Terms and conditions

PHI/Online: Terms and conditions of access.

1. Purpose:

PHI/Online aims to provide a friendly, safe and inclusive community for interactive participation in public health intelligence related discourse. The community is primarily aimed at those working in or around public health related organisations and their associated fields.

These terms and conditions outline our expectations for all those who participate in our community, as well as the consequences for unacceptable behaviour.

All participants in this community are expected to help us create and maintain a safe and positive experience for everyone. By signing up to and/or contributing to this workspace, you agree to abide by the rules and expected behaviours outlined in section 8.

2. Disclaimer:

Information posted in the discussion forum, or any other user collaborative pages within this workspace, does not necessarily represent the view or have the endorsement of the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, unless expressly identified as such. Whilst we encourage discussions to take place on this site, content deemed inappropriate by moderators may be removed without notice.

3. Sign up:

All users wanting to access to PHI/Online must first register with Futures. As part of your registration with Futures platform you agree to abide by their specific terms and conditions, as well as our own as outlined in this document. Futures provide guidance, governance and procedure across the following key areas which, as a workspace within the platform, we expect all of our users to familiarise themselves with and agree to as a condition of membership:

PHI/Online is a workspace primarily aimed at those working within and adjacent to Public Health related organisations, such as Local Authorities, Integrated Care Boards, Commissioning services and NHSE/I. Requests to join are welcome from Academic and voluntary collaborators, providing there are no potential commercial interests which could benefit from the information on the website. All requests for access must come from an organisational email address, those which do not may be subject to further checks and we reserve the right to reject requests to join if we do not feel there is a legitimate requirement. Access for users from any other organisation type is at the sole discretion of the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID).

Please note your log in details are for individual use only and you must not share your log in details with any other person. We reserve the right to review membership.

4. Data Protection Statement:

All personal data shared within this workspace will be handled in accordance with UK GDPR and relevant data protection legislation. Users are responsible for ensuring they do not share identifiable or sensitive data without appropriate permissions.

5. Intellectual Property and Usage Terms:

Content on the Futures platform is provided for non-commercial use only. You may only view, download, or share materials solely for the purposes outlined in this workspace and must retain all copyright and intellectual property notices.

You must not reproduce, republish, or distribute any content, including images, videos, logos, or graphics, without written permission from NHS England or the original rights holder. This includes posting on personal or commercial websites, blogs, or social media.

Use of any content for commercial gain is strictly prohibited and may result in legal action.

Some materials may be subject to additional intellectual property rights held by NHS England or other organisations. No license is granted beyond the terms stated here.

If accessing or handling personal data via Futures, you are responsible for keeping it secure and confidential and must comply with any instructions provided. Breaches may result in liability and indemnification. Further information around intellectual property and usage terms can be found here Terms and Conditions - Futures

6. Charity and Third‑Sector Organisations

Charity and third‑sector organisations, if operating on a commercial or not‑for‑profit basis, may request access to PHI/Online only where there is a clear and legitimate purpose aligned with the aims of this workspace. All such organisations must:

Demonstrate a genuine collaborative need for access that supports public health intelligence, capacity building, or related non‑commercial activity.
Adhere to all applicable data protection legislation, including ensuring that no personal, sensitive, or organisational data is shared without appropriate permissions.
Comply with the NHS Futures platform terms and conditions, as well as the PHI/Online Terms and Conditions set out in this document.
Refrain from using, reproducing, or repurposing any information, discussions, resources, or materials accessed within the workspace for commercial gain, commercial decision‑making, or any activity that could reasonably be interpreted as having a commercial purpose.

PHI/Online reserves the right to refuse or revoke access where these requirements are not met or where there is any indication that information from the workspace may be used for commercial advantage.

7. User support:

Please note that PHI/Online is a workspace under the management of Futures, and as such is not owned, or maintained by OHID or the Department of Health and Social Care. As such, for any issues not directly relating to content from PHI/Online please visit the Futures support Centre, which has a wealth of resources and frequently asked questions to support you across every stage of your user journey. For technical support and troubleshooting relating to the website, forgotten passwords, log in issues etc please contact support@futurenhs.zendesk.com.

8. Moderation:

The pages within this workspace, including the discussion forum. are regularly monitored by Workspace Managers from the PHI/online team. If you notice something which seems suspicious, or appears to violate our code of conduct please contact us at PHIOnline-manager@future.nhs.uk , we aim to respond to moderation or support queries within 5 working days.

If you are subject to, or witness, unacceptable behaviour, or have any other concerns, please notify us as soon as possible so we can take action. If you disagree with a decision made by the moderators, please address it privately with the moderation team. If concerns cannot be resolved with the moderation team, they may be escalated to the Futures platform governance team.

9. Expected Behaviours:

We celebrate diversity and encourage respectful dialogue at all times. Constructive disagreement is occasionally unavoidable, and should be expressed professionally, with empathy and a commitment to respectful dialogue. The following behaviours are expected and requested of all community members who participate in this workspace:

Participate in an authentic and active way. In doing so, you contribute to the health and longevity of this community.
Exercise consideration and respect in your speech and actions. Treat fellow forum members with respect and courtesy. Refrain from demeaning, offensive, discriminatory, or harassing behaviour and language
Only post content relevant to the forum’s theme or discussion. Do not post spam, advertisements, or self-promotional content. If you have additional content that you would like to add to PHI/Online which is not a discussion item or response, please complete this form. Posts which are deemed not relevant to the discussion or that contain spam or advertising, will be removed
Whilst disagreements can happen, they should be managed in a respectful and appropriate way, personal attacks are not allowed. Do not engage in public arguments, allow moderators to handle disputes.
Respect the privacy of fellow members. Do not share personal information about yourself or others without consent.
Do not share any organisational data or information that you do not have permission to share.
Be mindful of your communication style and that of your fellow participants. If you notice a suspicious post or see someone acting in violation of this Code of Conduct, please contact us at PHIOnline-manager@future.nhs.uk

10. Unacceptable Behaviours:

The following behaviours are considered unacceptable within our community, they will result in members accounts being removed.

Violence, threats of violence or violent language directed against another person. This includes deliberate intimidation, including the use of provocative or aggressive language
Sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist or otherwise discriminatory comments and language.
Posting or displaying sexually explicit or violent material.
Posting or promoting any illegal or unethical content.
Personal insults, particularly those related to gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, or disability.
Unwelcome sexual attention. This includes sexualised comments or jokes, inappropriate messaging, and advances.

We thank you for reading and agreeing to our terms and conditions and look forward to welcoming you to our community.

Last modified by Katie Dykes 3 months ago