Badge Terms of Use | The MLD Register

A membership credential governed by a clear standard

The MLD Register badge is a controlled membership credential issued to eligible members of The MLD Register. It is designed to identify a named therapist as a member of the Register and to provide patients and members of the public with a clear route to check that therapist's current registration status.

Each badge carries the therapist's individual MLD Register membership number. That number can be used through the Check a Therapist service to view the therapist's current status and the information displayed on their public Register profile.

The badge is not simply a decorative logo. Its meaning depends upon accurate use, current membership and the ability of the public to check the registration to which it relates.

These Terms protect the integrity of the badge, the public who may rely upon it and every member entitled to display it.

01. Who we are and how these Terms apply

The MLD Register is a trading name of Truly Empowered Ltd, registered in England and Wales under company number 11904082, with its registered office at 71-75 Shelton Street, London, WC2H 9JQ.

In these Terms, "we", "us", "our" and "the Register" refer to Truly Empowered Ltd trading as The MLD Register.

These Terms apply to every official MLD Register badge, status mark, artwork file, digital embed and associated member credential issued or made available by us. They form part of the agreement between The MLD Register and each member, together with the:

Where there is any inconsistency concerning the display or use of a badge, these Badge Terms of Use take precedence. In all other respects, the Membership Terms and Refund Policy continue to apply.

By downloading, installing, displaying or otherwise using a badge, you agree to comply with these Terms. You enter into these Terms in connection with your business or professional practice.

02. Definitions

For the purposes of these Terms:

Badge

"Badge" means any official MLD Register member badge, status badge, wording, artwork, digital embed or associated credential issued or made available by The MLD Register. This includes the principal member badge and, where separately issued, any official Founding Member, Revalidated or other status variant.

Live Badge

"Live Badge" means a digital badge served directly from The MLD Register's systems using the official embed code supplied to the member. The Live Badge links to the member's public Register profile or status record and is capable of changing automatically when the member's registration status changes.

Static Badge

"Static Badge" means an official image or artwork file supplied by The MLD Register for approved uses where a Live Badge cannot reasonably be embedded, including certain email, social-media and printed applications. A Static Badge does not update automatically.

Registration Number

"Registration Number" means the unique MLD Register number assigned to an individual member and displayed on their official badge and public Register profile. The Registration Number enables the public to check the member's current registration status through the Check a Therapist service.

Active Registration

"Active Registration" means that the member:

has been successfully accepted onto The MLD Register;
holds a current paid membership;
is not suspended, lapsed or removed;
continues to satisfy the Register's current insurance requirements; and
is displayed publicly as active on the Register.

Member Profile

"Member Profile" means the member's individual public entry on The MLD Register, including their current status, Registration Number and the information displayed in accordance with the Verification Standard.

03. The purpose of the badge

The Badge identifies a named therapist as a member of The MLD Register and displays that therapist's unique Registration Number. The Registration Number gives patients, professional organisations and other members of the public a direct means of checking whether the therapist's registration is currently active.

Where the Badge is displayed digitally, it should link directly to the therapist's live Member Profile wherever technically possible.

The Badge itself does not reproduce the full scope of the Register's verification process. The therapist's Member Profile and the Check a Therapist record are the authoritative sources for:

current registration status;
the recognised training recorded;
the training method, programme, level or scope displayed;
the date the relevant training documentation was reviewed;
confirmation that current professional insurance documentation has been reviewed;
Revalidated status, where applicable; and
any other information published under the Verification Standard.

The Badge should therefore be understood as a route to verification, rather than a substitute for the public Register record.

04. What the badge confirms

While a therapist's registration is shown as active, their public Register record confirms that:

the named therapist is a current member of The MLD Register;
specified evidence of recognised MLD training has been independently reviewed by a person;
a current professional insurance document has been independently reviewed by a person;
the therapist has been issued with an individual Registration Number; and
the relevant registration information is displayed publicly through The MLD Register.

The Badge confirms only the membership and registration status connected to the Registration Number shown. Where a Badge includes an additional status such as Founding Member or Revalidated, that status carries only the meaning defined within these Terms and the Verification Standard.

05. What the badge does not mean

The Badge does not mean that The MLD Register has:

assessed, observed or certified the therapist's clinical competence;
assessed treatment quality, professional judgement or patient outcomes;
approved or endorsed a particular therapist, treatment plan or health claim;
independently verified every surgery or postoperative procedure the therapist reports experience supporting;
independently verified every statement contained within a patient review;
guaranteed that MLD is appropriate for an individual patient;
guaranteed that treatment will be safe, suitable or effective;
guaranteed that the therapist is the right practitioner for every patient;
assessed whether the therapist's insurance is sufficient for every possible circumstance;
guaranteed that an insurer will meet a future claim; or
conferred any statutory, regulatory or governmental status.

The Badge is not:

a professional qualification;
a statutory licence;
a clinical accreditation;
an assessment of competence;
an award;
a guarantee;
CQC registration;
NHS approval;
government approval;
endorsement by a professional body, insurer or training school; or
evidence that MLD or massage therapy is statutorily regulated.

The MLD Register is an independent private register. It is not a statutory regulator, professional body or clinical assessment service.

06. Licence to use the badge

While you hold an Active Registration, The MLD Register grants you a limited, personal, non-exclusive, revocable, non-transferable and non-sublicensable licence to display the Badge in accordance with these Terms.

The licence:

applies only to the named registered member;
applies only in connection with that member's own MLD practice;
does not extend automatically to a clinic, employer, colleague, employee or other practitioner;
does not permit the Badge to be sold, assigned, sublicensed or transferred;
does not grant ownership in the Badge, the Registration Number or The MLD Register brand; and
ends automatically when the member's registration is no longer active or when permission is withdrawn under these Terms.

Where a company, clinic or employer pays for a therapist's membership, the Badge remains personal to the named therapist whose documents were reviewed.

No separate royalty is payable for authorised use of the Badge while the relevant membership remains active.

07. Approved uses

Subject to the remaining provisions of these Terms, the Badge may be displayed:

on a website owned or controlled by the member for their own professional practice;
on webpages describing MLD services personally provided by the member;
within the member's professional email signature;
on professional social-media profiles or posts controlled by the member;
within a third-party professional profile that clearly relates to the named member;
on business cards, brochures, appointment materials and other professional stationery;
within the member's own treatment premises; and
within paid advertising for the member's own practice, provided that the Badge remains a secondary factual indication of membership and is not presented as an endorsement of the advertisement.

The Badge must always be displayed in a way that makes the identity of the registered therapist clear. Approved accompanying descriptions include:

Registered Member of The MLD Register
MLD Register Membership No. [membership number]
Check my current registration status through The MLD Register

You may also reproduce the exact wording appearing on the official Badge. Any materially different wording describing the meaning of the Badge requires prior written approval from The MLD Register.

The full explanation of what The MLD Register independently reviews should be obtained from the therapist's public Member Profile and the published Verification Standard. Members must not alter the Badge to add their own explanation of verification.

08. Requirements for the Live Badge

Wherever technically possible, members should use the official Live Badge supplied through their dashboard.

The Live Badge must:

be installed using the current embed code supplied by The MLD Register;
display the correct Registration Number;
retain its direct link to the member's Register profile or status record;
remain capable of displaying changes to the member's registration status;
remain clearly visible and legible;
retain any accessibility text or functionality supplied with it; and
be used only on websites or digital properties the member owns, controls or is authorised to manage.

You must not:

alter the embed code, except through any sizing or placement options expressly provided by us;
change, conceal or remove the Registration Number;
replace the Registration Number with another person's number;
remove, replace or redirect the link to the member's Register profile;
convert the Live Badge into a screenshot or unofficial static image;
download, copy, mirror, proxy, cache or self-host the Live Badge in a way that prevents status updates;
use code, styling, overlays or other methods to conceal or obscure an inactive status;
make the Badge non-clickable where it is intended to link to the Register;
simulate an active Badge;
interfere with the Badge's communication with The MLD Register's systems;
add deceptive tracking or redirection to the Badge link; or
present an outdated or copied version as though it were live.

Where the Live Badge does not display correctly, you must report the issue to The MLD Register rather than replacing it with an unofficial copy.

09. Use by clinics, employers and group practices

Registration belongs to the individual therapist. It does not belong automatically to the clinic, employer or group practice through which they work.

A clinic or employer may display a member's Badge on a webpage dedicated to that therapist, provided that:

the registered therapist is clearly named;
the correct Registration Number is shown;
the Badge links directly to that therapist's own Member Profile;
the Badge is not presented as applying to other practitioners;
the member has authorised the display; and
the member remains responsible for taking reasonable steps to ensure compliance with these Terms.

A clinic may display the individual Badges of more than one registered therapist, provided that each therapist is separately identified and each Badge carries the correct Registration Number.

A Badge must not be placed in a clinic-wide header, footer, reception display or advertisement in a way that could reasonably suggest that:

the clinic itself has been registered or verified;
every practitioner working there is a member;
unregistered staff share the member's status;
all services provided by the clinic have been reviewed by The MLD Register; or
The MLD Register endorses the clinic as an organisation.

Each practitioner requires their own membership, Member Profile, Registration Number and Badge.

Where a member leaves a clinic or employer, or their registration ceases to be active, the member must take reasonable steps to ensure that the Badge is removed from the clinic's website and materials.

10. Static, social-media and printed use

A Static Badge may be used only where a Live Badge cannot reasonably be embedded and only using the official artwork supplied by The MLD Register. A screenshot or copied image of the Live Badge is not an approved Static Badge.

Digital static use

Where a Static Badge is used in an email signature, social-media profile, social-media post or another digital environment:

the correct Registration Number must remain clearly visible;
it should link directly to the member's Register profile wherever the platform allows;
the link must not be redirected to another practitioner or unrelated webpage; and
the surrounding wording must not imply that the static image itself updates in real time.

Printed use

Because printed artwork cannot update automatically, every printed use of the Badge must:

display the correct Registration Number;
be accompanied, wherever reasonably practicable, by the approved Check a Therapist web address or QR code supplied by The MLD Register; and
make clear that current status should be confirmed through the Register.

Members should exercise particular care before placing the Badge on long-life materials such as permanent signage, window graphics, vehicle graphics or large quantities of printed stock. The member remains responsible for withdrawing, covering or replacing those materials if their registration ceases to be active or if the official artwork changes.

The costs of producing, updating, removing or replacing printed materials remain the member's responsibility.

11. Presentation and brand integrity

The Badge must be used in the official form supplied by The MLD Register. You may resize it proportionately, subject to any minimum-size or display guidance supplied by us.

You must not:

alter its wording;
change or obscure the Registration Number;
change its colours, typography, shape, proportions or orientation;
crop, stretch, compress, distort or rotate it;
add shadows, effects, animation or additional design elements;
remove any border, status wording or identifying detail;
translate or rewrite the Badge;
extract individual elements for separate use;
redraw, trace or recreate it;
use artificial intelligence or other software to produce an alternative version;
combine it with another logo or mark in a way that changes or obscures its meaning;
create a derivative badge or status mark; or
remove any legal or ownership notice included within the artwork.

The Badge must remain visually distinct from other marks and should be presented with sufficient clear space to preserve its legibility.

It must not be used as:

the principal logo or identity of the member's business;
a practice name;
a trading name;
a company name;
a domain name;
a social-media account name or handle;
an app icon;
a product mark; or
a device suggesting that the member's business is owned, operated or formally partnered with The MLD Register.

12. Prohibited uses and claims

The Badge must never be used in a false, misleading or materially ambiguous context.

In particular, you must not use the Badge, Registration Number or Register membership to claim or imply that you are:

regulated by The MLD Register;
licensed by The MLD Register;
clinically certified by The MLD Register;
clinically accredited by The MLD Register;
approved or endorsed by The MLD Register;
approved by the NHS, CQC or government;
endorsed by a training school, insurer, charity or professional body;
guaranteed to provide a particular standard or outcome;
safer, superior or more clinically competent than another practitioner solely because of membership; or
authorised to practise outside the scope of your own training, experience or insurance.

You must not imply that The MLD Register has independently verified:

the number of patients you have treated;
the length or depth of your clinical experience;
the specific surgeries or postoperative procedures you report supporting;
treatment outcomes;
patient satisfaction;
third-party reviews;
all services offered by your practice;
every location at which you work; or
the qualifications or conduct of another practitioner.

The Badge must not be used:

on materials for services you do not personally provide;
to promote unregistered practitioners;
to advertise training courses, qualifications or certificates issued by you;
on certificates or awards issued to another person;
in connection with products, equipment, supplements or merchandise;
in a way that suggests that The MLD Register endorses a paid advertisement;
in comparative advertising that misrepresents another practitioner;
alongside unsubstantiated medical or treatment claims;
within metadata or structured data that falsely describes the member as regulated, licensed, clinically accredited or endorsed;
in any unlawful, deceptive, discriminatory or professionally inappropriate context; or
in any manner inconsistent with the Code of Conduct or applicable advertising and consumer-protection requirements.

13. Changes to registration status

The Live Badge draws its status from The MLD Register's current records. If a member's registration:

lapses;
is suspended;
is removed;
ends following cancellation;
no longer satisfies the Register's insurance requirements; or
otherwise ceases to be active,

the Live Badge will automatically stop displaying active status. It may instead display a neutral inactive-status message and link to a page confirming that the registration is not currently active.

The inactive Badge will not ordinarily state the underlying reason for the change unless publication is required under the Complaints Procedure, another Register policy or the law.

The member's public Member Profile and the Check a Therapist service are the authoritative sources of current status.

A temporary technical delay, cached page or display error does not extend permission to use the Badge where registration is no longer active. You must not attempt to bypass, conceal or replace an inactive Live Badge.

14. Mandatory removal when registration ends

When registration ceases to be active, you must:

stop every new use of the Badge immediately;
remove the Badge from your current website, email signature, social-media profiles, pinned content and active advertising as soon as reasonably possible and in all cases within seven calendar days;
remove, cover or withdraw physical displays under your control within seven calendar days;
stop distributing printed materials containing the Badge immediately;
cease describing yourself as a current Registered Member of The MLD Register;
cease using the Registration Number in a way that suggests current registration; and
take reasonable steps to require clinics, employers, agencies or other third parties displaying the Badge on your behalf to remove it.

Messages and materials already lawfully sent to recipients do not need to be recalled, but they must not be reused, redistributed or included within future communications.

Continuing to display the Badge, use the Registration Number as evidence of current membership or describe yourself as currently registered after your registration has ended is a serious misrepresentation to the public and a breach of these Terms.

If registration is subsequently restored, you must use the current Badge and artwork supplied through your dashboard rather than reinstating an older copy.

15. Founding Member, Revalidated and other status marks

Founding Member

Founding Member status records that a therapist was successfully verified and accepted within The MLD Register's original founding cohort. The designation does not indicate:

a higher level of qualification;
a more extensive verification process;
greater clinical competence; or
preferential treatment under the Verification Standard.

The historical designation may remain associated with the therapist in accordance with the Membership Terms. However, an official Founding Member Badge or active-status mark may be displayed only while the therapist holds an Active Registration.

If membership later ends:

the official Founding Member Badge must be removed;
the therapist must not describe themselves as a current Founding Member of the Register; and
any historical reference must be accurate, appropriately dated and must not imply current membership.

Revalidated

A Revalidated status or Badge confirms only that the member has supplied evidence of an accepted MLD refresher, review or update falling within the period defined by the Verification Standard. It is not statutory professional revalidation and does not constitute an assessment of clinical competence.

Permission to display a Revalidated mark ends when the applicable revalidation period expires, even where the member's underlying registration remains active. Any Static Revalidated artwork must then be removed within seven calendar days.

Featured Member

Featured Member status relates only to clearly labelled enhanced placement or visibility within The MLD Register. It does not alter the Verification Standard or indicate greater qualifications, competence or professional standing.

Featured status must not be presented externally as a quality award or a higher verification category. No Featured Member Badge or mark may be used unless it has been expressly issued or approved by The MLD Register.

Other status marks

Any other Badge or status mark issued by The MLD Register may be used only:

by the member to whom it was issued;
for the period during which the underlying status remains current; and
in accordance with any additional guidance supplied with it.

16. Monitoring, correction and cooperation

The MLD Register may monitor public use of its Badge, Registration Numbers and brand marks in order to protect their meaning and integrity. We may:

inspect publicly accessible websites, social-media profiles and advertising;
ask a member to provide the web address or a copy of materials on which the Badge appears;
request evidence that an employer, clinic or agency has removed an outdated Badge;
require an incorrect or misleading display to be amended;
specify a reasonable timescale for correction; and
disable the Live Badge while a material concern is investigated.

Members must cooperate promptly and honestly with reasonable enquiries concerning Badge use. Members must also notify The MLD Register if they become aware of:

unauthorised use of their Badge;
unauthorised use of their Registration Number;
use of an MLD Register Badge by a non-member;
a copied, altered or counterfeit Badge;
a website continuing to display their Badge after they have left the practice; or
a technical error affecting the status displayed.

The Register's ability to monitor use does not create an obligation to identify every unauthorised or misleading display.

17. Revocation, suspension and unauthorised use

The MLD Register may suspend or revoke permission to use a Badge where:

the member breaches these Terms;
the Badge or Registration Number is used inaccurately or misleadingly;
the member's registration is suspended, lapsed or removed;
a technical or security issue affects the Badge;
continued use could mislead the public;
continued use could damage the integrity of the Register; or
withdrawal is reasonably required under the Membership Terms, Code of Conduct or Complaints Procedure.

Depending on the circumstances, The MLD Register may:

request immediate correction or removal;
disable the Live Badge;
revoke the Badge licence;
suspend the member's public profile;
take action under the Membership Terms, Code of Conduct or Complaints Procedure;
contact a website host, advertising platform, social-media platform, clinic or employer;
issue an intellectual-property or takedown notice; or
pursue other proportionate legal remedies.

Revocation of Badge permission following a member's breach does not create a separate entitlement to a refund. Any refund rights are governed by the Membership Terms and applicable law.

Use by non-members

Use of a Badge, Registration Number or wording implying current registration by a person who is not an active member is unauthorised. This includes:

copying another therapist's Badge;
displaying another member's Registration Number;
using a fabricated Registration Number;
displaying an expired or inactive Badge;
creating a confusingly similar Badge;
describing oneself as a current member when membership has never been granted or is no longer active; or
using another person's registration record to promote unregistered services.

The MLD Register may require immediate removal and take proportionate action to protect the public and its intellectual property.

18. Ownership and intellectual property

The Badge, Registration Number system, The MLD Register name, associated logos, designs, artwork, status marks, embed code and other brand assets remain the property of Truly Empowered Ltd or its licensors. Nothing in these Terms transfers ownership or creates any right in the Badge beyond the limited licence expressly granted. All goodwill arising from authorised use of the Badge accrues to Truly Empowered Ltd.

You must not:

register or attempt to register the Badge or a confusingly similar mark;
register a company name, business name, domain name or social-media handle incorporating The MLD Register name or Badge;
claim ownership of any MLD Register mark;
challenge or assist another person to challenge our ownership;
remove an ownership or copyright notice;
reverse engineer or reproduce the Badge system except as expressly permitted by law; or
authorise another person to exploit the Badge commercially.

Any suspected infringement or unauthorised use should be reported promptly to The MLD Register.

19. Privacy, technical operation and availability

When a Live Badge loads on a member's website, the visitor's browser communicates with The MLD Register's systems so that the Badge and current registration status can be delivered. Standard technical information generated through that process is handled in accordance with The MLD Register's Privacy Policy and applicable data-protection requirements.

Members remain responsible for ensuring that their own website privacy and cookie information accurately describes embedded or third-party technology where required.

The Badge must not be modified to collect additional information from visitors or to introduce trackers, cookies or scripts not supplied or approved by The MLD Register.

We aim to keep the Live Badge available and accurate, but do not guarantee uninterrupted availability or compatibility with every website, browser, email platform or third-party service. The Badge may be temporarily unavailable because of:

maintenance;
security work;
internet or hosting interruptions;
third-party platform restrictions;
software updates; or
circumstances beyond our reasonable control.

Temporary unavailability does not authorise the use of an unofficial or copied Badge.

20. Changes to the badge or these Terms

The MLD Register may update:

the Badge design;
the placement or presentation of the Registration Number;
available Badge variants;
embed code;
status wording;
technical delivery method;
display guidance; or
these Terms.

A Live Badge may update automatically without action from the member. Where static artwork is replaced, members must begin using the updated version within 30 days of notification, unless a different transition period is stated.

Material changes to these Terms will normally be notified through the member dashboard and by email at least 30 days before they take effect. Changes required urgently for legal, security, technical or public-protection reasons may take effect sooner. Where reasonably practicable, members will be notified before or promptly after the change.

Where a member does not accept a material contractual change, their cancellation and refund rights are governed by the Membership Terms and Refund Policy.

Each published version of these Terms should display its version number and effective date.

21. Responsibility and liability

Members are responsible for:

the context in which they display the Badge;
every claim made alongside it;
ensuring that the correct Registration Number is displayed;
ensuring that their use remains accurate;
ensuring that third parties displaying it on their behalf comply with these Terms; and
removing the Badge when permission to use it ends.

The Badge does not guarantee:

patient enquiries;
professional referrals;
website traffic;
search-engine visibility;
inclusion within AI-generated results; or
any particular commercial or clinical outcome.

Subject to any liability that cannot legally be excluded or limited, The MLD Register is not responsible for:

unauthorised or misleading use of the Badge or Registration Number by a member or third party;
a third-party platform refusing or removing the Badge;
temporary Badge unavailability;
costs of installing or removing the Badge;
costs of replacing printed materials or signage;
incompatibility with a particular website or platform; or
loss arising from a member's failure to comply with these Terms.

The liability provisions contained within the Membership Terms and Refund Policy also apply to the Badge and its use. Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits any liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited.

22. General provisions

No waiver

If The MLD Register does not enforce a provision immediately, that does not waive its right to enforce it later.

Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in effect.

Assignment

A member may not assign, transfer or sublicense their rights under these Terms. The MLD Register may transfer its rights and obligations as part of a lawful transfer, restructuring or sale of the business, subject to the Membership Terms and Privacy Policy.

Third-party rights

A person who is not a party to these Terms has no right to enforce them under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.

Notices

Notices relating to these Terms may be delivered through the member dashboard, by email or through another contact method held within the member's account. Members are responsible for keeping their contact details current.

Governing law

These Terms are governed by the law of England and Wales. The courts with jurisdiction are determined in accordance with the Membership Terms and applicable law.

23. Contact

Questions about approved Badge use, official artwork or technical installation should be sent to hello@themldregister.com.

Concerns about unauthorised or misleading Badge use may be sent to complaints@themldregister.com.

Please include, where available:

the practitioner's name;
the Registration Number shown;
the location at which the Badge appears;
a link to the relevant webpage; and
a screenshot or copy of the material concerned.

The MLD Register Badge identifies a named member and displays their individual Registration Number. Current registration status and the information independently reviewed by The MLD Register should be confirmed through the member's live Register profile or the Check a Therapist service. The Badge does not assess or certify clinical competence.