Off-platform arrangements and platform circumvention
When you use The Care App, you agree to keep all care arrangements that begin through the platform on the platform. This includes bookings, communication, payment, scheduling, and any continuation of care once an initial connection has been made. This clause applies equally to carers and to families.
What is not permitted
Once a carer and a family have been connected through The Care App, neither party may:
- Arrange, continue, or extend care privately outside the platform
- Exchange personal contact details for the purpose of arranging care off-platform
- Agree to pay or receive payment for care directly, bypassing the platform’s payment system
- Transfer an existing booking, or any future bookings between the same carer and family, to a private arrangement
- Introduce the other party to friends, family, or third parties for the purpose of off-platform care arrangements
This applies whether the care is delivered once, occasionally, or on an ongoing basis. All care initiated through The Care App must continue through The Care App, unless we have given prior written consent.
Prior written consent
In limited circumstances, a carer and family may apply to us for written consent to continue an arrangement outside the platform. Consent is at our sole discretion and will not be granted retrospectively. Until written consent has been issued by The Care App, any off-platform arrangement is a breach of these terms.
Why this matters
The Care App invests in verification checks, secure payments, dispute resolution, and platform community standards so that families and carers can connect with confidence. Off-platform arrangements bypass these protections and place both parties at greater risk. They also undermine the platform that made the connection possible.
Consequences of breach
If we have reasonable grounds to believe that a carer or family has arranged, continued, or attempted to arrange care outside the platform without our prior written consent, we may take any or all of the following actions:
Immediate and permanent removal of the account from The Care App
A permanent ban preventing the individual from creating any future account, on any device, under any name
Recovery of all platform fees and commissions that would have been payable on the off-platform arrangement, calculated from the date the parties were first connected through The Care App
- Recovery of our reasonable legal costs incurred in enforcing this clause
- legal proceedings, including but not limited to claims for breach of contract, recovery of unpaid platform fees, damages, and where appropriate, injunctive relief
These remedies are cumulative. Account removal does not extinguish any financial liability owed to The Care App.
Reporting suspected breaches
If you become aware of another user attempting to arrange care off-platform, you can report this confidentially through The Care App. Reports are treated seriously and we will take appropriate platform action where breaches are confirmed.
Acceptance
By creating an account on The Care App, and by accepting each booking or engaging each carer, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to this clause. Continued use of the platform constitutes ongoing acceptance.