Community of Accessible Transport (CAT) panel agreement

Thank you very much for joining the National Centre for Accessible Transport’s Community of Accessible Transport panel.

This is an agreement informing you of what it means to be a member of the ncat Community of Accessible Transport and details our respective responsibilities. Please read this agreement carefully. If you have any questions, please get in touch. Our details are at the bottom of the page.

As a panel member you’ll be contacted from time to time by one of our staff to ask you to take part in some of our research. This research is varied and can include surveys, interviews, focus groups, discussions, and user testing (in a test laboratory, out in public or in your home).

We’ll select you based on the requirements of the research and match it to the information you gave us when you registered. If it is a match, we’ll contact you and give you all the relevant information about the research and ask if you’re willing to take part. You’ll always have the right to decline without having to give a reason. We’ll recompense you depending on your involvement (see below). If you agree to take part we’ll provide you with a written research schedule outlining what’s required and what you’ll be recompensed.

Please note that this document is not a contract of employment and does not give you any rights as an employee or oblige us to provide you with work.

Recompense and expenses

We often recompense panel members for taking part in our research. The recompense will vary depending on the nature of the research. We’ll meet any reasonable expenses we’ve already agreed with you, including travel and personal assistance/carer costs. Receipts will be required.

Your responsibilities

If you do any work for ncat, it will be your responsibility to:

carry out all tasks included on the research schedule, including any briefing or training events, to an acceptable standard
meet the deadline on the research schedule and answer any of our queries as soon as possible. If for any reason you’re likely to miss a deadline, please let us know as soon as you can
ensure that any results or responses are accurately and clearly recorded in the format requested, signed and dated, and then return them to us
maintain strict confidentiality about the nature of the research, clients, or other organisations involved as well as any findings before, during and after the project
ensure that you will not at any time use the fact that you’ve provided services to ncat in any advertising or marketing material, or seek to associate yourself with ncat at any time without our prior consent
take good care of any equipment or materials we loan you and return them to us, where relevant, after the project is finished
tell us about any potential conflict of interest, including those that come from family; personal or professional relationships between you and ncat employees; or people or organisations involved in the research
let us know if you have any problems or queries so we can help

Our responsibilities

If you do any research for ncat, it will be our responsibility to:

provide you with a research schedule with clear information about what’s required, including recompense or payment details, deadlines and practical considerations
provide you with the materials we consider to be reasonably necessary for you to complete the research
provide you with appropriate training, including safety briefing, if necessary
carry out a full assessment of the risks and ethical considerations involved in the research
provide recompense and expenses to you within 30 days of receiving your completed and signed claim form, with any receipts, as long as you’ve carried out the research set out in the research schedule
treat any information you provide us with the strictest confidence and not share it with anyone outside of ncat

ncat is managed by Coventry University (as the lead partner in the ncat consortium) and Coventry University has public liability insurance up to £25 million and this covers you while you’re carrying out research for us. You can see a copy of the insurance certificate on request.

Duration of this agreement

This agreement will continue until it is terminated by either you or ncat by giving notice by post, email or by phone. The agreement may be terminated by us if you breach any of the terms of this agreement.

Intellectual property rights

If we make recordings, videos or photos during the research we’ll ask you to sign a release form giving your permission for ncat to use them in future publicity. All intellectual property rights relating to the research, including your records and responses, belong to ncat.

Tax liabilities

You’ll be treated as a self-employed person and will be responsible for all income tax liabilities and National Insurance or similar contributions on any fees that we pay you under this agreement. You agree to indemnify ncat in respect of any tax claims that might be made relating to your services under this agreement.

Data protection

By signing up to the Community of Accessible Transport you agree that we may retain personal data you have provided to ncat. We know that privacy matters to you so the information you have provided to us will be treated with the strictest confidence and will not be shared with anyone outside ncat.

ncat’s privacy Policy can be found here https://www.ncat.uk/privacy-policy

To change your preferences at any time please call ncat on 020 8152 3236 or email catpanel@ncat.uk