a question or tell us if you have a concern

If you have a question or concern about your course or service, please email either your moderator or tutor, as they’re able to answer most questions and address most concerns. If they cannot immediately answer your question then they may need to discuss it with the wider Professional Writing Academy team, or with our partners if appropriate. All such conversations are held in confidence.

How to make a complaint

First, please raise it with your moderator or tutor via email. They will do their best to resolve it. If, after that, you want to take your complaint further, please email us at [email protected]. We’ll do our best to reply within two working days, even if that’s just to acknowledge your message, and we aim to respond to your complaint within 10 working days.

Managing your information

If you want us to remove you from our mailing list(s), you can do this at any time by emailing us at [email protected] or selecting the ‘unsubscribe’ option in any email newsletters. You have the right to know what personal data we hold on you, including asking us to:

• Correct any errors in the data we hold
• Restrict how we use your data
• Delete your data
• Send you a copy of your data

If you want to speak to us about the personal data we hold, please put your request in writing by either:

• Emailing us at [email protected]
• Write to us at Professional Writing Academy Ltd, Henleaze Business Centre, 13 Harbury Road, Bristol, BS9 4PN, UK

We’ll review your request and reply within 30 days.

 

Updates to our terms and conditions

These terms and conditions are correct as of October 2023. If and when we make any changes to them, we will update this page.

 

Online classroom terms and conditions

We have separate terms and conditions for our online classroom, which uses a different website. Read our classroom terms and conditions.

 

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy 

PWA is committed to encouraging equality, diversity and inclusion among our workforce, and eliminating unlawful discrimination. The aim is for our workforce to be truly representative of all sections of society and our customers, and for each employee to feel respected and able to give their best. The organisation – in providing services – is also committed against unlawful discrimination of customers or the public.

1. Provide equality, fairness and respect for all in our employment, whether temporary, part-time or full-time.
2. Not unlawfully discriminate because of the Equality Act 2010 protected characteristics of: • age • disability • gender reassignment • marriage and civil partnership • pregnancy and maternity • race (including colour, nationality, and ethnic or national origin) • religion or belief • sex • sexual orientation.
3. Oppose and avoid all forms of unlawful discrimination. This includes in: • pay and benefits • terms and conditions of employment • dealing with grievances and discipline • dismissal • redundancy • leave for parents • requests for flexible working • selection for employment, promotion, training or other developmental opportunities.

1. Encourage equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace as they are good practice and make business sense.
2. Create a working environment free of bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination, promoting dignity and respect for all, and where individual differences and the contributions of all staff are recognised and valued.This commitment includes training managers and all other employees about their rights and responsibilities under the equality, diversity and inclusion policy. Responsibilities include staff conducting themselves to help the organisation provide equal opportunities in employment, and prevent bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination. All staff should understand they, as well as their employer, can be held liable for acts of bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination, in the course of their employment, against fellow employees, customers, suppliers and the public.
3. Take seriously complaints of bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination by fellow employees, customers, suppliers, visitors, the public and any others in the course of the organisation’s work activities.
   Such acts will be dealt with as misconduct under our grievance and/or disciplinary procedures, and appropriate action will be taken. Particularly serious complaints could amount to gross misconduct and lead to dismissal without notice.
   Further, sexual harassment may amount to both an employment rights matter and a criminal matter, such as in sexual assault allegations. In addition, harassment under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 – which is not limited to circumstances where harassment relates to a protected characteristic – is a criminal offence.
4. Make opportunities for training, development and progress available to all staff, who will be helped and encouraged to develop their full potential, so their talents and resources can be fully utilised to maximise the efficiency of the organisation.
5. Make decisions concerning staff being based on merit (apart from in any necessary and limited exemptions and exceptions allowed under the Equality Act).
6. Review employment practices and procedures when necessary to ensure fairness, and also update them and the policy to take account of changes in the law.
7. Monitor the make-up of the workforce regarding information such as age, sex, ethnic background, sexual orientation, religion or belief, and disability in encouraging equality, diversity and inclusion, and in meeting the aims and commitments set out in the equality, diversity and inclusion policy. Monitoring will also include assessing how the equality, diversity and inclusion policy, and any supporting action plan, are working in practice, reviewing them annually, and considering and taking action to address any issues.

Agreement to follow this policy:
The equality, diversity and inclusion policy is fully supported by senior management and has been agreed with employee representatives.

Our disciplinary and grievance procedures:
These can be found on our employee contracts and include with whom an employee should raise a grievance – usually their line manager. Use of the organisation’s grievance or disciplinary procedures does not affect an employee’s right to make a claim to an employment tribunal within three months of the alleged discrimination.

 

Give us your feedback

We hope you’ve found our website easy to use and enjoyable to visit. But if you’ve had any trouble accessing it, or have questions or suggestions for how we can continue to improve our accessibility, please tell us by email at [email protected]