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News  - the latest developments in UK play therapy


This page is your opportunity to announce events, express views etc.  Just send them to jefferyht@yahoo.co.uk - we reserve the right to publish or not!

APAC announce two new training venues to make their play therapy training programmes easier to get to for many more participants.

Central London
South Devon

This is in line with PTUK’s policy to have accredited play therapy training centres within an hour’s drive for 90% of the UK’s population.

News page index:

 

More innovation by APAC is announced in the use of on-line, e-learning methods for the MA In Practice Based Play Therapy.

 

Latest PTUK Research Results (August 2011)

 

Latest situation on the State regulation of Play Therapy

January 2011 - New Taxonomy available for comment

 

APAC – Maintaining the Lead

Regulation of Play Therapy in the UK

Play Therapy World Congress 2010

Overseas Venues

New Government Policy

Overview

University QAA Audit Result

Irish University Equivalence

 

Key note presentations

Workshop summary

 

 

Watch a short video of the Congress

2010 Summer School

 

Congress Conclusions


The Latest PTUK Research Results (August 2011)

A summary of the results, presented in more detail in a PTI/PTUK paper 'An Effective Way of Promoting Children’s Wellbeing and Alleviating Emotional, Behavioural and Mental Health Problems - the Latest Research' shows that between 74% and 83% of children receiving play therapy, delivered to PTUK/PTI standards, show a positive change.
The more severe the problems the greater the percentage of children showing a positive change. 74% for those with slight/moderate problems, 83% for those with severe problems
Age also has an effect on improvement: Generally speaking the younger the child the greater the percentage of children showing a positive change: 80% at age 6 - 71% at age 12 - early help is the most effective.
Girls show a higher improvement rate than boys, 79% compared to 73%.

The average cost of using play and creative arts therapies is estimated at £693 per child. This estimate is based upon an overall average of 15.4 sessions, applying a cost per session of £45. For every £1 invested annually in targeted services designed to catch problems early and prevent problems from reoccurring, society benefits by between £7.60 and £9.20. (National Economic Foundation 2011). Play and creative therapies should therefore give a notional return to society of at least £5267 in the long term. However this does not give the full picture because there are many short term benefits, specific to the setting, for example: better academic results and less stress for teachers; more successful fostering placements; faster response to medical treatment.
The statistics in this report are based on analyses of data selected from a total database of 8026 cases, with 10,744 pre and post therapy observations by referrers and parents received from 507 PTUK/PTI registered practitioners.

 

The full six page paper is available for you to download.

Present it to commissioners of children's services. Head Teachers, CAMHS Managers to obtain work and defend the budget for your service. Download Here

 

New Blended Learning Route for the MA in Practice Based Play Therapy

APAC has developed a new route for stage 3 (modules 7 and 8) of the programme by which you may gain your MA in Practice Based Play Therapy. Stages 1 and 2, The Post Graduate Certificate in Therapeutic Play and Post Graduate Diploma in Play Therapy remain delivered as experiential exercises, clinical work and face to face presentations and demonstrations. The route started on 5th November 2011.

The advantages of this new blended learning route are:

  • Work at home, at your own pace – study is more enjoyable
  • No travel and accommodation costs – save money
  • No time away from home needed – less hassle in your domestic life
  • Personalised Academic Supervisor and Tutor support – based on your individual learning style
  • More efficient drafting of your research proposal and dissertation including access to the unique PTI/PTUK database of play therapy clinical outcomes – less time required and better quality work
The blended learning methods, include on-line availability of structured course material, electronic transmission of assignments and feedback, personal tuition and support by your Academic Supervisor by phone, email or Skype, electronic discussion group ‘etc For details see: http://www.playtherapy.org.uk/TrainingCourses/TrainCrseAPACMA1.htm

 

UK Regulation of Play Therapy – New Government Policy 2011

The HPC route is dead - long live CHRE/PSA!

As previously reported Play Therapy UK and the British Association of Play Therapists (BAPT)  held four meetings,  to submit a joint application for the regulation of the profession using registered titles through the Health Professions Council (HPC). We had reached the stage where our application would have been submitted in September 2011.

However the Coalition Government have introduced a 'Right Touch' policy to be implemented by the Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence (CHRE) shortly to be renamed the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). 

No new applications will be accepted by the HPC.  The new system will be based on accredited Assured Voluntary Registers (AVRs) From July 2012 the PSA will set standards for organisations (such as PTUK)  that hold voluntary registers for practioners who are involved in providing health and social care for people in a variety of different ways but who do not, by law, have to be on a statutory register.



Professional Standards Authority Accreditation Scheme for Assured Voluntary Registers

The government has asked CHRE/PSA to set up a system to strengthen public protection by encouraging organisations that hold voluntary registers to be effective. The PSA will therefore set standards that the organisations holding the voluntary register should meet and will accredit organisations who apply and that meet the standards. The PSA will accredit (or approve) them so that health and social care practitioners wanting to register, or employers, commissioners, patients and the public wanting to choose someone to work for them or provide them with a service can see easily which registers have met our standards.

PTUK was one of the first organisations to contact CHRE, after the new policy was announced,  and as result we are in a group of 19 professions that are being consulted by CHRE to help them set appropriate standards.

The new Government policy allows a profession, where there is more than one professional organisation, such as Play Therapy, to have a number of registers.  This will give the public and employers a choice.  The main proviso is that this should not create confusion.  BAPT and PTUK are continuing discussions to arrive at an agreed set of competences that will be required as a minimum entry level standard for a 'Play Therapist.'

PTUK welcomes this new policy as a great improvement on the HPC model because it is more flexible.  We have found CHRE very open and willing to listen to our needs. We welcome the emphasis on 'professionalism'.  The 'group of 19' is stressing the importance that an AVR must be perceived as being of at least equal in quality to that of an HPC register.  Provided everything goes smoothly, it appears that PTUK will be able to submit its application to the PSA in July 2012.   Our optimistic forecast is the end of 2012 for regulation to be in place for play therapy.

This date is actually an improvement on our last forecast!


One of PTUK's most important research priorities is the development of a taxonomy so that our research data may be anaalysed more effectively. For example to answer questions such as 'How effective is play therapy for children referred as having anxiety conditions?' The taxonomy will also enable reserachers using the single case study method to leverage their data by comparing their results to the larger number of cases in our database. The proposed taxonomy has been approved by PTUK's Research Advisory Board and is now available for comments from practioner members.

Collaborative Partnership With Canterbury Christ Church University

APAC News – Maintaining the Lead in Play Therapy Training

The Academy of Play and Child Psychotherapy (APAC), the foremost play therapy training provider, is a sister organisation of Play Therapy UK (PTUK), sharing facilities and management.

It has a key collaborative partnership with Canterbury Christ Church University who accredit APAC’s post graduate play therapy courses.

Collaborative Partnership With Canterbury Christ Church University

Overseas Venues
The Academy of Play and Child Psychotherapy (APAC) is delighted to announce that its collaborative partnership with Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) in the UK, has been extended to cover the delivery of the MA in Practice Based Play Therapy programme in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Malta and New Zealand.

Forthcoming ‘Post Graduate Certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills’ and ‘Post Graduate Diploma in Play Therapy’ courses to be delivered by APAC, as stages 1 and 2 in the Masters programme, in these countries are subject to a venue check by the University as scheduled below:

Australia: Medina Centre Coogee Beach, Sydney, NSW
October 2010
Canada: Venue to be arranged
2011
Hong Kong
September 2010
Malta: Venue to be arranged
March 2011
New Zealand: Novotel, Hamilton
September 2010

The academic awards will be made by Canterbury Christchurch University; each of the three stages results in the award of 60 Level 7 credits .  The professional, clinical awards will be made by Play Therapy International (PTI) as certificates of practice: ‘Practitioner in Therapeutic Play Skills’ and ‘Certified Play Therapist’.

The programme will be the first and only one at Post Graduate and Masters level, accredited by a recognised university, in Play Therapy, in each of these countries.  By meeting the highest academic standards and the PTI international standards of practice competencies, it will enhance successful trainees' professional credibility and earning power.  It will enable them to achieve professional parity with other mental health professionals.

The collaborative partnership between APAC and CCCU has been in existence since 2006 in the United Kingdom where the programme is delivered at 9 venues in the UK, Ireland and France. The programme has become the most successful in Europe in terms of clinical results with the children (see research page/section) and number of trainees.

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QAA Audit Result – Congratulations to Canterbury!

Canterbury Christ Church University has received the highest Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) rating – ‘Complete Confidence’ - following an audit earlier this year.  A significant part of this audit included managing collaborative partnerships focussing on the one with APAC because of its multi venue delivery of post graduate play therapy training courses.

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Ireland – APAC/CCCU Courses Recognised as Equivalent to Irish University Degrees

The National Qualifications Authority of Ireland (the NQAI) have approved the alignment of the following three awards with the National Framework of Qualifications (the NFQ):

·      Postgraduate Certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills

·      Postgraduate Diploma in Practice Based Play Therapy

·      MA in Practice Based Play Therapy

This means that participants successfully completing the courses will have awards fully equivalent to those made by an Irish university and are at level 9. This is an important consideration for employers. The APAC/CCCU programme is the ONLY play therapy training running in Ireland (as at August 2010) at this level, that is accredited by a University with approved Irish equivalence.

The detailed alignment of the awards with the National Framework of Qualifications is shown in the table below:

Award

Level on FHEQ for England, Wales and Northern Ireland

UK Credits

Irish NFQ Level

Irish NFQ Award-Type

ECTS Credits

Postgraduate Certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills

Postgraduate Certificate

Level 7

60

Level 9

n/a

30

Postgraduate Diploma in Play Therapy

Postgraduate Diploma

Level 7

120

Level 9

Post Graduate Diploma

60

MA in Practice Based Play Therapy

Masters Degree

Level 7

180

Level 9

Masters Degree

90


The programme provides incremental progression for those interested in a career within Play Therapy. The programme is usually delivered on a part-time basis over three years. Year one leads to a Post Graduate Certificate comprising 60 UK credits (30 ECTS); year two leads to Post Graduate Diploma comprising 120 UK credits (60 ECTS) and year three leads to an MA comprising 180 UK credits (90 ECTS). All awards are at FHEQ Level 7.

UK Credits are double ECTS e.g. 120 UK credits equal 60 ECTS.

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2010 Summer Schools – Another Successful Season

The sixth Summer School, held at the La Mouline Training Centre at St Genest, Tarn in the South of France was attended by 40 participants and two new trainee Course Directors.  The Post Graduate Certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills and the Post Graduate Diploma in Play Therapy attracted participants from 11 countries, maintaining the international flavour of the programme.

Interestingly delegates from the more remote parts of Scotland found that the courses were less costly than attending five, three day weekends, in the UK, even taking into account the weak pound.

Good for budget airlines! Only Lufthansa from Munich was over two hours late!

Although there were more cooler days and rain this year, there was still plenty of sunshine and organic fruit and vegetables from La Mouline’s gardener.  The lunches, were described as ‘fantastic.’

Although there were more cooler days and rain this year, there was still plenty of sunshine and organic fruit and vegetables from La Mouline’s gardener.  The lunches, were described as ‘fantastic’

Tomatoes for lunchPlums for break time

The certificate course was plagued for half a day with electricity cuts.  No storms, no line repairs, no excessive load.  A call for Ricard (the electrician, not the French drink) who with his multitude of test meters found the cause - ants in the external lights wiring!

 

As for the teaching – “I'm really feel lucky that I had the opportunity to be part of the certificate group because my dream is coming true..... THANKS FOR INVENTING THIS COURSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm sure that all the children that I will be helping will want to say this phrase to you..... “

 

Next year’s dates are:

 

Post Graduate Certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills

Saturday 23th July 2011 to 6th August 2011

Post Graduate Diploma in Play Therapy

Sunday 7th August 2011 to 21st August 2011

 

For details of courses

 

 

Field flowers at La MoulinePlay Therapy Diploma 2010 participants at La Mouline

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2010 Play Therapy World Congress

Following 18 months of planning and preparation, the 2010 Play Therapy World Congress took place between May 13th and 24th in Marrakech, Morocco. It produced an attendance of 598 delegate days. A more appropriate sub title might have been ‘We shall overcome!’

The President of PTI, Monika Jephcott, sincerely thanked the presenters and delegates, whose commitment and resolution, overcame many difficulties to attend. “You came from the corners of the earth by air and by land and although, as far as we know, no one travelled on the Marrakesh Express, many had nerve wracking journeys.” She then reviewed the progress made by PTI/PTUK since 2004. Her concluding remark, “Although therapeutic play has a serious purpose, play is also about having fun” was followed by an amazing drumming session in which the whole audience participated. This was one of the really memorable highlights of the Congress. At the conclusion of the drumming Monika announced: “As a gesture of appreciation to all of you who overcame the problems to attend – the drum is yours, to take home!” A wonderful gasp of surprise came from the audience. (Hear it on the Congress video).

Watch a short video capturing the spirit of the Congress

Drumming at the 2010 Play Therapy World Congress

The majority of the Plenary session was devoted to four key note addresses. Mike Shooter,   Chairman of the Mental Health Foundation, Chairman of Young Minds and pat President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, addressed the theme of integrating the deployment  of the psychological professions – working together for the benefit of the children. In addition to the ‘four Ps’ he reminded us that a fifth ‘Passion’ was vital.  He stressed the importance of taking therapeutic risks at crucial moments and also the significance of ‘windows of opportunity’ opening at unexpected times, often at times when a fully trained play therapist is not available.  How can we deal with this situation?

Sue Gerhardt, psychoanalytic psychotherapist, author of the influential ‘Why Love Matters’ and the recently published ‘The Selfish Society’ showed us how we can create a more loving society to get away from a self centred one,.  This may be achieved by focusing on how adults pass on their emotional skills to the babies in their care.  This theme was further developed in the afternoon session by Dr Fraser Brown showing how play as a therapeutic tool was used to repair the emotional damage that the Romanian orphans had suffered.  His main perspective has been mainly play work, but with a potential therapeutic perspective  This suggests that there should be more collaboration and integration between Play Workers and Play Therapists. 

Our final keynote speaker - Sir Richard Bowlby – returned to the most significant source of emotional problems – insecure attachment  - by examining the psychological coping mechanisms used by babies, toddlers and young children who experience disruptions to attachment relationships.  In a separate interview he paid tribute to the ways in which PTI and APAC have incorporated attachment theory into their model of play therapy. (see Congress video for interviews with all four key note presenters).

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Workshop Programme – the Proven and the New

During the next three days 52 workshops/seminars took place..  27 of these presented proven methods that enabled Play Therapists to extend their skills and the range of children’s conditions that they could work with.  The other 25 presented completely new material – the leading edge of therapeutic play.  A selection of these innovations will be developed by PTI/PTUK in conjunction with their originators with the intention of disseminating them into widespread practice.

Conclusions

PTI is analysing and reflecting upon the Congress Just as good therapists do in their own practice.  So far four main themes are being explored, two of them concerned with the implementation of practice.

Conditional rolling programmes

In her opening address the President referred to the limited success of ‘projects’, especially the inability to achieve sustainability.  This is a complex problem when attempting to introduce play therapy into countries that are developing economies but it is also an issue in the developed world.  One main reason is the allocation of funding, which is often only issued a year at a time and tied to annual contracts.

We have become conditioned to this fixed, short term way of working.  But effective therapeutic work with a population of children requires continuity - a sustainable programme for at least five years and ideally forever.  We don’t expect our doctor’s surgery or our dentist to disappear after a year. 

However, play therapy is still an emergent profession and it is only in the last three years that PTI has provided a credible body of research that proves its effectiveness.  So realistically we can’t expect the decision takers to commission unconditional, open ended programmes. 

What we can justifiably ask for is a staged programme where permission to proceed to the next stage is dependent upon the results of the previous one.  The important thing is to get approval in principle to the overall rolling programme.  The stages will each need to have milestones that specify their outcomes.  ‘If we achieve x then we will proceed to y’.  As each stage is completed further ones are added to the programme, continually extending the time horizon.  This is a different approach to a project, which has a definite ending.  Of course projects can be included as parts of stages in a conditional programme but they must be regarded as stepping stones, not the whole trip.


Working with younger children

All keynote speakers provided examples of the importance of working therapeutically with babies and infants.  Our latest outcomes research confirms neuroscience findings upon the plasticity of the brain – the ability of the brain to change its configuration is greater, the younger we are.  In general our members are trained to work with children aged 5 upwards.  Some of the workshops also provided techniques relevant to very young children This is another area for development over the next few years.

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This is the end of the news!


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