Terms & Conditions

Last updated: December 2025

Introduction

YoungFamilyLife Ltd operates as both a content platform providing evidence-based family education resources and a provider of educational courses. These terms and conditions cover both aspects of our service.

The website (www.youngfamilylife.com) offers freely accessible essays, articles, and educational content exploring family life, child development, psychology, and professional practice. Course delivery represents a separate, paid service launching September 2026.

By accessing our website or enrolling in our courses, you agree to these terms and conditions.

1. Website Content Access and Usage

Free Access

All content published on www.youngfamilylife.com is freely accessible to the public without registration or payment. This includes essays, articles, guides, and educational resources.

Permitted Use

You may:

• Read and access all website content
• Share links to specific essays or pages via social media or email
• Reference or cite content in personal or professional contexts with appropriate attribution, on condition that the author is notified at the earliest opportunity of the specific purpose (when, where and how) the YFL content is being used by emailing info@youngfamilylife.com
• Print individual articles for personal, non-commercial use
• Use content ideas as springboards for your own thinking and family decision-making

Prohibited Use

You may not:

• Reproduce substantial portions of content without explicit written permission
• Use content for commercial purposes without licensing agreement
• Present YoungFamilyLife Ltd content as your own work
• Systematically download or archive significant portions of the website
• Modify, adapt, or create derivative works from our content without permission
• Use automated systems or software to extract content (scraping)

Attribution Requirements

When referencing or citing YoungFamilyLife Ltd content:

• Clearly identify the source as YoungFamilyLife Ltd
• Include the specific author's name where attributed (e.g., Steve Young, or other named contributors)
• Include the title of the specific essay or article
• Provide a link to the original content where possible
• Do not imply endorsement or affiliation unless explicitly granted
• Notify info@youngfamilylife.com at the earliest opportunity, providing:
  • The specific content being referenced or cited
  • The context (publication, presentation, training, course materials, etc.)
  • When and where it will be used
  • The intended audience or purpose

2. Intellectual Property and Copyright

Ownership

All content published on www.youngfamilylife.com, including but not limited to essays, articles, images, graphics, course materials, and website design, is the intellectual property of YoungFamilyLife Ltd, protected by UK and international copyright law.

Individual authors retain moral rights to their work whilst granting YoungFamilyLife Ltd full commercial rights. Currently, all content is authored by Steve Young (Founder and Director), though future content may include contributions from associates, guest writers, or other YoungFamilyLife Ltd contributors.

This includes:

• Written content (essays, articles, course materials)
• Visual elements (images, graphics, design)
• Website structure and organisation
• The "Information Without Instruction" framework and methodology
• Course curricula and teaching materials
• The CORE Values framework

Copyright Notice

© YoungFamilyLife Ltd. All rights reserved.

Licensing Enquiries

For permissions beyond those outlined in "Permitted Use" above, including:

• Reproducing substantial portions of content
• Commercial use of materials
• Translation or adaptation rights
• Bulk access or distribution

Please contact: info@youngfamilylife.com

3. Content Disclaimers and Limitations

Nature of Content

YoungFamilyLife Ltd content is educational and informational, designed to support learning and reflection. It is not professional advice, therapy, or counselling.

Case Studies and Illustrative Examples

Any case studies, examples, or scenarios presented by YoungFamilyLife Ltd are entirely fictitious and constructed for educational purposes. No living or deceased persons are being identified or described. Any resemblance to actual individuals, families, or specific situations is purely coincidental.

Where content references case studies from published research, academic journals, or other external publications, these are clearly attributed to their original sources and are subject to the terms and permissions of those publications.

Evidence-Based Approach with Acknowledged Limitations

Our content draws on psychological research, developmental science, systems thinking, and professional practice. However:

Research Has Limitations:

• Scientific understanding evolves and findings are regularly updated or contested
• Studies have methodological limitations and may not generalise across all contexts
• Evidence can be interpreted differently by equally qualified professionals
• What works "on average" may not apply to every individual or family

Authorial Perspective:

• Content reflects the author's professional expertise, clinical experience, and theoretical frameworks
• The synthesis and interpretation of research involves professional judgement
• The author's worldview, values, and perspectives inevitably shape content emphasis and presentation
• Different professionals might emphasise different aspects of the same evidence base

Information Without Instruction:

• Content provides information as a springboard for your own thinking
• It does not constitute prescriptive advice or instructions
• Readers retain full responsibility for decisions affecting their families
• Context, nuance, and individual circumstances cannot be fully captured in written content

Not a Substitute for Professional Support

YoungFamilyLife Ltd content should not replace:

• Medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment
• Mental health services or therapy
• Legal or financial advice
• Safeguarding or child protection services
• Individualised professional assessment

If you have concerns about child safety, development, mental health, or family wellbeing, please seek appropriate professional support.

Accuracy and Currency

Whilst every effort is made to ensure content accuracy:

• Information may become outdated as research evolves
• Links to external sources may change or become unavailable
• Typographical or factual errors may occur despite careful editing
• Updates and corrections are made periodically but not guaranteed to be immediate

External Links and References

The website may include links to external websites or references to third-party research. YoungFamilyLife Ltd:

• Does not control or endorse external content
• Is not responsible for external website accuracy or availability
• Provides references to support transparency and further learning
• Cannot guarantee external resources remain current or accessible

No Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, YoungFamilyLife Ltd accepts no liability for:

• Decisions made based on website content
• Outcomes resulting from application of ideas or approaches discussed
• Misinterpretation or misapplication of information provided
• Distress or disagreement arising from content perspectives
• Errors, omissions, or outdated information

Readers engage with content at their own discretion and responsibility.

4. Website Technical Terms

Availability

Whilst we aim to maintain continuous website availability:

• The website may be temporarily unavailable due to maintenance, updates, or technical issues
• We do not guarantee uninterrupted access
• Content may be added, modified, or removed at our discretion
• We are not liable for any consequences of website downtime

User Conduct

When accessing the website, you agree not to:

• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to systems or data
• Introduce viruses, malware, or harmful code
• Interfere with website operation or other users' access
• Use the website in any unlawful manner

Privacy and Data

Website usage data may be collected through standard web analytics (cookies, page views, etc.). For full details of how we handle personal data, see Section 10: Data Compliance.

The website does not currently require user accounts or collect personal information from casual browsers. If this changes, users will be notified and consent obtained where required.

5. Course Booking and Payment

Note: Course delivery begins September 2026

Booking Process

• Bookings are made by completing and returning the YoungFamilyLife Ltd booking form by email to courses@youngfamilylife.com
• Upon receipt of your completed booking form, we will send payment details within 3 working days
• Your booking is provisional until full payment is received
• Payment should be made within 7 days of receiving payment details and before the course begins to secure your placement and to help us manage course numbers and logistics effectively
• Places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis upon receipt of payment

Course Fees and Payment Terms

Course fees vary depending on course content, duration, and format. Specific fees for each course will be clearly stated in:

• Course advertising and promotional materials
• Initial enquiry responses
• Booking form documentation

Payment terms:

• Payment by bank transfer (preferred method)
• Full payment required at time of booking unless alternative arrangements have been agreed
• Any instalment options (where offered) will be detailed in course-specific booking materials

Course Capacity

Course capacity varies depending on venue and course format. Each course will specify:

• Maximum participant numbers
• Minimum participant numbers required for the course to proceed
• If minimum numbers are not met, full refunds will be provided and alternative dates offered where possible

6. Course Attendance

Venue Details

Specific venue information (location, times, dates) will be provided to participants upon booking confirmation. Course delivery may take place at various venues depending on availability and course requirements.

YoungFamilyLife Ltd Responsibilities

During course sessions, YoungFamilyLife Ltd is responsible for:

• Course content delivery and facilitation
• Professional conduct and safeguarding during sessions
• Group management and maintaining CORE Values (please refer to Section 7 for full details of CORE Values)
• Providing course materials and resources
• Insurance coverage for educational activities

Venue-Related Matters

Important: Venues used for course delivery are typically managed by third parties (such as town councils, community centres, or private facilities). These venues have their own management structures, responsibilities, and limitations.

YoungFamilyLife Ltd is NOT responsible for venue-related matters including:

• Building facilities, accessibility features, heating, lighting or maintenance issues
• Car parking facilities, charges, time restrictions or parking enforcement
• Access to buildings outside of booked session times
• Venue-specific health and safety matters beyond the course content
• Personal property security within venue premises or car park areas
• Issues requiring venue management intervention when no venue staff are present
• Compliance with venue-specific rules or policies

Participants should:

• Familiarise themselves with specific venue details provided in booking confirmations
• Arrive with sufficient time to locate parking and access the venue
• Follow any venue-specific rules or policies communicated by YoungFamilyLife Ltd
• Contact the venue directly (details provided) for venue-related queries or issues

Accessibility

Please inform us of any accessibility requirements when booking. We will work with the venue to accommodate reasonable adjustments where possible.

However, accessibility features vary by venue, and YoungFamilyLife Ltd cannot guarantee that all venues will be able to meet every accessibility need. The course format (typically 90-minute group discussions) may not be suitable for all accessibility requirements.

If you have specific accessibility needs, please discuss these during the booking process so we can assess whether the chosen venue can accommodate your requirements or explore alternative arrangements.

Health and Safety

Maintaining a Safe Learning Environment

YoungFamilyLife Ltd is committed to maintaining a safe environment for all participants. To fulfil this responsibility effectively, we work collaboratively with participants to identify and manage potential hazards.

Facilitator Responsibilities:

• Conduct pre-session safety briefings covering venue layout and emergency procedures
• Monitor the learning environment and respond appropriately to safety concerns
• Maintain clear incident response procedures

Participant Collaboration:

• Immediate hazard reporting: Please alert the facilitator immediately of any spills, broken items, or safety concerns you observe
• Responsible behaviour: Be mindful that your actions may affect others' safety (spillages, personal items in walkways, etc.)
• Health condition disclosure: Inform us of any health conditions that might require emergency response or affect your participation, including but not limited to: nut allergies, breathing conditions, mobility issues, or other medical conditions

Our Approach:

This collaborative approach enables us to maintain appropriate safety standards while treating all participants as capable adults sharing responsibility for our collective wellbeing.

In the event of a medical emergency, emergency services will be contacted directly.

7. Group Participation and Professional Boundaries

Professional Boundaries

• This course provides educational content, not therapy or counselling
• The facilitator maintains professional boundaries appropriate to an educational setting
• Participants experiencing significant emotional distress may be signposted to appropriate professional support
• The facilitator has professional safeguarding obligations and cannot maintain confidentiality where legal duties arise

Participant Conduct

Behaviour that significantly disrupts the learning environment or violates the CORE Values may result in exclusion from the course without refund. This includes persistent disrespectful behaviour, inappropriate sharing of other participants' personal information, or conduct that makes others feel unsafe.

8. Professional Employment Disclosure and Conflict Management

Courses delivered as part of YoungFamilyLife Ltd are independent services provided as a private business venture.

Current Facilitator Employment Context:
The principal course facilitator (Steve Young, Founder and Director) is employed by a Local Authority in the East of England within Children's Services. These courses are entirely separate from this statutory employment. The Local Authority has no responsibility for the content, delivery, or outcomes of these courses.

Should YoungFamilyLife Ltd engage additional facilitators or associates in future, any relevant employment contexts or potential conflicts will be disclosed transparently.

To maintain professional boundaries and ethical standards, all prospective participants MUST disclose at the point of application if they or their family have any current or recent involvement with Children's Services in the last 5 years, or other possible involvement (close friend or family member involvement).

Upon such disclosure, the facilitator will seek appropriate guidance from their employer (where applicable) to determine whether participation can proceed without compromising professional obligations. This assessment will consider factors including the nature and level of any statutory involvement, current case status, and potential for conflicts of interest.

In rare circumstances, it may not be appropriate to accept participants onto the course due to existing professional relationships or statutory obligations. Such decisions will be made transparently and with full explanation to the prospective participant. Where possible, alternative arrangements or referrals will be discussed.

All participants understand that where facilitators have professional duties to statutory employers, these responsibilities must be prioritised in the best interests of families and children, and that course participation may need to be reviewed should circumstances change during the course period to maintain appropriate professional boundaries.

9. Refunds and Cancellations

Specific refund amounts and calculations vary by course based on course fees, duration, and structure. The following outlines our refund principles and methodology. Exact refund amounts for your specific course will be detailed in your booking confirmation materials.

Participant Cancellations Before Course Starts

More than 14 days before course start:

• Full refund minus an administration fee
• The administration fee covers booking processing and administrative costs
• Specific refund amount will be detailed in your booking confirmation

Less than 14 days before course start:

• If your place can be filled from our waiting list: Full refund minus administration fee
• If your place cannot be filled: Partial refund (typically 50% of course fee) minus administration fee
• This reflects the short notice and difficulty in filling your place

Mid-Course Withdrawal

If you need to withdraw after the course starts:

• We refund a proportion of the value of remaining sessions, minus an administration fee
• The refund calculation is based on the number of sessions remaining
• Course materials will be provided regardless of when withdrawal occurs, upon request by email to courses@youngfamilylife.com
• Specific refund amounts for mid-course withdrawal will be provided in your booking confirmation materials

Refund Calculation Methodology:
Mid-course refunds are calculated based on:

• The number of sessions you have attended
• The number of sessions remaining
• A proportional reduction reflecting that early sessions often involve more intensive preparation and materials costs
• An administration fee for processing the withdrawal

Course Cancellation by YoungFamilyLife Ltd

Full course cancellation:

• Complete refund of all course fees regardless of notice period
• No administration fees deducted

Individual session cancellations may occur due to unavoidable circumstances including (but not limited to):

• Facilitator unavailability: Personal circumstances such as illness or transport breakdown
• Venue issues: Building problems including vandalism, power outages, or access difficulties
• Severe weather conditions: When travel or venue safety is compromised

For cancelled sessions:

• Notification: When possible, all participants will be contacted at the earliest opportunity to inform them of the cancellation, followed up with details and explanation when circumstances allow
• Refund: A proportional refund based on the cancelled session's value of the total course fee, processed within 10 working days
• Course materials and content: Learning materials for cancelled sessions will still be provided, and course content may be partially incorporated into remaining sessions where possible
• Participant costs: YoungFamilyLife Ltd will not compensate for participant costs incurred due to session cancellations (such as childcare, travel, or other arrangements)

Refund Processing

• Course and mid-course withdrawal refunds will be processed within 14 working days
• Session cancellation refunds will be processed within 10 working days
• Refunds will be made to the same bank account from which payment was received
• All refund calculations will be explained clearly in writing when processed

10. Data Compliance

How YoungFamilyLife Ltd Processes and Manages Your Personal Details

Website Users:
The website does not currently collect personal data from casual browsers beyond standard analytics (page views, general location, device type). No registration or account creation is required to access content.

Course Participants:
YoungFamilyLife Ltd collects only essential personal information required for course delivery and participant safety. This includes your name, contact details, and any health or accessibility requirements you choose to share.

All personal data is stored securely using encrypted digital systems and is deleted within one month of course completion, except where professional or legal obligations require longer retention.

The company does not share personal information with third parties except where required by law, including safeguarding obligations, or if needed for venue access arrangements.

Participants have full rights under GDPR including access to their data, correction of inaccuracies, and deletion requests where legally permissible.

YoungFamilyLife Ltd is fully compliant with GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) as overseen by the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). For more information about UK data protection standards, visit ico.org.uk

YoungFamilyLife Ltd's complete Personal Data Management Policy is available in full on request by emailing info@youngfamilylife.com

11. Complaints, Feedback and Suggestions

Input is Valued

YoungFamilyLife Ltd welcomes feedback, suggestions, and concerns as part of the commitment to continuous improvement and maintaining high standards.

Informal Feedback

For general feedback, suggestions, or minor concerns:

• Email info@youngfamilylife.com at any time
• For course participants: speak directly with your facilitator during or after sessions
• Response within 5 working days

Formal Complaints Process

For serious concerns or formal complaints:

Step 1: Email your complaint to info@youngfamilylife.com with "Formal Complaint" in the subject line. Include:

• Details of the issue
• When it occurred
• What resolution you are seeking
• Acknowledgement within 3 working days and full response within 7 working days

Step 2: YoungFamilyLife Ltd is committed to listening to and understanding all complaints, and taking appropriate restorative action where needed. If you remain unsatisfied with the initial response, further discussion can be arranged to work towards resolution.

Step 3: If the complaint relates to professional conduct, you may also contact relevant professional bodies or regulatory authorities.

Anonymous Feedback

Anonymous feedback can be provided via post to the business address below. While direct response to anonymous feedback is not possible, all input is valued and considered for service improvements.

12. Additional Terms

Course Materials and Intellectual Property

• Course materials remain the intellectual property of YoungFamilyLife Ltd
• Participants may take notes for personal use but may not reproduce or distribute course materials
• Recording of sessions (audio or video) is not permitted

Insurance and Liability

• YoungFamilyLife Ltd maintains appropriate professional indemnity and public liability insurance
• Course participants attend sessions at their own risk regarding personal property
• The company is not liable for loss or damage to personal belongings unless caused by proven negligence

Updates to Terms

• These terms may be updated from time to time
• Significant changes will be noted with revised "Last updated" date
• Course participants will be notified of any significant changes affecting their booking
• The most current version is always available on the YoungFamilyLife Ltd website

Governing Law

These terms and conditions are governed by the laws of England and Wales. Any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

Severability

If any provision of these terms is found to be unenforceable or invalid, that provision will be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary so that these terms otherwise remain in full force and effect.