Frequently Asked Questions - Insurance

It is essential that you undertake risk assessments your activities to support you in your risk management. You owe a duty of care to those around you: If an allegation for negligence is made against you the risk assessments will be needed to evidence what you have reasonably been able to do to prevent an incident occurring.

It is a requirement of our insurance that we prepare and implement written risks assessments for the work that we do. This is required for Covid 19 and non-Covid 19 risks. This has always been a requirement of our insurance and you should prepare a written risk assessment for all of your teaching. STAT has previously provided guidance on risk assessment and the Health and Safety Executive has lots of guidance to help you carry out and record your risk assessments. You can find the guidance at the links below:

STAT: https://alexandertechnique.co.uk/members/risk-management

HSE: https://www.hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/risk/index.htm?utm_source=h…  

All STAT members are insured to teach remotely, following the guidance published by STAT available on the member’s portal, see links below. By ‘remote teaching’ we mean any form of teaching where the teacher and student are not in the same room. This could take a wide variety of forms ranging, for example, from discussing books over the phone, giving advice to existing pupils online, remote 'talk throughs' in semi-supine, to other activities. For any member who is offering remote teaching there are important implications that need to be considered both for our Liability Insurance and the continued reputation of the AT and STAT teachers. STAT has issued guidance to support you, covering:

• your responsibility as professionals and members of STAT when talking to prospective students about the advantages and limitations of different ways of learning the Alexander Technique;
• advice that must be followed to be insured for remote teaching and potential safeguarding points you need to consider when you are teaching vulnerable adults or anyone under 18. You may wish to create an online teaching policy (for example addressing the points lists) to share with the educational establishment you work and / or your pupils’ parents as appropriate. https://alexandertechnique.co.uk/for-members/notice/stat-guidance-remot…
• the remote online teaching risk assessment template and a generic example; https://alexandertechnique.co.uk/for-members/document/remote-teaching-s…

Our insurance does not stipulate who we can and cannot work with, however we are always required to undertake and implement a written risk assessment to manage any risks arising from and associated with our teaching. This includes risks related to individual pupils, activities, venue / location and our level of experience. In the current situation, this will also need to take into account any additional Covid-19 related risks and requirements from all government guidance relating to our work, including that relating to those who are clinically extremely vulnerable and clinically vulnerable individuals. As part of your risk assessment and management prior to commencing any lessons, we would advise that you also:

• ensure that your client understands the requirements of latest Government guidance relating to clinically extremely vulnerable / clinically vulnerable individuals;
• request that your client seeks advice from their GP / consultant as to the appropriateness of and any additional requirements for hands-on teaching; and
• review the website for the relevant organisation for the relevant underlying health conditions e.g. Parkinson’s UK and take into account any guidance or advice they have published.

Please email STAT on info@stat.org.uk or call directly on 020 8885 6524.

Accidents involving negligence on the part of the teacher will be covered under the Civil Liability policy.

The insurance provided via your membership is designed to respond allegations or claims made against you arising from your delivery and teaching of Alexander Technique.

Death or Injury arising from the ownership or occupation of the premises should be directed to the separate Building/Property Owners Insurance policy. Where you own the buildings your insurer will expect you to ensure it is maintained and hazards managed at the location where the visitors/ public will have access.

No, not with Howden and the STAT Standard Scheme paid for through the membership fee.

However you can discuss your individual needs with Howden's development team to establish if a solution is available to you separately. This is independent of the insurance covered by your STAT membership and may require you to pay an additional fee to Howden.

In respect of horse riding, the Liability policy excludes liability arising out of equine activities and horse riding is not an activity that the insurer would wish to offer cover for.

For swimming and ice-skating, the insurer would not usually consider these activities to be conventional methods for teaching the Alexander technique. The teachers should have appropriate national governing body qualifications in place to teach swimming and/or ice skating and cover should be sought through the relevant swimming/ice skating governing body.

Public Liability insurance protects the member for allegations /claim made against you arising from allegations of negligent loss/accidental bodily injury to third parties or accidental damage to third party property whilst delivering/teaching Alexander Technique.

The Professional Indemnity insurance can consider Claims involving loss (financial or otherwise) that arises out of Errors and Omissions (eg bad advice or failure to act).

The cover provided is subject to the policy Limits of Indemnity, terms conditions and exclusions as summarised on your members summary of cover and detailed in full in the policy schedule and wording.

The civil liability policy will not provide cover for the alleged perpetrator. Any costs involved with defending such a claim and the costs of court awards (should the case be successful) will have to met by the individual. STAT, however, as an organisation, are covered for any legal costs arising from a claim relating to abuse made directly against them by either a member of the public or a STAT teaching member.

If you are an overseas teacher you have to be insured, but you insurance does not come out of your STAT membership fee, which is reduced accordingly.

As a UK and Ireland (Eire) based teacher the insurance provided via membership subscription of STAT policy automatically includes Professional Indemnity Insurance.