Insurance Key Facts
Information for Members residing in the UK
Insurance for UK Members
Our experience and marketing power has enabled us to partner with a major Insurance Broker (Balens Ltd) and provide you with unrivalled protection for your therapeutic and/or consulting work. This is an exclusively designed insurance policy and is available through membership with Yoga Alliance Professionals.
This is a master insurance policy which is arranged through Balens Ltd and is included within your membership package. Once we have received your membership payment and your application is finalised, your account is made active and you will be issued with our master policy.
Who are the policy Underwriters?
We have chosen to work with Balens as their policies are underwritten by Zurich Insurance Plc for the UK. They have designed exclusive policy wording which includes greater security in the event of you discontinuing cover, as well as other advantages.
The policy is on a Claims Occurring Basis, but with a unique difference!
The policy is on a Claims Occurring basis. We have managed to include all the benefits of a Claims Made policy and combined it with a Claims Occurring policy thus removing the disadvantages that both usually have.
Suitability Statement and Statement of Demands and Needs
As a Health and Wellbeing Professional, you can be held legally liable for loss or damage to other people’s property, injury or other harm, financial loss alleged to have been caused to your clients or patients or other parties. This policy will meet that need and provide defence and payment of damages for the above, as well as covering other risks and offering various services as well. There are two aspects to your insurance policy, Professional, Public & Products Liability & DAS Legal Package and for each aspect of your policy we only select from one Insurer as we have designed a bespoke wording with the relevant Insurer. For Professional, Public & Products Liability, the insurer is Zurich Insurance Plc, for the Legal Package, DAS Legal Expenses Insurance Company Ltd. Both of these insurers have a good claims record, are financially secure and offer competitive premiums. This service is on a non-advised basis and we act as agent for the Insurers involved when sourcing the policy and placing the insurance. In the event of a claim Balens act as your agent.
What does the policy cover?
The Insurance Cover is £6,000,000 (limit of liability) per section any one claim, for an unlimited number of claims in the year, plus unlimited legal defence costs are covered in addition. There is no excess.
Wide definition of insurance cover is clear and is not restricted to treatment only. This cover includes Medical Malpractice, Professional, Public and Products Liability (claims in this section do not reduce the amount covered for other sections of the policy as is normally the case in other policies). Products Liability is provided for unlimited sales to clients and for up to £30,000 of retail sales (sales to non-clients).
This policy is on a Claims Occurring Basis, but with a unique difference. If you do not renew for any reason with Balens Ltd, we automatically include Run-off cover for an unlimited period of time, meaning that if a claim was to be made years down the line after stopping your policy, you will always be covered for work you did within the insured period. Further information about this is available on our website www.balens.co.uk. This is a major improvement on what is often available through other insurers. We include an upgrade of cover feature on the Zurich Policy that protects you against the effects of inflation, and rising court awards. This cover is a pioneering hybrid offering the advantages of a claims occurrence policy with features normally only found on a claims made policy, but with none of the disadvantages, particularly around the issue of discontinuing cover and possibly being uninsured later on if a claim is discovered. Many wordings give conditional “unlimited” or time restricted run off cover if you cease the policy at any time.
Teaching and Student Work cover (running a school can be covered separately).
Includes Libel and Slander cover.
All premiums include full malpractice retroactive cover for previously insured work performed.
Loss of Reputation expenses to help repair damage to your business in the event of a claim against you.
Breach of Intellectual Property, Client Confidentiality Protection cover.
Temporary Trips abroad are covered without a time limit (Please refer to the full policy wording for the conditions applicable).
Loss of Documents cover included £50,000.
First Aid cover as well as Good Samaritan Acts.
Includes Disciplinary Hearings cover, plus Pre disciplinary hearing legal advice up to £1000.
Students can be covered for all work prior to qualification, subject to adequate supervision and safeguards.
A wide range of activities can be insured, as well as non-treatment related work and advice - our definition of a “Health Professional “ or “Health Business” and the types of situations covered is extremely wide.
Flexible underwriting to accommodate changes in your practice, fast turnaround of documents and queries.
No additional charges for routine changes to cover or duplicate certificates.
For full terms and conditions of cover please refer to the policy wording.
Also included is a separate Legal Protection Package underwritten by DAS Legal Expenses Insurance Company Limited (DAS) which covers Criminal Defence and other costs up to £100,000.
Regretfully, the climate of litigation is still deteriorating. Claims, incidents and criminal allegations, including allegations of sexual impropriety or assault are, in our experience, on the increase. The cover includes the following features:
Wide range of free 24 hour Advice lines, including Legal/Tax Advice, Counselling, and business support services are included. Corporate entities with employees require a different policy;
Jury or Witness Service Compensation for lost income as a result of having to attend;
Defence of your legal rights involving Criminal Proceedings as well as Data Protection and other legislation cover, wrongful arrest, actions against you for unlawful discrimination etc.
Negotiation and Representation (including accountant’s fees) in the event of an Inland Revenue partial or full enquiry. Some accountants have been known to charge over £90 for this;
Business Assistance Helpline for emergencies involving your premises;
Disciplinary Hearings Defence and Legal Expenses if you lose your Statutory Licence to practise.
Click on the links below to access a copy of the full DAS policy.
Insurance Act 2015
Your insurance cover is provided on the understanding that you make a fair presentation of the risk to insurers at inception, renewal or whenever you request changes to the policy. This means you must tell Balens Ltd about all facts and circumstances which may be material to the risks covered by the policy in a clear and accessible manner and must not misrepresent any material facts. A material fact is one which would influence an insurer’s acceptance or assessment of the risk. If you have any doubts about facts considered material it is in your interest to disclose them. If you do not make a fair presentation of the risk the policy may be avoided, written on different terms or a higher premium may be charged, depending on the circumstances of the failure to present the risk fairly.
Please read the ‘Important Notice to policy Holders’ leaflet on the Insurance Act 2015 available for download here. A review of the policy wording is also recommended as it contains full details of the conditions relating to changes in circumstances, fair presentation and remedies (download available here).
Please note that the acceptance of your insurance will be given on the understanding that:
1. You have never been convicted of, or charged (but not yet tried) with any criminal offence other than motoring offences or offences that are spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.
2. You have never had a proposal or renewal for insurance declined or cancelled; a policy voided, withdrawn or suspended, or special terms imposed by any insurer.
3. There have been no claims or incidents which have or could give rise to a claim under a policy involving negligence, error or omission, nor are you aware of any circumstances which may revert to such a claim or suit being made against you.
4. You have never been the subject of a winding-up order or company/individual voluntary arrangement with creditors; or been placed into administration, administration receivership or liquidation.
5. You have read and understood and agree to accept Balens Terms of Business letter. Please note the Terms of Business are available for download below.
By paying the membership fees, your insurance cover is provided on the above conditions being satisfied. If you do not meet the above conditions, please contact Balens for guidance.
Balens Terms of Business Documents
There are two different versions of these documents depending on whether you are a new member or renewing your membership.
For the purpose of insurance only Yoga Alliance Professionals is an Introducer Appointed Representative of Balens Limited, Bridge House, Portland Road, Malvern, Worcestershire, WRI4 2TA who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
