DPSI Online General Terms of Use

Created: June 2009             Last Revised: March 2024        Due for Review: December 2024

All content on the website located at www.dpsionline.co.uk (the “Website”) is copyrighted by Helena El Masri (“the Provider”). Helena El Masri offers various courses on the Website under the banner of DPSI Online with Helena El Masri (as an “Online Course Provider”) and interpreting and translation services (as a “Services Provider”) hereinafter named collectively “the Provider”). For all legal effects, the provider’s address is: 20 Kingsland Close, Shoreham-by- Sea, West Sussex, BN43 6NQ, United Kingdom.

These General Terms of Use together with our Privacy Policy, Refund Policy, Health and Safety Policy and Diversity and Equal Opportunities Policy, set forth the legally binding terms for your use of all services within the Website and Learner’s Area. If there is any conflict between the Policies and the Terms of Use, the latter shall take precedence with respect to the Online Courses and Services offered on the Website.

Accuracy of Information. Although the Provider endeavours to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the Website and Online Course materials, there are no guarantees as to its completeness or correctness. Therefore, a possibility exists that the Website or Online Course materials could include inaccuracies, omissions, typos or errors. The Provider shall not be liable for any decision made or action taken based on reliance upon the information contained or provided through the Website or the Online Course materials. Should a learner, tutor or any user find any such inaccuracies, please contact us immediately with a description or reference to such inaccuracies and we will endeavour to fix it within 48 hours.

Disclaimer. All Online Courses are provided “as-is” and ‘as available’. We expressly disclaim any warranties and conditions of any kind, whether express or implied, including, but not limited to, the warranties or conditions of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, quiet enjoyment, accuracy, or non-infringement. We make no warranty that the Online Courses: (a) will meet your requirements; (b) will be available on an uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free basis; or (c) will be virus-free, accurate, reliable, complete, legal, or safe due to the interchangeable reliability of the Internet. We expect learners to use laptops and/or desktops for all lessons and sessions. Mobile devices often have limited functionality and compatibility with e-learning platforms. We cannot be held responsible if learners do not inform us of any difficulties technical or otherwise that impact the access or submission of coursework.

1. Learner’s Registration and Payment

 1.1.  You agree and confirm that: (a) all required registration information you submit is truthful and accurate; (b) you will maintain the accuracy of such information; and (c) your use of the Website Services does not violate any applicable law or the Terms of Use. By clicking on the “Submit Application” button, (1) you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by these Policies and Terms of Use, and (2) you confirm that you are of legal age, you are not prohibited by law from receiving or using the services available on the Website. If you do not agree with all provisions of these Terms of Use, you should exit the Provider’s registration process.

1.2.  Full Payment. Upon enrolment in any of the Online Courses, you agree to, in a timely manner, pay the tuition fee set forth in the registration process (“Tuition Fee”) for your chosen Online Course. You agree to make such payment either by bank transfer or credit/debit card via any of the services available on the website.

1.3. Payment by Instalments. If you choose to pay in instalments, you remain responsible for making payments within the dates agreed. Please note, failing to make payment on the scheduled date will result in a temporary suspension of your access to the course. Payment Plans have a slight increase in price to account for the platform fees, flexibility and administrative efforts required to manage.

1.4. Failed Payments.  We understand that sometimes payments might not go through as planned. If a payment attempt fails three times in any given month without prior communication from you to address the issue, we will need to apply a £20 admin fee to cover the costs of manually processing your payment and restoring your access to the course. We encourage you to reach out to us in advance if you’re facing difficulties meeting the payment schedule, so we can work together towards a solution.

1.5. Cancellation or termination. You may terminate your enrolment or cancel your chosen online course at any time prior to its start, however after payment has been made you must take note of our Refund Policy which can be found under our Terms of Use.

1.6. To withdraw from a course, after you have started the course, you must contact us via email. Refunds will be considered according to our Refund Policy. Please read below to familiarise yourself with your rights.

2. Learner’s access to Courses

2.1. Access. After successful registration, meaning after you pay for your chosen course, you will be given immediate access to your lessons and a login to the practice sessions with your tutor will be sent to you within 8 weeks. You are entirely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your password. You agree not to share your username, password or access to your Online Course materials with third parties. To avoid inappropriate use of your access to the Learner’s Area, you agree to supply a personal email not registered or affiliated with a company, firm, university, college or agency. You agree to notify us immediately if you suspect any unauthorized use of your password or access to your account. You are solely responsible for any and all use of your account.

2.1.1.     Access to your chosen Online Course, via the Learner’s Area, is non-transferable and intended solely for your personal use. Access to the course materials is valid during the period you are participating in your chosen course and download of some materials should be solely for your personal training needs.

2.2.2.    Users enrolled in any Online Course will have access to the materials pertaining to the chosen Online Course, and to any other services described in the outlined structure for that course. If a learner chooses to withdraw from classes, and/or the course, such access will be suspended until such time the learner resumes classes, within the time allocated to complete such course.

2.2. Restrictions. The rights granted to you above are subject to the following restrictions: (a) you shall not license, sell, rent, lease, transfer, assign, distribute, host, or otherwise commercially exploit the services offered on the Website or the Online Course materials; (b) you shall not modify, make derivative works of, disassemble, reverse compile or reverse engineer any part of the Website Services or the Online Course materials; (c) you shall not access the Website Services or the Online Course materials in order to build a similar or competitive product or service; and (d) except as expressly stated herein, no part of the Website Services or the Online Course materials may be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded, displayed, posted or transmitted in any form or by any means. Any future release, update, or other addition to functionality of the Website Services made available to you by the provider shall be subject to the Terms of Use herein. All copyright and other proprietary notices on Website Content or pages, or Online Course materials must be retained on any copies permitted for your personal use as stated above.

2.3. Modification. The provider reserves the right, at any time, to modify, suspend, or discontinue the Website Services or any part thereof with or without notice. You agree that the provider will not be liable to you or to any third party for any modification, suspension, or discontinuance of the Website Services or any part thereof.

 2.4. Ownership. You acknowledge that all intellectual property rights, including copyright, patents, trademarks, and trade secrets, in the Website Services and Online Course materials (including any User Content) are owned by the Provider. The provision of the Website Services, including the Online Courses, does not transfer to you or any third party any rights, title or interest in or to such intellectual property rights. The Provider reserves any and all other rights not granted in these Terms of Use.

2.5.  Your Responsibilities. You are responsible for (a) all equipment necessary to access your Online Course such as computer, video camera, headphones and microphone, necessary software and updating these regularly; (b) ensuring a fast and reliable access to the Internet to avoid problems with connectivity, and (c) any fees related to such connection, and for the cost of all use of the Website Services accessed through your account.

3. Support available to Learners

 3.1. Technical Support. You may contact the Provider 24/7 by email or Skype (dpsionline) if you experience difficulties connecting to or using technical features of the Online Course during the period of time for which you have paid the applicable Tuition Fee. The Provider endeavours to answer within a reasonable time during regular working hours and requests made outside business hours may take longer to get a reply.

3.2. Content Support. The provider offers no support for questions related to the content or design of the Online Courses available on the platform. The provider does, however, encourage your content-related feedback, and will forward feedback and inquiries to the Online Course content developer.

3.3. Maintenance. While the Provider endeavours to make access to the Online Courses available to you 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, there will be exceptions for regularly scheduled maintenance which may result in short downtime periods. The Provider reserves the right to change its availability policy from time to time, and therefore the Provider does not guarantee that the Online Courses will be uninterrupted, nor does it warrant the continuity of any particular feature or content of the Online Courses.

4. Plagiarism

 4.1. Plagiarism of pre-course assessments or coursework is not accepted and we cannot be held responsible should learners decide to submit work that is not theirs. This will become evident to experienced tutors during the course.

4.2. For the Level 3 and Level 6 Community Interpreting Courses, in particular, the Provider expects learners to submit a Portfolio that reflects their personal ideas and research. Plagiarism is not accepted in any form.

4.3. The Provider shall reserve the right to refuse a Portfolio that contains information found in third parties works (e.g. copied from lessons, books, the internet or generated by AI tools), and to request a further fee from the learner should a re-submission be necessary. Learners will be reminded of this policy, which was signed before the course started and asked to explain their actions.

4.4. AI Generated content is a form of plagiarism, and it will not be accepted in any coursework submitted by the learner.

4.5.  Regardless of the type of plagiarism, learners will be given a first warning, on the understanding that if repeated they will immediately be expelled from the course, no appeal allowed.

5. Fair Assessment

5.1.         As an approved Centre for delivery of Community Interpreting, DPSI and DipTrans courses, the same format will be used to assess all applicants. Suitable and necessary tests will be required to ascertain knowledge of both English and the other language.

5.2.         All candidates are expected to submit an application form which will include statements in both languages used by the candidate. Assessments are open to speakers of all languages and DPSI Online with Helena El Masri shall reserve the right to refuse candidates whose language skills are not at the standard required to start the course.

5.3.     Pre-course assessments include all or one of the following:

• Short Role Play, using the two languages spoken by the candidate;
• Short Translation from English into the foreign language;
• Short answers in the application form, in both languages spoken by the candidate;
• Interview on Skype with Course Coordinator.

All pre-course assessments will be reviewed by a competent and qualified assessor in the respective language combination, and a candidate will only be accepted onto a course if their language skills are the correct level to start an interpreting course.

5.4. Other language coursework not up to standard (this includes Role Play, and/or Sight Translation and/or Glossary) – Learners may request a second opinion at a cost of £55 per item failed. The item submitted will be re-evaluated by another independent assessor who will either revoke or confirm the initial decision. In case a learner has to resubmit an item to achieve certification, this will incur a further cost for the new assessment. Fees will depend on the number of items to resubmit.

5.5. Incomplete Portfolio – Immediately after the course ends, should learners be found to have incomplete portfolios, they will be asked to resubmit the relevant items, free of charge, within a 3-day deadline. Failing which, learners will have to resubmit their Portfolios for certification, at a further cost with a new cohort of learners at a later date (usually 3 months later). If a learner has passed the OL assessment and remaining criteria has not been met by a different medium then learner needs to resubmit individual tasks within a deadline and at a further cost. Such resubmission fee will be determined according to the criteria missed. Fees will depend on the number of items to resubmit.

5.6.   The Provider only uses tutors and assessors with qualifications either equal or above the assessments they are required to do, and/or who have been accepted by the ITI, CIoL or NRPSI.

5.7.   All courses offered by the provider are taught or tutored by qualified and experienced interpreters and translators in the language combination of the learner.

5.8.  All exams offered by the Provider will be conducted in strict fairness. Examiners will be hired on an ad-hoc basis and will not be given any personal details of candidates. Exams are anonymised and candidates work given a number. Examiners cannot be tutors of the candidate they are assessing. A report will be written on the candidate’s performance in all units of the exam.

5.9.   All tutors, examiners and assessors are registered and vetted with the awarding body for the qualification they are assessing.

 

6. Disciplinary Procedures

6.1  The Provider will treat all complaints on their own merits by first acknowledging receipt of the complaint and will aim to resolve the issue within 14 days. The Provider will issue learners with the relevant procedure by email. Investigations can take up to 45 days.

6.2. Complaints made by learners on the Community Interpreting courses shall follow the following procedure:

6.2.1. If a learner feels they would like to file a complaint regarding their course, the learner must initially discuss the problem with a member of the DPSI Online Team. If this initial discussion does not satisfy the learner then they should contact in writing the Lead Assessor (Helena El Masri). This correspondence should clearly state the reason and details of the complaint. The Lead Assessor shall seek the opinion of another independent Course Tutor and or pass the matter to the Lead Internal Verifier.

6.2.2. The Lead Internal Verifier will then collate all evidence regarding the complaint and a report will be sent to the learner, the Course Tutor and the Lead Assessor. If following the report, the learner feels they still have not been treated fairly they may contact the Awarding Body directly. A fee may be due for this service. Any contact made with the Awarding Body prior to this process being fully completed will merit no action. The Awarding Body only considers complaints if the IV finds that the centre did not follow procedures.

6.2.3. Learners who are found to be in breach of any terms covered in this document may be expelled from the course without option to appeal and will lose any course fee paid.

6.3. Complaints made by learners on all DPSI courses and/or Translation courses (DipTrans or Foundation Course in Translation) shall follow the following procedure:

6.3.1. Learners should submit in writing any complaint regarding their course, their tutor or language partners to the attention of the Course Leader (Helena El Masri). This will initiate a discussion of the problem with a view to secure a resolution. If this initial discussion does not satisfy the learner then further correspondence should clearly state in detail what reparation the learner wishes. The Course Leader may wish to ask the opinion of an independent Course Tutor, or any other independent body for guidance.

6.3.2. Upon investigation if a tutor, assessor and/or language partner has behaved not in accordance with these terms of use or has been found to have behaved in an inappropriate manner, sanctions shall be applied according to the severity of the case presented. This can result in a change of group or tutor/assessor (if at all possible).

6.3.3. Tutors/assessors who are found to be in breach of their contracts and/or these terms of use, or who are found to have conducted themselves in an inappropriate manner may receive sanctions in the form or a reduction of their fee, or not being used again as tutors or assessors.

6.4. Complaints made by tutors/assessors will be treated on their own merits. The Provider shall acknowledge receipt of the complaint and will aim to resolve the issue within 14 days. The Provider will proceed to investigate the complaint by contacting those involved to ascertain facts and deal with the relevant issues. Investigations can take up to 45 days, with the following procedure:

6.4.1. Where a complaint is made by tutors against learners, the tutor must initially discuss the problem with the Course Leader (Helena El Masri), who may need to contact the relevant learner to ascertain their views. The Provider shall seek to resolve the matter within 14 days. If this initial phase does not satisfy the tutor then the following correspondence should clearly state the reason and details of the complaint and what reparation the tutor seeks.

6.4.2. The Course Leader (who is also the Provider) may seek the opinion of another independent tutor to ensure fairness, and/or pass the matter to the Lead Internal Verifier responsible for the said course.

6.4.3. Where a complaint is made by tutors against DPSI Online, the tutor must initially bring up any malpractice to the Provider who shall seek to resolve the matter within 14 days. The Provider shall respond indicating if the malpractice took place and offer an explanation. The Provider will endeavour to find a solution to the satisfaction of both parties.

6.5. Complaints made by the Provider against tutors for any malpractice, require that tutors reply within an appropriate time (48 hours) acknowledging receipt of the grievance and stating a date for an answer. If a tutor is found to be in breach of their contract and/or any of these terms of use or has behaved in an inappropriate manner the Provider reserves the right to remove the tutor and/or assessor from allocated position and/or to withhold payment for such commission. For more serious cases the Provider reserves the right to complain against the tutor to any relevant body, namely the CIoL, ITI, APCI, NRPSI, and/or ATC, whichever may be appropriate.

7. Appeals made by Learners

7.1. Most complaints will be dealt with by our disciplinary procedures above, with a view to provide a solution that is fair and appropriate. In situations where a resolution is not possible, any appeal related to malpractice and/or maladministration shall be lodged within 7 days of any final resolution being made by the Provider. The Provider shall reply within 48 hours with a plan to resolve the appeal. The learner in question shall be kept informed of the outcome of the appeal within 30 days.

7.2. Appeals concerning Plagiarism by a learner enrolled in our Community Interpreting Course when a Portfolio has been refused, deemed incomplete or unsatisfactory, shall be investigated on an individual basis and each case taken for its own merits.

7.3. Where appeals concern a learner who failed to complete the Portfolio to an acceptable standard, failed the Other Language (OL) final assessment or did not submit all coursework required to meet the criteria set by the Awarding Body, the Internal Verifier reserves the right to decide if such Portfolio is not at the required standard for the learner to receive a Level 3 Certificate in Community Interpreting. Procedures will differ according to each qualification.

7.4.   Appeals made directly to the “Awarding Body” will not merit action until the complaints’ procedure has been completed. The Awarding Body will only consider complaints when the centre is found not to have followed procedures.

8. Limitation of Liability

 8.1. To the maximum extent permitted by law, neither the Provider of the Online Courses or any services provided in connection therewith shall be liable to you or any third party for any indirect, consequential, exemplary or incidental losses arising from your use of the Online Courses. Access to, and use of, the Online Courses, resources and materials, is done at your own discretion and risk, and you will be solely responsible for any damage to your computer system or loss of data resulting therefrom. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, our liability to you for any damages arising from or related to the Online Courses (pending proof of any breach to the Terms of Use herein), will at all times be limited to the fee you paid for the Online Course.

8.2. The Provider makes no warranty or representation that the e-learning platform used will be compatible with all operating systems, that it will be secure and that all information provided will result in your qualification. Although all tutors used are adequately qualified and courses provided are of high standards and quality, learners are ultimately responsible for successfully achieving their particular objectives.

8.3. The Online Courses offered on this website are intended for use within the United Kingdom. Classes are scheduled and held during GMT or BST. Those who choose to access this site outside of the United Kingdom are responsible for compliance with local laws to the extent that local laws are applicable. The Provider reserves the right to change the contents of the website, its e-learning platform and the terms of these policies any time and without notice to you. You will be bound by the Policies in force during your time studying with the Provider and at any time in future in case of complaints.

9. Indemnity

You agree to indemnify and hold the Provider from any claim or demand made by any third party due to or arising out of (i) your access, downloading, or use of the Online Course materials, or (ii) your violation of these Terms of Use. The Provider reserves the right, at your expense, to assume the exclusive defence and control of any matter for which you are required to indemnify us, and you agree to cooperate with our defence of these claims. The provider will use reasonable efforts to notify you of any such claim, action or proceeding upon becoming aware of it.

10. Term and Termination

These Terms of Use will remain in full force and effect while you use the Website Services. We may (a) suspend your right to use the Website Services (including your account) or (b) terminate your access, at any time for any reason at our sole discretion, including any use of the Website Services in violation of these Terms of Use, or if we believe you are younger than thirteen (13) years old. You may choose to terminate access to your Online Course at any time for any reason. Upon receiving notification of your withdrawal or termination, your account and right to access and use the Website Services and any Online Courses for which you are currently enrolled will terminate immediately. The provider shall not be liable for the deletion of any user content once termination has been received. Even after termination, the following provisions will remain in effect: Points 2.2 through 2.4, and from Point 4 through to Point 9 inclusive.

11. General

 11.1. Export Controls. No content or materials may be downloaded from the Website or otherwise exported or re-exported for third party use in the United Kingdom or abroad. Copyright violations shall be dealt with according to the law in force in the United Kingdom.

11.2. Rights. The Provider retains all rights to the Online Courses and users may not assign, resell or transfer any of the rights under these Terms to any third party.

11.3. Notice. The provider may provide you with notices, including those regarding changes to these Terms of Use, by means of a general notice on the Website, electronic mail to your personal email address on record. Such notice shall be deemed to have been given upon the expiration of forty-eight (48) hours after posting (if posted on Website) or twelve (12) hours after sending (if sent by email). Correspondence from the Provider will be sent from a DPSI online email account.

11.4. Entire Agreement. The Terms of Use herein include the Privacy Policy and Refund Policy, and any other rules posted on the Website. The word “include” means including without limitation. These Terms of Use, and your rights and obligations herein, may not be assigned, subcontracted, delegated, or otherwise transferred by you, and any attempted assignment, subcontract, delegation, or transfer in violation of the foregoing will be pursued to the extent permitted by Law. The terms above shall be binding upon enrolment in any Online Course or purchase of services on the Website.

 

DPSI Online Refund Policy

Created: June 2009             Last Revised: May 2023           Due for Review: December 2023

Upon payment for any of our courses, you will be entering into a legally binding contract with Helena El Masri on the basis of our ‘Terms of Use’ and this Refund Policy. Please read the General Terms of Use carefully before you accept your offer.

You have a statutory right to cancel your contract within 14 days (cooling-off period) without giving any reason. This cancellation period ends 14 days after the date of the start of the contract (the day you pay for the course).

Once the 14-day cancellation period expires no refund will be due.

To meet the cancellation deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your communication concerning your exercise of the right to cancel before the cancellation period has expired.

To exercise the right to cancel, you must inform us of your decision by email to: helena@dpsionline.co.uk, or in writing to: Helena El Masri, 20 Kingsland Close, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex BN43 6NQ, UK.

If your chosen course starts during the cancellation period (i.e. during the 14-day cooling-off period), then accepting this agreement is your written request for us to provide the service. This means that you will not be able to cancel the agreement and ask for a total refund. However, during this 14-day cooling-off period, you are still entitled to a partial refund in which you have to cover the services provided during the time up to when you informed us of your decision to cancel. This will include an administration fee of £50, plus any tutor’s teaching time, and/or access to digital content related to your chosen course.

Pre-course assessment fees (for all courses) are non-refundable unless we cannot find an assessor, and the service was not delivered.

Certification Fees are non-refundable once we register the learner with the Awarding Body.

No refund is given to learners enrolled in short courses of 5 or 10 hours. Once a learner pays for a short course, DPSI Online enters into a contract with the tutor for the provision of these 10-hour courses and this contract is binding.

Learners should read the description of the course they are enrolling on and not expect any further services other than those offered on the website. Should a learner decide to withdraw from these courses and/or not complete it within the allocated time the learner cannot claim any of the missed sessions.

Any reimbursement due will be paid without undue delay, and no later than 14 days after the day on which we are informed about your decision to cancel your contract, provided we have all relevant information (contact and payment instructions). Reimbursement will be made using the same means of payment as you used for the initial transaction unless expressly agreed otherwise.

According to the Alternative Dispute Resolution for Consumer Disputes (Competent Authorities and Information) Regulations 2015, should you wish to dispute a decision please click the following link EuropeanOnline Dispute Resolution platform.