Upkeep Training Courses and Seminars: Frequently Asked Questions

Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions about our training courses and our terms and conditions.

If you can't find the answer here, e-mail us at this address: info@upkeep.org.uk

How do the price bands work?

We try to ensure that all organisations, no matter what their size, have access to our training. With this aim, we charge smaller organisations less.

Our prices bands are structured as follows:

• Band A:
  Band A prices apply to small voluntary organisations: housing associations, co-operatives and registered charities with less than 250 units in management. If you are booking as a charity, please include your charity registration number.

• Band B:
  Band B prices apply to voluntary sector organisations with over 250 units in management: this includes housing associations, housing co-operatives, and charitable housing providers.

Band C:
The prices in Band C apply to all commercial companies and to statutory authorities. This category also includes local authorities and ALMOs.

What about VAT?

Upkeep is an educational charity, and we do not charge VAT.

Where are Upkeep training courses held?

All Upkeep open training courses take place at Upkeep. Upkeep is based in Finsbury Square, which is near Liverpool Street Station in Central London.

You can find out more about where we are on travel information page. Go to travel info now

Joining Information

We will send delegates joining details and a map with details about public transport links, approximately a week before your course. Our preferred method of sending is email, as post seems less reliable. If you are due to attend a training course and have not received joining information 72 hours before the course, please email us at: admin@upkeep.org.uk.

What time do the courses start and finish?

Upkeep's courses start at 10.00. We ask participants to arrive by 9.45, in time to register, have a coffee and order lunch. We have a one-hour lunch break at roughly 12.15. The courses usually finish at around 16.30.

Please note: the start and finish times for City and Guilds Assessments are different.

What are your terms and conditions?

Bookings:

We need a written booking from you. Bookings need to be signed by an authorised officer and, where applicable, should include your purchase order number.

Submission of a completed booking form constitutes a firm booking, and as such the client agrees to Upkeep’s terms and conditions herein and will be liable for the applicable fees. Upkeep reserves the right to amend or cancel the date or venue of events at any time. In the event an event is cancelled, the client is entitled to a full refund. Upkeep is not responsible for any consequential losses.

We are not able to accept provisional bookings. Provisional bookings have in the past blocked places on over-subscribed courses, and when the provisional bookings have not been taken up, everyone else has lost out.

Invoices:

You can either send a cheque with your booking, or ask to be invoiced. Invoices must be paid within 28 days of the invoice date. Our terms and conditions are printed on our booking forms and on each invoice.

Booking Confirmation:

When we receive your booking, we will send you an invoice and a written booking confirmation showing the details of the courses booked and the delegates and their contact details. This information will be sent either the person authorising the booking or the person named as the contact for training administration, as appropriate. For late bookings, confirmation may be sent out via email.

The booking confirmation asks the client organisation to ensure that all their delegates are aware of the dates of any training courses they are due to attend. We do not write to individual delegates to let them know that they have been booked on courses.

The booking confirmation also asks the client organisation to ensure that delegate's contact details in the confirmation letter are correct, as we will use this information to send out joining information to delegates.

Cancellations & Booking Transfers:

If you need to cancel a booking or transfer your booking to another date, we need to receive written notice from the person who authorised the original booking. Cancellations or transfers must be received by Upkeep in writing - via email or by post.

If you withdraw from a confirmed booking for any reason and do not send a substitute from your organisation, you must pay a cancellation/transfer fee where it applies. The fees are based on how much notice we get before the course date and and a percentage of the price.

Cancellation/transfer fees:

Written notice received by Upkeep:
15-21 days before course date - 25%
1-14 days before course date - 85%
On the day of the course - 100%

Bespoke or In-house Training

The arrangements for these courses may differ; full details will be sent out in a written quote and contract before any training is agreed.

What do you do with my data?

We may hold data provided by you on computer under provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998. We will add your details to our database to administer events and keep you up-to-date with our events. Upkeep respects your right to privacy: we will not pass your data to any other body.

How do I book?