On application to Core Training Courses or Modules, you are required to enrol as a member of birthlight. The first year’s membership fee is included in the price of Core Training Courses. After that initial year then the full rate of membership at £35 applies to all members. Your Membership comes in the form of your website login as the website (www.birthlight.com) keeps track of whether it is active or not (you will be sent email reminders when your membership is due for renewal).

Terms of Membership

It is a condition of your teaching qualification that you agree to:

  • Abide to birthlight membership rules (see 1 below)
  • Follow our Terms of Membership for the Teaching and Promotion of Birthlight Classes (see 2 below)
  • Follow our Code of Practice (see 3 below)
  • Follow business rules as described by the Federation of Small businesses, of which birthlight is a member
  • Follow our training regulations (for example, a parent who trains with her or his baby needs to have a helper willing to offer support. Non compliance may lead to exclusion of the parent and baby pair on request of other course participants)
  • Follow the basic moral rules we adhere to (see 4 below)

Please note that in accordance with our philosophy of promoting wellbeing rather than maximising profit, birthlight has chosen not to work within the framework of a commercial franchise but instead engaging members in the ethos of ‘social enterprise’. Our aim is to give members benefits similar to those of a franchise agreement at a very low cost while respecting the individuality of each teacher and “walking our talk” as an organisation.

The Benefits of Membership

1. The Birthlight Website

The birthlight website is fundamental to our organisation and is constantly being upgraded to give more benefit to members and develop the profile of birthlight in the UK and abroad

a. Members’ Pages & Discount – All members receive a £35 discount on all diploma training courses and a £5 discount on all CPD courses. Also, the Members Pages for each teaching area which include research articles, educational resources, teaching forms and video clips that are accessible to members only (you must be logged in to access these).

b. Facebook Groups & Chat Rooms – Members have exclusive access to the Birthlight Facebook groups which some courses utilize (ask your tutor if your course has one). Some of those chat rooms are restricted to tutors or members of that Facebook group. Also available to members is the on-line BuddyPress system of friending each other and messaging each other through the Birthlight website, benefiting from the expertise of all members (to access BuddyPress: login and then hover your mouse over the upper righthand corner of the webpage and your account profile will dropdown revealing links to the buddypress system).

c. Birthlight Directory – Members who have a full qualification (e.g. part 1 and part 2 – i.e. Baby Yoga Diploma) can appear in the ‘Birthlight Teacher’s Directory’ listing.

d. E-newsletter – Discussion lines and relevant articles are brought together in a regular e-newsletter for the benefit of all members.

e. Birthlight Training Support – Birthlight has a variety of resources to support you through to your coursework and the first few months of your teaching. This website contains resources to help you complete your coursework such as reading lists, model lesson plans, examplar essays, video clips and songs

f. Insurance – All applicants to birthlight within the EU need to provide evidence of insurance in order to complete their courses. Applicants who do not have insurance are entitled to access the birthlight practioner’s indemnity insurance.

g. Data Protection – Information supplied by all members that is not authorised for disclosure on the birthlight website will be retained on a database and will only be used within the terms of the Data Protection Act, with which birthlight is registered. The information will be used to improve our service to members and the public and for statistical purposes only.

2. The Birthlight Network

Members benefit from the links and contacts that birthlight has established with national and international professional organisations all over the world. We are constantly expanding our links with guilds and professional associations relevant to all the areas of teaching of birthlight for the benefits of members. Annual Refresher Events and international conferences activate scientific links within the scientific community, allowing members of birthlight to have direct contact with eminent researchers and inspiring speakers.

3. Special Offers

Birthlight members are given preferential access to all Birthlight events, courses and workshops open to the public. Special offers and discounts are constantly being negotiated with organisations and suppliers of merchandises for the benefit of members. Members are entitled to 10% discount on all birthlight products (with the exception of the weighted doll and weighted water doll) and traders discounts are available to members for bulk purchases (over 5 identical products).

Validity of membership

Memberships are valid for one year.

Please note that access to the Birthlight Membership pages is only available to members who pay their annual fee. Birthlight reserves the right to cancel your access to services in case of non-payment.

During your course, you will be asked to fill in your Membership Declaration.

In the event that you wish to terminate your association with Birthlight within three months following your course, we will refund the Membership fee at once.

Trainees’ classes cannot be listed as trainees are not supposed to teach on commercial terms before having fully qualified with Birthlight.

Terms of Membership for the Teaching and Promotion of Birthlight Classes

Members must agree to follow the Birthlight Terms of Membership, Training Regulations and the Birthlight Code of Good Practice.

Terms of Membership: Responsibilities and expectations

  1. All Members must have appropriate professional insurance and be able to show evidence of their cover. Members who teach Infant Aquatics without being members of either STA (SwimmingTeachers’ Association) or ASA (Amateur Swimming Association) are encouraged to apply for insurance though the birthlight practioner’s insurance scheme
  2. All Members working with young children not directly supervised by their parents or carers authorised by their parents must have a valid DBS check (Disclosure & Barring Service, formerly CRB, Criminal Records Bureau) and obtain a DBS certificate to show that there is no known impediment to their working with children
  3. Birthlight Members are responsible for teaching classes to the best of their ability and to the quality standards stipulated in each teaching area
  4. Members are responsible for organising their own classes, including arranging the venue and handling payments
  5. All Members must abide by the Data Protection Act 1998 with respect to the contact details of their clients
  6. Members must not misrepresent the nature of their relationship with birthlight. For example: students who have attended the core training course but have not obtained their certification as teachers cannot advertise their services as “Birthlight Certified Teachers”. Members are not employees of Birthlight. Members must not imply that non-birthlight activities which they carry out are provided or approved by birthlight.
  7. Members who are invited to appear in or contribute to any news media (e.g. a TV interview, or a newspaper article) must inform birthlight (see dealing with the news media)
  8. Any payment of pre-approved fees or expenses to members by birthlight must be invoiced with receipts attached. Birthlight will only pay relevant expenses that have been agreed beforehand.

What Birthlight will offer

  1. Birthlight will be responsible for developing courses, obtaining accreditation, arranging insurance for Members if they so desire. Research, development and organisation of the Birthlight Trust and of Birthlight Teaching Ltd are the responsibility of the Directors and Trustees of Birthlight
  2. Birthlight will abide by The Data Protection Act 1998 with respect to all information supplied by members and will not disclose data about members to any external sources without their express written consent
  3. Birthlight may contact all members by letter, fax, phone or email with information that may be relevant to them and facilitate contacts among members in their interest
  4. Members will have access to the Benefits of Membership corresponding to their status as trainees,teachers, holders of module certificates and tutors
  5. Members will benefit from preferential access to other birthlight courses. They can attend birthlight events at a discounted fee
  6. Members will be offered discounts off bulk purchases of publications, DVDs, CD-ROMs and other products produced or sponsored by birthlight
  7. Members will have access to support and exclusive discussion groups (web-based discussion forum) and will also benefit from the links and contacts between Birthlight and organisations or individuals
  8. Members with teaching qualifications will be entitled to list themselves on the birthlight website Directory and provide a link(s) to their own website.

Training regulations

  1. Trainee Members have a duty to complete their coursework assignments within the set time limit, or see their insurance renewal refused
  2. Members have a duty to comply with the CPD policy (Continuous Professional Development) defined by birthlight in accordance with the Qualification Control Agency’s requirements and the Yoga Therapy Council’s guidelines. CPD courses and events are offered each year, as much as possible, in all teaching areas of birthlight for the benefit of members. Teachers who do not meet CPD requirements in spite of reminders will have their membership suspended and may lose their qualification. Qualified teachers are required to complete one Birthlight CPD course every two years.

Arbitration

In the event of the need for arbitration, this will be provided by a Birthlight Trustee and a selected panel of Members in the relevant area of teaching. Legal advice required for the purpose of arbitration will be sought from Taylor & Vinters Cambridge, who act as lawyers for Birthlight.