Our Constitution
Play Therapy UK's constitution reflect s the principles of its founding
members:
- A wide range of therapeutic interventions using play or creative arts
therapies can be used to benefit many children. A qualified practitioner
requires a range of ‘tools’ including: art, creative visualisations, clay,
dance/movement, drama, masks, music, puppets and sandplay.
- Many practitioners, working in a variety of settings, as well as ‘Play
Therapists’ can use these interventions safely and effectively if
supported by an appropriate professional infrastructure.
- The infrastructure must include a modern ethical system that embodies
clinical governance as well as the provision of ethical guidelines, a
professional conduct procedure and a register of certified members.
- PTUK must provide a lead and meet all of the obligations required of a
profession.
- The varied needs of the children, their carers, commissioning
organisations and users of the therapies together with the existing
skills, aspirations and resources of potential and existing practitioners
must be realistically accommodated in setting standards of competence and
training. The emphasis must be on what a practitioner can do
not merely what a practitioner knows.
- The organisation structure must be sufficiently flexible to enable
decisions to be taken quickly, reflect the needs of the public and
practitioner members, enable innovation to take place and alter according
to growth and changing needs. We do not want to be bogged down by
numerous committees or bureaucratic procedures that so often hamper the
progress of other professional associations. We believe that the
majority of members are content to be consulted on important issues but do
not have the time to be closely involved in decision taking. The
direction of some professional organisations, with a traditional
organisation, can be high-jacked by a small cabal using 'democratic'
procedures. PTUK believes that liberty is an even more important
principle than democracy in corporate governance..
- PTUK will work collaboratively with any organisation that aims to
benefit children.
The governing documents are the Memorandum and Articles of Association,
since the term ‘constitution’ is not a term which is generally used within
the Companies Act and is not defined generally by the Act. These two
documents together form a ‘constitution’.
Our Structure
The Board of Directors are responsible for the strategic direction and
day to day operation of PTUK. They are legally and financially responsible
for running the Society.
The Board of Directors takes into account recommendations from the
Advisory board which in turn receives suggestions and proposals from PTUK’s
Practitioner Members.
There are two main classes of members:
Practitioner members for whom PTUK provides a professional
infrastructure and a range of services
Shareholding members – these are persons or organisations that
provided and continue to provide funds, over and above practitioner
membership fees, subscriptions and other revenue to enable PTUK to become
established and grow. Since PTUK is a not for profit company these members
do not receive dividends neither will they receive any appreciation on the
value of their shares. Any eligible person may apply for shares.
The Articles of Association specifically determines that the company is
prevented from distributing any profits arising from its activities.
PTUK aims, in the medium term, to generate sufficient excess of revenues
over costs in order to:
- Invest these surpluses in research, development, growth and bursaries
- Become independent of raising funds through the sale of shares, gifts,
donations etc
It is not currently the intention to work towards charity status.
The Board of Directors feels strongly that if an organisation is meeting the
needs of the children in the United Kingdom and its practitioner members and
is run effectively and efficiently it should not be necessary to rely on
charitable donations to fund its operations.
Good Corporate Governance
The structure of PTUK allows its practitioner members to propose changes
in policies, rules or procedures through the mechanisms of:
- The Advisory Board
- Ad Hoc consultations
- Referenda – held from time to time
These processes speed up decision taking and avoid the use of a laborious
system of committees and sub-committees. It also ensures that proposals for
change are filtered through an experienced panel of multi-disciplined
professionals – The Advisory Board.
This two tier structure is similar to that adopted by many European
organisations.
The continued success of PTUK depends upon providing good service to its
practitioner members so that the needs of the majority are always taken into
account. We are market led.
For more details see our constitution
which is contained in the Memorandum and
Articles of Association and our
Standing Orders.
