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At Heart & Soul Play Therapy Practice, safeguarding and ethical practice are central to all work with children and families. I am committed to providing a safe, respectful, and child-centred therapeutic service, where children’s wellbeing is always the highest priority.
My practice is guided by the Ethical Framework and Clinical Governance Standards of Play Therapy UK (PTUK). I am registered on PTUK’s Register of Play and Creative Arts Therapists, which is accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). All work is underpinned by current safeguarding legislation, national guidance and best practice.
Safeguarding Children
Safeguarding is a shared responsibility, and I hold a clear duty of care towards the children and young people with whom I work.
In my practice, I:
remain vigilant to signs of abuse, neglect or harm;
listen to children and take their concerns seriously;
respond promptly and appropriately to safeguarding concerns;
follow local and national child-protection procedures; and
prioritise the safety and welfare of the child.
When working within a nursery, school or other organisation, I follow the setting’s safeguarding procedures and report concerns to its designated safeguarding contact. Where a child may be at immediate risk of harm, concerns are referred without delay to the appropriate statutory services.
I am a member of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme (PVG) Scheme, and maintain current safeguarding training as part of my continuing professional development. I also cooperate with any updated PVG checks required by PTUK, schools, local authorities or other commissioning organisations.
Confidentiality and Its Limits
Confidentiality and Its Limits
Confidentiality is an essential part of therapeutic work and is respected at all times. Children and families are supported to understand confidentiality in a clear, age-appropriate way.
Information may need to be shared where:
a child or another person may be at risk of harm;
there is a safeguarding or child-protection concern; or
disclosure is required or permitted by law.
In these circumstances, only relevant information is shared with those who need to receive it, in accordance with safeguarding procedures, data-protection requirements and professional guidance.
Professional Boundaries and Safe Practice
Professional Boundaries and Safe Practice
Clear professional boundaries are maintained at all times to protect the child, the practitioner and the therapeutic relationship.
My practice includes:
Respectful, transparent communication
Child-led, non-intrusive therapeutic work
Careful professional judgement around play, touch, and physical proximity
Clear arrangements for the beginning and end of each session
Regular reflection through clinical supervision
All therapeutic work is child-centred, trauma-informed, and responsive to the child's developmental needs.
Health, Safety and Risk Management
Health, Safety and Risk Management
Risk assessments are completed and reviewed for the home playroom and for external settings in which therapy is delivered.
Therapeutic resources are checked regularly to ensure they remain safe, clean and fit for purpose. The playroom contains a consistent and carefully selected range of resources suitable for children aged 4–13, in line with Play Therapy practice and ethical requirements.
Clear arrangements are made for:
arrival, handover and collection;
fire safety and emergency procedures;
first aid and access to immediate assistance;
safe access to and use of the therapy space;
accidents and near misses;
known medical, behavioural or safeguarding risks; and
lone working where another professional is not immediately available.
Lone-working arrangements are proportionate to the setting, the child’s known needs and any identified risks.
Supervision and Professional Accountability
Supervision and Professional Accountability
I engage in regular PTUK-accredited clinical supervision, which supports reflective practice, ethical decision-making, and the ongoing quality and safety of my work.
Supervision provides a confidential professional space in which to reflect on therapeutic practice, consider safeguarding and ethical matters, and ensure that work remains safe, effective and within the limits of my competence. .
Data Protection and Privacy
Data Protection and Privacy
I process personal information in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. Heart & Soul Therapeutic Play Practice is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office.
Therapy-related records are stored securely within PTUK’s Fortuna system and are handled in accordance with applicable data-protection requirements and PTUK’s current data-processing and system-security arrangements.
Electronic information is accessed through password or passcode-protected devices with automatic screen locking enabled. Access to personal information is restricted to authorised individuals, and information is anonymised where identification is not necessary.
Therapeutic records relating to children are retained in accordance with legal and professional requirements. Administrative, duplicate or incidental information that is no longer required is securely deleted in accordance with data-minimisation principles.
Full details, including information about retention, individual rights and data-protection complaints, are set out in the Data Protection and Privacy Policy.
Cookies and Website Hosting
Cookies and Website Hosting
This website is created and hosted using Google Sites. Google may use cookies and similar technologies to deliver, secure and maintain the website.
Heart & Soul Therapeutic Play Practice has not connected Google Analytics and does not independently use cookies to track visitors or collect website-usage statistics.
Further information about Google’s use of cookies is available through the “Learn more” link in Google’s cookie notice. Visitors can also manage or delete cookies through their browser settings.
Insurance
Insurance
Heart & Soul Play Therapeutic Play Practice holds appropriate public liability and professional indemnity insurance through membership with Psychologist Protection Society (PPS) to support safe and responsible therapeutic practice. Insurance details can be provided on request.
Planned Endings and Review
Planned Endings and Review
Therapeutic work is reviewed regularly, and endings are planned and supported carefully. This helps children prepare for transitions, reflect on their progress, and ensures therapy concludes in a safe, thoughtful, and contained way.
Decisions about continuing or ending therapy are discussed collaboratively with parents or carers and, where appropriate, relevant professionals. The child’s individual needs and therapeutic process remain central to these decisions.
Complaints and Concerns
Complaints and Concerns
Any concerns or complaints are taken seriously and handled respectfully and promptly.
Complaints may be made verbally or in writing by children, parents, carers or professionals. They will be acknowledged within 24 hours, and I will aim to provide a full written response within ten working days. Where additional time is required, the complainant will be informed and kept updated.
Any complaint involving potential harm, abuse, inappropriate conduct or a safeguarding concern will be managed under the Safeguarding Policy.
Where a professional-conduct concern cannot be resolved through the practice complaints process, it may be referred to Play Therapy UK. Complaints connected with work delivered in a nursery, school or through a commissioning organisation may also be raised through that organisation’s complaints procedure.
Full details are available in the Complaints and Concerns Procedure.
Commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
I am committed to fair, inclusive and non-discriminatory practice in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.
Every child is respected as an individual. Therapeutic practice takes account of the child’s identity, culture, family circumstances, communication style, developmental stage, sensory needs and lived experiences.
Reasonable adjustments are considered where these would help a child access Play Therapy safely and meaningfully. Therapeutic resources and communication are reviewed to promote respectful representation and avoid discriminatory assumptions or harmful stereotypes.
Full details are available in the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy.
Practice Policies
Practice Policies
Further information is available in the following documents:
Safeguarding Policy
Data Protection and Privacy Policy
Complaints and Concerns Procedure
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy
Health, Safety, Risk Assessment and Lone Working Policy
For further information about safeguarding, confidentiality, ethical practice or any of these policies, please feel welcome to get in touch..
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