This Agreement is made on:
Between:
Private Mentorship (the "Platform" or "PM"), carrying on business in British Columbia, with its principal place of business at .
And:
(the "Client"), residing at .
PM and the Client are each a "Party" and together the "Parties."
A. PM operates a marketplace platform (the "Platform") through which families and individuals seeking support in the home, in the community, or online may identify, evaluate, and engage independent service providers ("Assistants").
B. PM is not a staffing agency, employer, home-care agency, or labour supplier. PM does not employ the Assistants who deliver services through the Platform.
C. Assistants are self-employed independent contractors. They bring their own skills, training, and experience and control how, when, and by what method they deliver services to Clients.
D. The Client wishes to engage an Assistant introduced through the Platform for support services (the "Services"), delivered in the Client's home, at the Assistant's own home where the Client agrees to that, online through the Platform's session room, and in the community. Section 2 sets out where and how the Services are delivered.
E. The Client acknowledges that the contractual relationship for the actual delivery of Services is between the Client and the Assistant, and that PM's role is limited to introduction, Platform access, and payment processing.
1.1 PM is a marketplace platform. PM operates technology and processes that connect Clients with self-employed Assistants. PM markets the Platform, vets baseline qualifications, processes payment, and provides software tools for scheduling and communication.
1.2 PM is not a home-care agency or employer. PM does not employ Assistants. PM does not direct how Assistants perform their work, does not set schedules, does not supervise sessions, and does not warrant any particular outcome of Services.
1.3 PM is a new business. PM is in its early stages and is not in a position to operate as a traditional employer. PM does not pay wages, CPP, EI, statutory holiday pay, vacation pay, severance, or other employment entitlements to Assistants. The Client acknowledges this is the deliberate, transparent operating model of the Platform — not a workaround.
1.4 Services are delivered by the Assistant. The Client's care, support, instruction, and any other Services received during a session are provided by the Assistant in their personal and professional capacity as an independent contractor, not by PM.
2.1 Selection. The Client selects an Assistant from the Platform based on the Assistant's profile, skills, experience, and availability. The Client may decline to engage any Assistant and may request to be matched with a different Assistant at any time.
2.2 Initial Meeting. PM may facilitate an initial meeting between the Client and a selected Assistant. After the initial meeting, the working relationship — including scheduling, day-to-day communication, and session arrangements — is between the Client and the Assistant.
2.3 Engagement Term. Each Engagement is a discrete, term-limited arrangement (typically expressed as a one-month or two-month block of hours). The end of one Engagement does not automatically renew. A renewal is a fresh commercial arrangement.
2.4 Scheduling. The Client and Assistant agree on session days, times, and durations directly. PM does not set schedules. The Platform provides calendar and messaging tools to support this coordination.
2.5 Where the Services Are Delivered. The Services are delivered in the Client's home; at the Assistant's own home where the Client agrees to that; online through the Platform's session room; and, where the Engagement calls for it, in the community — outings, activities, appointments, and errands. Where sessions take place at the Assistant's home, that is arranged between the Client and the Assistant; PM does not inspect, approve, or insure that space.
2.6 Transportation Is Not a Service. Private Mentorship does not sell, charge for, or arrange transportation as a service in its own right, and would decline a Client seeking transportation alone. No Assistant is ever engaged solely to drive. Where an Assistant does drive a Client, it is always incidental to delivering one or more of the Services — a pick-up or drop-off on the way to or from an activity, a short drive to buy ingredients during a life-skills session, or accompanying the Client to an appointment or errand — short, local, and always with the Client's knowledge and agreement. The Engagement Fee is the same whether or not any driving occurs: no journey is separately charged and no fare is collected.
2.6(a) Household Work Is Not a Service. Private Mentorship does not sell, charge for, or arrange cooking, cleaning, laundry, or housekeeping as a service in its own right, and would decline a Client seeking any of those alone. No Assistant is ever engaged to be a cook, a cleaner, or a housekeeper. Where an Assistant does something of that kind during an Engagement — a meal for a child in their care, washing up afterwards, a hand with an errand, a tidy-up at the end of a session, or personal-care assistance for an adult Client — it is always incidental to delivering one or more of the Services, and remains the smaller part of the session rather than its purpose. An Assistant may decline any such task.
3.1 Engagement Fee. The Engagement Fee is the total amount payable by the Client for the agreed block of hours, as displayed on the Platform at the time of booking. Standard rates are $30 per hour for one-month engagements and $45 per hour for two-month engagements. Custom Plans, overnight, and live-in engagements are priced per arrangement (or such other rate as is stated for a particular Engagement).
3.2 How Payment Flows. The Engagement Fee has two parts and they travel separately. Private Mentorship’s 30% Platform Fee is its only portion. The Assistant’s 70% is the Assistant’s money from the moment the Client pays it — it is never Private Mentorship’s revenue, and Private Mentorship does not hold it.
Normally the Client pays once, through the Platform’s payment processor (currently Stripe Connect), and the payment is divided at the moment it is made: 30% to Private Mentorship, 70% straight to the Assistant’s own account. Where Private Mentorship agrees in advance that the Client may pay another way, the Client pays the Assistant their 70% directly and pays Private Mentorship its 30% separately. Either way, once the Engagement Fee is paid the Client owes the Assistant nothing further.
3.3 How the Engagement Fee Is Divided. The Engagement Fee is made up of two parts:
The Client owes nothing further to PM beyond the 30% Platform Fee, and nothing further to the Assistant beyond the 70% for the agreed hours.
3.4 Private Mentorship Does Not Hold the Assistant’s Fee. Under both routes in section 3.2, the Assistant’s 70% never sits with Private Mentorship. It is not Private Mentorship’s money, is not available to Private Mentorship’s creditors, and is not conditional on anything the Client does afterwards. Private Mentorship does not escrow it, does not release it session-by-session, and does not guarantee the Assistant’s performance. Undelivered hours are subject to section 6 (Cancellations & Refunds), and any refund of unearned fees is owed by the Assistant.
3.5 Tips and Side Payments. The Client is not expected to tip. If a Client does choose to give a tip or a gift, it belongs to the Assistant in full — Private Mentorship takes no share of it and does not process it. Any additional services agreed between the Client and Assistant must still be booked through the Platform, so that both sides have a record of what was agreed (see section 3.6).
3.6 Asking for a Second Child or an Extra Person. A session is priced for one person. If the Client would like a second child taught in the same session, or another person included, that is the Assistant’s decision to make — they may say no, and saying no costs them nothing.
If the Assistant agrees, the Assistant sets that fee themselves. They may do it at no charge, or ask a fee they consider fair for teaching two students instead of one. Private Mentorship takes no share of it — that money is the Assistant’s in full. It is agreed and recorded through the Platform so the Client and the Assistant each have a record of the arrangement.
Where the Client wants more hours, a longer term, or extra sessions rather than an extra person, that is a Custom Plan quoted by Private Mentorship in the ordinary way.
The Client acknowledges and agrees that:
5.1 Direct Communication. Once an Engagement begins, the Client and Assistant communicate directly through the Platform's messaging tools to arrange and adjust sessions.
5.2 Hour Logging. Hours are logged by the Assistant after each session. The Client is responsible for reviewing logged hours within a reasonable period and raising any dispute through the Platform within seven (7) days. After seven days, logged hours are deemed accepted.
5.3 No Intermediary Role. PM does not mediate day-to-day session matters (timing changes, lateness, minor disagreements). The Client and Assistant resolve these directly. PM is available for material concerns under section 9.
6.0 No Refunds. Once the Engagement Fee is paid it is not refunded. The Client and the Assistant complete the agreed hours. Private Mentorship’s 30% Platform Fee is never returned, in any circumstance.
There is one exception, and it concerns the Assistant’s money rather than Private Mentorship’s: if the Assistant does not go on to deliver hours the Client has already paid for, the Assistant returns the unearned portion of their own 70% to the Client directly, under section 6.5. Private Mentorship does not hold, fund, process, or guarantee that money.
Sections 6.1 to 6.6 below are about moving or missing individual sessions inside an Engagement — Flex Tokens, notice periods, unused hours. None of them is a refund of the Engagement Fee.
6.1 Flex Tokens. Each Engagement includes three (3) Flex Tokens. A Flex Token is a single-use credit that allows the Client to cancel or reschedule any session — including with short or last-minute notice — without losing the hour from the Engagement balance. Flex Tokens are pooled: they cover any combination of cancellations and reschedules (for example, two reschedules and one cancellation, or three cancellations). Flex Tokens reset at the start of each new Engagement and do not roll over.
6.2 After Flex Tokens are Used. Once all three Flex Tokens for an Engagement have been used, the standard cancellation rule applies to further changes:
6.3 Assistant Cancellations. If the Assistant cancels a session, the hour is rescheduled at a time agreeable to the Client, at no additional cost. Assistant cancellations do not consume the Client's Flex Tokens. If the Assistant fails to reschedule within a reasonable period, and the Client has already paid the Assistant for that hour, the Assistant refunds the unearned portion directly to the Client.
6.4 End of Engagement — Unused Hours. Hours the Client did not use by the end of an Engagement period (for example, sessions the Client chose not to take) are not refunded for cash. Instead they are retained as bank hours — saved time the Client may apply to longer or additional sessions later, at the Assistant's discretion, or roll over by mutual agreement of the Client, Assistant, and PM. Bank hours are saved time, not money: they are not refundable, transferable, or exchangeable for cash. This is different from hours the Assistant was paid for but did not deliver, which are governed by section 6.5.
6.5 Assistant Non-Performance. If an Assistant fails to deliver hours that have been paid for (and the failure is not the Client's doing), the Assistant is obligated to refund the unearned portion directly to the Client within fourteen (14) days of the end of the Engagement, or within such other period as the Assistant and the Client agree. Before that point, an Assistant who is temporarily unable to continue is expected to notify the Client, agree on when they will resume, and return to complete the remaining hours rather than abandon the Engagement. This refund obligation runs from the Assistant to the Client, and the Client may enforce it directly against the Assistant (including in the BC Civil Resolution Tribunal or Small Claims Court). PM is not a party to this refund, does not hold funds for it, does not pursue or facilitate it on the Client's behalf, and does not guarantee the Assistant's performance. PM's role is limited to its platform-conduct levers — it may end the Assistant's access to the Platform under section 8 and, under PM's separate agreement with the Assistant, may charge the Assistant its own Abandonment Fee (payable to PM, separate from any refund the Assistant owes the Client).
6.6 Right to Switch Assistants. The Client may at any time request a different Assistant. Where the Client has already paid the former Assistant for hours the former Assistant has not delivered, the former Assistant returns that unearned portion directly to the Client — whether or not a replacement is requested. The Client may then put those funds toward an Engagement with the new Assistant. The new Assistant is not responsible for hours the Client paid to someone else, and PM does not fund, hold, process, or guarantee that return (see §4.3.1). PM's 30% Platform Fee is never refunded.
7.1 One Assistant. The Client’s reserved time is held with the same Assistant for the life of the Engagement. Private Mentorship does not send a substitute or backup Assistant into the Client’s home.
7.2 If the Assistant Cannot Attend. Where the Assistant is unavailable for a scheduled session — illness, a personal day, or any other reason — that session simply is not held that day. No Flex Token is consumed and the Client’s hours are preserved in full. The reserved hour is rescheduled with the same Assistant, or carried forward as a bank hour.
7.3 If the Assistant Leaves the Platform. If an Assistant leaves Private Mentorship entirely, PM will help the Client find a new match. PM is not responsible for any payment arrangement the Client made directly with a departed Assistant, or for work already paid for — that arrangement is between the Client and that Assistant. A departed Assistant remains bound by section 6.5 to refund the Client directly for hours paid for but not delivered.
7.4 Introductions Are Not Direction. PM introducing a Client to a different Assistant is a marketplace introduction. It is not PM assigning, dispatching, or directing any Assistant, and creates no employment relationship between PM and any Assistant.
8.1 Baseline Standards. PM requires every Assistant on the Platform to maintain reasonable professional conduct, comply with applicable law, and hold a current Criminal Record Check (vulnerable sector). PM may require other baseline qualifications from time to time.
8.1(a) Your Family's Beliefs. Assistants prepare Clients for the world as it is. Where a topic is sensitive — religion, culture, gender, sexuality, identity, politics, family structure — the Assistant explains what exists and how to navigate it respectfully, so your child or family member can build good personal and professional relationships and thrive in different settings. The Assistant does not teach values, and does not set out to change what your family believes. Where your family holds a religious or cultural position, the Assistant works within it rather than against it. If you would like to set out anything specific at the start of an Engagement, tell your Assistant — they will work with you.
8.1(b) What That Does Not Mean. This is neutrality, not disapproval. An Assistant may not demean, dismiss, or argue against any person — including your own child — on the basis of religion, race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, family status, or any other ground protected by the Human Rights Code (British Columbia). An Assistant telling a Client that who they are is wrong is itself teaching a value, and is a breach of this Agreement.
8.1(c) Safety Comes First. Nothing in section 8.1(a) or 8.1(b) permits an Assistant to withhold information a Client needs in order to be safe, to answer a direct safety question dishonestly, or to delay a report where a child or an adult may be at risk. A family's beliefs never override a child's or an adult's safety, and an Assistant asked to withhold safety information will decline and raise it with PM.
8.2 Client Concerns. If the Client has a concern about an Assistant's conduct, the Client may report it to PM in writing. PM will, in its reasonable judgment, investigate and may end the Assistant's access to the Platform if circumstances warrant.
8.3 PM's Role Is Removal, Not Discipline. PM does not "discipline" Assistants in any employment sense. PM's only remedy with an Assistant is to end Platform access or take action under the contractor agreement.
8.4 Emergency. In the case of an emergency or immediate safety concern, the Client should contact emergency services (911) and then notify PM as soon as practicable.
9.1 No Warranty of Service Outcome. PM provides the Platform and introduction service. PM does not warrant or guarantee any particular outcome of the Services, any particular skill level beyond the baseline qualifications stated on an Assistant's profile, or that any individual Engagement will meet the Client's expectations.
9.2 Liability for Assistant Conduct. The Client acknowledges that the Assistant is an independent contractor and not an agent of PM. PM is not liable for the acts, omissions, negligence, or wilful misconduct of an Assistant, except to the extent a court finds PM acted in bad faith in making the introduction.
9.3 Cap on Liability. To the maximum extent permitted by law, PM's total liability to the Client arising out of or related to this Agreement is limited to the total Platform Fees paid by the Client to PM in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim.
9.4 No Indirect Damages. PM is not liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages, even if advised of their possibility.
9.5 Nothing Limits Statutory Rights. Nothing in this section limits any non-waivable right the Client has under the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act of British Columbia or other applicable consumer-protection law.
10.1 Client Information. PM treats personal information about the Client and the Client's household in accordance with the Personal Information Protection Act (BC). Personal information is shared with the Assistant only as needed to deliver the Services.
10.1(a) Photographs and Video.
What you are agreeing to. During Sessions, photographs and video may be taken of you, and of anyone in your household who takes part. You agree that PM may use them on the Platform, on assistant profiles, on PM’s website and directory, and in PM’s advertising and marketing, in any medium.
Agreeing on behalf of someone who cannot agree for themselves. Some people cannot legally give this permission on their own — a child, or an adult whose capacity is affected. If a photograph or video shows such a person, you are giving that permission for them, as their parent, guardian, or substitute decision maker. By signing, you confirm you have the authority to do so.
Changing your mind. You may withdraw this permission at any time by writing to PM. PM will stop any new use within thirty (30) days. Anything already printed or handed out may stay in circulation, because it cannot be recalled.
Your legal rights are unaffected. Nothing in this section limits your rights under the Personal Information Protection Act (British Columbia).
10.2 Client's Confidentiality Toward PM. The Client agrees not to disclose to third parties non-public information about PM's business, pricing structure, Platform features, or roster, except as required by law.
11.1 No Off-Platform Engagement. During the term of this Agreement and for a period of twelve (12) months following the end of the Client's last Engagement, the Client will not, directly or indirectly:
11.2 Why this Clause Exists. PM invests in marketing, vetting, payment processing, and Platform operations to introduce Clients to qualified Assistants. This clause protects that investment. The Client acknowledges that twelve months and the scope above are reasonable.
11.3 Remedies. A breach of section 11.1 entitles PM to recover its actual proven losses arising from that breach. PM may recover once only in respect of any one off-Platform arrangement, however many sessions or months that arrangement comprises. PM’s remedies are not limited to money. PM may also end the Client’s access to the Platform — and in most cases that is the remedy PM will use.
11.4 Lawful Re-Engagement. If, after the 12-month period, the Client wishes to engage a former Assistant outside the Platform, the Client is free to do so. The Client may also, at any time, ask PM whether an Engagement with a particular Assistant can continue through the Platform — in nearly all cases the answer is yes.
The Client will indemnify and hold harmless PM from any claim, loss, liability, or expense arising from: (a) the Client's breach of this Agreement; (b) the Client's wrongful interference with an Assistant's relationship with PM; (c) any injury or damage caused by the Client or members of the Client's household to an Assistant; or (d) the Client's circumvention of the Platform under section 11.
13.1 Term. This Agreement begins on signing and continues until ended under this section.
13.2 End by Either Party. Either Party may end this Agreement at any time, with or without cause, on seven (7) days' written notice.
13.3 Effect of End. The end of this Agreement does not end an existing Engagement between the Client and an Assistant in progress. Such Engagement will be concluded under section 6.
13.4 Survival. Sections 3 (Fees and Payment), 6 (Cancellations, Reschedules & Refunds), 9 (Limitations on Liability), 10 (Confidentiality), 11 (Non-Solicitation), and 12 (Indemnification) survive the end of this Agreement.
14.1 Governing Law. This Agreement is governed by the laws of British Columbia and the federal laws of Canada applicable in BC.
14.2 Forum. Disputes are resolved in the courts of British Columbia or, where applicable, the Civil Resolution Tribunal.
14.3 Entire Agreement. This Agreement (including signed schedules) is the entire agreement between the Parties on its subject matter.
14.4 Amendment. This Agreement may be amended only in writing signed by both Parties.
14.5 Severability. If any provision is unenforceable, the remainder remains in full force.
14.6 Notices. Notices may be given by email or through the Platform.
14.7 Counterparts and Electronic Signature. This Agreement may be signed in counterparts and by electronic signature.
By signing below, the Client confirms:
Completed at the start of each Engagement, including renewals.
Engagement #:
Client name:
Recipient of care (if different):
Service category: (General · Childcare · Seniors · Disability Support · Overnight · Live-In)
Assistant selected:
Start date:
End date:
Hours in this Engagement:
Rate per hour: $
Total Engagement Fee: $
Split: 70% to Assistant ($ ) · 30% Platform Fee ($ )
Schedule (initial agreement):
A friendly summary of what's in the Agreement. The Agreement itself controls in case of conflict.
| What is PM? | A marketplace platform. We introduce families to qualified self-employed Assistants and run the booking, payment, and communication tools. |
|---|---|
| Who delivers the care? | The Assistant — a self-employed independent contractor with their own skills and experience. Not PM. |
| How does payment work? | You pay the Engagement Fee through the Platform. 30% is PM's Platform Fee (never refunded). The other 70% is the Assistant's fee for the work — how and when that 70% reaches the Assistant is arranged directly between you and the Assistant. PM does not hold or guarantee the Assistant's fee. |
| Who sets the schedule? | You and the Assistant, directly. PM provides calendar tools but does not dictate when sessions happen. |
| What if I want a different Assistant? | Tell PM. If you had already paid your former Assistant for hours they did not deliver, that Assistant returns the unearned amount directly to you — you can then put it toward your new Assistant. Your new Assistant is not responsible for hours you paid to someone else. PM's 30% Platform Fee is never refunded. |
| What if the Assistant doesn't show up? | The hour is rescheduled. If you had already paid the Assistant for hours they don't deliver, the Assistant refunds that unearned portion directly to you. PM's 30% Platform Fee is never refunded. |
| Can I engage the Assistant directly off-Platform? | Not for 12 months after your last Engagement. After 12 months you're free to do whatever you like. |
| Who do I call in an emergency? | 911 first. Then PM. |