Policies

I recognises that:

• The welfare of the child is paramount
• All children regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity have the right to equal protection from all types of harm and abuse
• Some children may be additionally vulnerable due to the impact of past experiences, levels of dependency, communication needs or other issues.
• Partnership working with parents, carers, school staff or other agencies is essential in safeguarding children.

When working within schools or other organisations I will familiarise myself with and adopt the safeguarding policy, including engaging in discussion with the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) of the organisation to ensure safe practice.

Procedure

In instances where an organisation policy is not being adopted my procedure is as follows:

If a child says they are being abused:

• I will listen to what is being said and reassure the child that they have done the right thing in telling an adult
• I will be honest and explain that I cannot keep this information to myself but reassure the child that information will only be shared with those who need to know
• I will explain what will happen next
• If a child discloses during a therapy session the session will end immediately and I will consult with the organisations DSL to agree an appropriate course of action.
• I will record verbatim what the child has said and share with the relevant DSL in line with procedure

Record Keeping

In the event of a disclosure clear and accurate records ensure that there is a documented account of my response. This is important for agencies responding to an incident. In the event of a disclosure an Incident Form will be completed. This must be in addition to documentation required as part of the organisation’s procedure.

Confidentiality and information sharing

I recognises that all matters relating to child protection are confidential. I will only disclose information about a pupil to other members of staff and affiliated professionals on a ‘need to know’ basis.

I am aware that whilst I have a duty within my role to keep any information about children and families confidential (see Privacy Policy), I also have a professional responsibility to share information with other agencies in order to safeguard children.

I am also aware that cannot promise a child to keep secrets which might compromise the child’s safety or wellbeing.

Complaints

Complaints against me that are likely to require a child protection investigation will be handled in accordance with procedures for dealing with allegations of abuse made against staff in line with KSCMP - www.kscmp.org.uk

Local support

Contact details for the Local Authority Designated Officer 03000 410888 kentchildrenslado@kent.gov.uk

Children's Specialist Services Central Duty Team: 03000 411111 Out of Hours Number: 03000 419191

Kent Safeguarding Children Multi-Agency Partnership (KSCMP) 03000421126 www.kscmp.org.uk

Kent Police 101 (or 999 if there is an immediate risk of harm)

NSPCC Helpline: 08008005000 or help@nspcc.org.uk

How I will use your details

a. Your personal contact details (your name, address, phone number and email address)

I will only use this information to contact you or for reporting the progress and results of the therapy for quality assurance purposes. I will only share these details for medical or legal purposes or, if is relevant, for the repair of the systems that I use.

b. Your child’s age, sex, ethnic background and why they have been referred for play therapy.

I will use this information in reports circulated within our organisation. I use it to assess how effective and efficient the service is for different types of children. If the details contain your or your child’s name, I will mark them as ‘confidential’ and store them securely. If I send this information anywhere, I will make it anonymous so that neither you nor your child can be traced.

c. Clinical record keeping

Clinical records are always anonymised and remain the property of the therapist.

Clinical information may be used in case studies that are used to assess the quality of trainees’ work. Information may be circulated more widely to help other therapists improve their practice. Your child will not be able to be identified from any information used for this purpose.

Supervision and quality assurance

All practitioners on the Register of Play and Creative Arts Therapists, managed by Play Therapy UK and accredited by the Professional Standards Authority, must have a set number of hours of clinical supervision. The therapist makes a verbal report on each child to a clinical supervisor who is very experienced in working in therapy with children. The child’s progress, what they do in the sessions, any significant themes in their play and anything else that is relevant, is discussed. The clinical supervisor assesses and reviews a therapist by providing support and advice.

Notes may be taken during the discussions between the therapist and supervisor. If these notes contain your or your child’s name, we will mark them as confidential and store them securely. If we send any part of these notes to anyone else or another organisation, we will make your or your child’s personal details anonymous so that you can’t be traced.

Play Therapy UK

Play Therapy UK is a professional organisation. It uses information about your child and their play therapy activities to check the quality of therapists’ service, and to update the clinical evidence base (see below) and other research projects which are aimed at improving the quality of therapists’ practice for the benefit of the children they work with.

The clinical evidence base is kept in a secure computer database managed by Play Therapy UK. It is used to compare the results of therapy with a child’s characteristics (such as their age, sex, ethnic background and the condition they have been referred with), the number and type of sessions and the therapy activities that have taken place. Doing this helps Play Therapy UK to set guidelines of good practice, and to identify any areas of risk or where further investigation (through research) is needed. Play Therapy UK makes all the information anonymous so that a child cannot be identified in any reports that are produced. When information is analysed and reported on, it is based on groups of a minimum number of 200 cases and does not identify any child.

Play Therapy UK therapists must re-register each year. They do this by providing the following information;

• Your child’s age, sex, ethnic background and the condition they were referred to us with
• Measures they have taken based on information from questionnaires
• The therapy activities carried out by the child during the sessions

For details of information held by PTUK please contact:

The Registrar and Data Controller, PTUK, The Coach House, Belmont Rd, Uckfield, TN25 1BP. Tel: 01825 761143

Changes to this privacy policy

I reserve the right to update or change our Privacy Policy at any time and you should check this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of the Service after I post any modifications to the Privacy Policy on this page will constitute your acknowledgment of the modifications and your consent to abide and be bound by the modified Privacy Policy.

If I make any material changes to this Privacy Policy, I will notify you either through the email address you have provided, or by placing a prominent notice on my website.

If you believe that the complaint/concern is serious or sensitive, please contact me via email vikkilevy68@gmail.com. I will investigate and report back to you either face to face or in writing.

Every effort will be made to resolve the problem at this informal stage, and most can be resolved this way. However, if it is not possible to do this, you have the right to make a formal complaint.

I am a member of Play Therapy UK and work to the PTUK Ethical Standards of Clinical Governance. Please visit https://www.playtherapy.org.uk/Standards/EthicalFramework/EthicsProfessionalConductProc and follow their procedure if you wish to make a complaint.