Terms of Service

Agreement

These Terms of Service are a binding agreement between CaseThread (operated by [UPDATE — registered entity name, e.g. Optimiz Solutions (Pty) Ltd], company registration number [UPDATE — CIPC reg no.], of [UPDATE — registered physical address], South Africa) ("CaseThread", "we", "us") and the practice and users of the service ("you").

By creating an account or using CaseThread you accept these terms. If you use CaseThread on behalf of a practice, you confirm you are authorised to bind that practice, and "you" includes that practice.

Definitions

"Service" means the CaseThread application and related services. "Practice" means the organisation (tenant) that holds an account. "Owner" means the practice administrator. "User" means an authorised team member. "Client Data" means the case information a practice enters into the Service. "Client" means a data subject of a practice.

The service

CaseThread is practice-management software for South African social-work practices — case files, scheduling, clinical notes, invoicing, team management, a public booking/intake page and POPIA tooling. We may add to, change or discontinue features over time; we will not make material reductions to a paid plan's core functionality without reasonable notice.

Eligibility & authority

You must be at least 18 and able to enter a contract. Professionals must hold and maintain any registration their work requires (for example SACSSP registration). You are responsible for using the Service in line with your professional and ethical obligations.

Accounts, security & team access

You are responsible for your credentials and for all activity under your account. Keep your password confidential, enable available security features, and tell us promptly of any suspected compromise.

The Owner administers the workspace, invites and removes team members, and controls each member's access. Owners see all of the practice's cases for oversight but edit only what they own; social workers see and edit only their own — access is enforced in the database.

Your data & our role

As between you and us, you own your Client Data. You grant us the limited rights needed to host and process it to provide the Service. For Client Data we act as operator under POPIA and our Data Processing Agreement, which forms part of these terms.

You are responsible for the lawful basis for the Client Data you enter — including obtaining the consents (data-processing, intervention, third-party and, for children, guardian consent under POPIA §35) that your casework requires.

Acceptable use

You must use CaseThread lawfully and only for legitimate casework, and comply with our Acceptable Use Policy. In particular, do not attempt to breach security, access another tenant's data, disrupt or overload the Service, or use it to send unlawful or unsolicited communications.

Fees, billing & trial

Paid plans are billed in South African Rand (ZAR) per the plan and seat count you choose, after any free trial. Billing, renewals, seat changes, add-ons (including prepaid SMS credits), dunning, cancellation and refunds are governed by our Billing, Refund & Cancellation Policy, which forms part of these terms. Subscriptions renew automatically until cancelled.

Third-party services

The Service integrates third parties (for example PayFast for payments and WinSMS for SMS). Your use of those features may be subject to the third party's terms, and we are not responsible for third-party services we do not control.

Intellectual property

We and our licensors own the Service, its software, and all related intellectual property. These terms grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable right to use the Service during your subscription. You may not copy, resell, reverse-engineer or create derivative works of the Service except as the law allows.

Confidentiality

Each party may receive confidential information of the other. Each will protect the other's confidential information and use it only to perform these terms, except where disclosure is required by law.

Warranties & disclaimers

We provide the Service with reasonable skill and care. To the extent permitted by law, and except as expressly stated, the Service is provided "as is" without further warranties. [UPDATE — counsel to finalise warranty scope and any statutory-rights carve-outs, including under the Consumer Protection Act where it applies.]

CaseThread is a tool to support professional practice; it does not provide professional, clinical or legal advice, and does not replace your professional judgement.

Limitation of liability

[UPDATE — counsel to finalise.] To the maximum extent permitted by law, neither party is liable for indirect, incidental, special or consequential loss, or loss of profits, revenue or data; and our total aggregate liability arising out of or relating to the Service is limited to [UPDATE — cap, e.g. the fees paid by the practice in the 12 months before the claim]. Nothing limits liability that cannot lawfully be limited.

Indemnity

[UPDATE — counsel to finalise.] You will indemnify us against third-party claims arising from your Client Data or your breach of these terms or of law, to the extent permitted by law.

Suspension & termination

You may cancel per the Billing, Refund & Cancellation Policy. We may suspend or terminate access for non-payment, material breach, or use that risks harm to the Service or others, giving notice and an opportunity to cure where reasonable.

Data export & deletion on termination

You can export your Client Data while your account is active. After termination we retain your data for a short recovery window and then delete it per the retention schedule, unless the law requires us to keep it. See "What deletion means in practice" in the Privacy Policy for what deletion reaches and what it leaves behind.

Changes to these terms

We may update these terms. For material changes we will give reasonable notice; continuing to use the Service after changes take effect means you accept them.

Governing law & disputes

These terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa. The parties submit to the jurisdiction of the [UPDATE — e.g. High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division], and will first attempt to resolve any dispute in good faith. [UPDATE — confirm any preferred dispute-resolution / arbitration process with counsel.]

General

These terms (with the policies they incorporate) are the entire agreement between us. If any provision is unenforceable, the rest remains in force. We may assign these terms as part of a business transfer; you may not assign without our consent. Our failure to enforce a right is not a waiver. Neither party is liable for delay or failure caused by events beyond its reasonable control. Notices to you may be given in-app or by email.