Document control
- Adopting organisation: Studley Repair Cafe
- Baseline version: 2026.2
- Document owner: group coordinators or the locally nominated policy owner
- Effective date: 6 September 2026
- Next scheduled review: 6 September 2027
- Status: controlled copy; amendments must use the document review workflow
Scope and authority
These terms apply to visitors, item owners and responsible adults using enquiries, bookings, walk-in sessions, repair tickets, parts arrangements and follow-up communication. They are intended to be supplied before work begins and in an accessible format on request.
This is an operational baseline, not legal, tax, safeguarding or insurance advice. The group must reconcile it with its governing document, legal form, applicable law, local authority arrangements, venue rules, contracts and insurance conditions. Where another binding requirement sets a higher standard, that higher standard applies.
Roles and accountability
- The visitor gives accurate ownership, fault, hazard and contact information and remains responsible for personal data stored on the item.
- The triage volunteer records the item, visible condition, request, known hazards and whether the group can consider the work.
- The repairer explains the proposed intervention, material uncertainty and testing limits and records consent and outcomes.
- The session lead decides whether work must be declined or stopped and handles disagreements at the session.
- A coordinator handles complaints, uncollected items, refunds of parts money and requests for records.
What the service is
Volunteer repairers will make a reasonable, good-faith attempt to assess or repair an item. The service is free and a donation is optional. A booking, enquiry or attendance does not guarantee that an item can be examined or repaired.
Your responsibilities
You confirm that you own the item or have permission to present it, describe known faults and hazards, remove sensitive data where possible, and follow safety instructions. Children must be accompanied by an appropriate responsible adult.
Consent and risk
A repair can reveal further faults or make a previously hidden problem apparent. Before intrusive or higher-risk work, the repairer will explain the proposed step and record consent. The group does not exclude liability that cannot lawfully be excluded, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence.
Parts, costs and collection
No part will be ordered and no visitor cost incurred without written agreement. Any amount owed for an agreed part is recorded separately from donations. Collection or disposal arrangements must be agreed in writing; uncollected items are handled under the stated notice and retention process, not assumed abandoned immediately.
Mandatory operating controls
- Display the free-service and voluntary-donation position before booking and at the venue; do not imply that payment buys priority or a guaranteed outcome.
- Confirm that the presenter owns the item or has authority to request work and is an adult or appropriately accompanied.
- Record the item description, serial number where proportionate, accessories received, visible damage and any data-bearing capability.
- Ask about previous repairs, intermittent faults, batteries, contamination, asbestos, fuel, pressure, stored energy, water damage and safety incidents.
- Explain that triage, booking and attendance do not guarantee examination, completion, safety certification, future reliability or availability of parts.
- Obtain specific recorded consent before destructive access, data reset, irreversible modification, disposal, higher-risk testing or work beyond initial triage.
- Do not ask for device passwords unless strictly necessary; where access is essential, the visitor should enter credentials and remove sensitive data where possible.
- Agree in writing the exact part, supplier, maximum total cost, payer, ownership if unsuitable, cancellation position and whether advance funds are held.
- Record tests performed and unresolved limitations. Clearly mark items that were not repaired, not fully tested or should not be used.
- Return all parts and accessories unless the visitor gives recorded consent for recycling or disposal and it is lawful and safe to do so.
- Give a collection deadline and at least one reminder before applying the locally approved uncollected-item process; never treat an item as immediately abandoned.
- Provide the repair record and complaint route. Do not use blanket wording to exclude liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.
Records and evidence
- Visitor acceptance of the current terms and any accessibility or communication adjustment requested.
- Repair ticket with ownership declaration, item condition, hazards, consent decisions, work, tests and outcome.
- Written parts quotation, approval, receipt, refund or reimbursement record.
- Collection, reminder, return, disposal or recycling communications.
- Complaint, injury, damage or privacy concern linked to the minimum necessary repair information.
Escalation and exceptions
Decline or stop work if ownership, consent, competence, safety, insurance or legality is uncertain. Isolate dangerous items where this can be done safely, tell the visitor what has and has not been established, record the decision and use the incident or safeguarding route where risk extends beyond the item.
Training, monitoring and assurance
Train public-facing volunteers to explain these terms in plain language and check understanding. Sample repair tickets for consent and parts records, review complaints and update public wording whenever services, insurers, venues or repair categories change.
Local adoption schedule
- Insert the group's legal name, correspondence address and complaints contact.
- List accepted and prohibited item categories and any age, size, value or transport limits.
- Define intrusive-work and higher-risk consent thresholds and who may authorise them.
- Set the parts approval, cancellation, refund and ownership arrangements.
- Set collection timescales, reminder method, storage limits and lawful disposal process.
- Record available accessible formats and how a visitor can request support.
Reference sources
Check the current version of these sources during adoption and review:
- Competition and Markets Authority: unfair contract terms guidance
- ICO: guidance for the public on personal data
Approval and review
Record approval, approvers, effective date and material changes in the document history. Review at least annually and after a relevant incident, complaint, claim, legal or regulatory change, insurer instruction, venue change, new activity or evidence that a control is not working. Superseded copies must remain identifiable and must not be mistaken for the current version.