BRITISH ASSOCIATION OF PLAY THERAPISTS LTD
MEETING OF BOARD DIRECTORS
LCA
14th January 2017
12.30 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Minutes
Present
Ruth Lazarus –Chair
Jenny Harrison – Treasurer
Helen Gedge – T & E Chair
Andrew O’Mahony – Lay Member
Audrey Lee - Membership
Sue Elmer – Research
Suzy Anderson– Lay Member
Judith James – Company Secretary
Harriet Armstrong – Vice Chair
Jo Hill – Wales Rep
Apologies
Shelagh McFarlane – Scotland Rep
Sarah Hickson – Student Rep
Clare Carbis – Wales Rep
Attending:
Janet Steel
Lucy Llewellyn – Comms & PR
Chair welcomed Lucy Llewellyn to the meeting.
1. MINUTES:
From Nov 2016 meeting – accepted and signed. Andrew O’Mahony to be referenced as AOM.
2. MATTERS ARISING:
Chair of Sub Comms Roles - still to be completed. JS to review to see if one common Job description could be used for all, Helen g will forward the T&E Version, Audrey to look at Membership version.
Action: JS
PTUK – Ruth is currently in process of organising a meeting to follow up later in this meeting, hopefully for April May as PTUK are away for most of Feb/March. This will just be a general meeting to establish a way forward regarding sharing of information about the PSA Registers and how to inform about removals etc.
I Cloud – still o/s JS to follow up
Action: JS
AGM – JS has received some forms from members, these given to HA for dissemination to Sub Comms
Actions: JS/HA
International – RL has emailed Teresa Fraser, awaiting a reply.
Action: RL
Professional Conduct/ Complaints – Linda is working on the training for Mediators.
Sample Contracts: Ruth will follow up with Roehampton & USW with aim to get a sample contact on the website and Facebook and Pinterest page that is being set up.
Action: RL
Follow-up on Conference attended by Suzy – This Conference targets Education community on different themes, including Wellbeing in Schools, across the range of school types and age groups. Suzy felt this was something that BAPT should get involved in and she has followed up with the organisers.
The detail for next Conference won’t be available until March, much the organisers are keen for BAPT to have a Speaker at Conference or a Stand, or perhaps even both. There will be the opportunity for BAPT’s logo to be on their brochure and website, and they would ask that our members advertise the conference where they can, especially those who work in schools. Suzy is happy to keep in touch, we can offer to advertise Facebook and via email to members. It was suggested that Jane Clark might be a consideration as a speaker. Board to suggest others if appropriate.
Membership – Portfolio streamlining – Ruth & Audrey to meet to review this.
Action: RL/AL
Business Plan
Public Protection – Monitor & evaluate PCP – How does going through the process increase protection to members of the public – we need to get feedback and any learning points from members who have been through this process.
Action: RL/LSL
Online feedback – how & who monitors this? Would be useful to have a brief tick box form rather than leave comments, JS/RL to review.
Action: JS/RL
Child friendly feedback form – This is now up and running on the website.
Lay Members Policy needs to be reviewed – JS to send policy to Suzy & Andrew
Action: JS
Ethical basis review – we need to look at including something regarding Ethical review of research projects by practitioners – JS to send Ethical basis doc to SE for her input.
Action: JS
Harriet advised that she has had most responses on the review, so the document is almost ready to update, not many changes to date.
AOM has agreed to write the Board report
3. CHAIRS UPDATE:
PSA – Renewal has been completed and we have Re-accreditation, subject to 1 Condition; 1 Instruction & 1 Learning point!
Condition is that we need to ensure that the Register is kept up to date and reviewed regularly. We have accepted that this will be monthly. In order to keep updated we need to get members to keep us updated on any changes, especially regarding any dual registration. We have updated the renewal letter to stipulate that members MUST advise us at renewal and also if changes happen mid-term that we are advised immediately so that the register can be updated.
Agreed an email to be sent to members to advise them – harriet will draft this.
Action: HA
JS/RL will put together a check list fo reviewing the register to be sent to PSA to show how we are checking.
Action: JS/RL
Instruction - on consistency regarding Sanctions listed between the register and BAPT’s find a therapist lists to ensure transparency to the public. We re-worded the opening to Find a PT listing to explain more clearly the difference between this and the Register, but solution has been found, PSA suggested removing PSA logo from this page so that logo now just sits with register to show that this is what is accredited and this is where sanctions are listed against individuals.
AOM/SA to review to see if it is clear
Action: AOM/SA
Learning point - regarding our risk matrix and how we monitor and update it as new risks materialise from changes in policies/procedures and guidelines. JJ has reviewed this and will be discussed later in this meeting. We need to evidence how we monitor & evaluate risks around public protection.
RL advised that whilst she hadn’t been able to attend in person due to the various rail and tube strikes, she joined by phone a PSA accredited registers collaborative meeting, a group of accredited Register holders who are working together on common issues that arise, and to share and reflect their experiences with PSA accreditation and supporting PSA development. One of the key purposes of the meeting was to develop protocol for information sharing and setting up mutual recognition alerts, especially on removal of individuals from registers for disciplinary reasons. How long to keep such info, whether this should include sanctions or should just be about sharing removals from registers.
We need to ensure that members are informed about how this agreed protocol will work.
Other issues that were raised were the PSA renewal process is unwieldy and like us, is taking organisations a long time and effort to complete, as things change year on year, there is a move to see if the renewal could be a two year renewal or if an easier renewal approach is possible. Next meeting of this group is in May and we will try to attend in person.
We also need to look at getting the PSA accreditation recognised in the wider world, with PSA perhaps involved in informing and educating specific sectors about the accreditation and what it means in raising and setting standards for those who are part of an accredited register, in order that this gets wider recognition. They have done some work on the GP sector and this year their focus is the education sector and they want BAPT and other organisations to help to communicate the existence of PSA better into the education system, and the board agreed that it is certainly in the interests of BAPT to help with and guide that communication as far as possible. SA & HA will review to see what we can do here, via members/our website etc Action: SA/HA
It seems that HCPC is still viewed as somehow being the standard, but PSA actually accredits the HCPC, in the same way as BAPT and others, yet employers don’t seem to be aware of this, we need to try and get members to communicate & educate about the importance of using regulated registers.
Meeting break at 2.05pm
Wages Info – Harriet had received a number of enquiries about session costs and wages advice. It was agreed that we should look at updating the advice on the website and possibly to look at this on an annual basis, with info for newly qualified members and those with more experience who are starting private work. Also look at a cost calculator to ensure people take into account all possible costs. And review against other similar professions. Board felt this was something that fell within remit of Professional Practice and will ask Shelagh and her team to review and update the pay scales on the BAPT website, with support from JJ.
Action: SM/JJ
Dept of Education Feedback – We have now had feedback from DofE on our letter asking them to review their Mental Health in Schools advisory to include Play therapy – they acknowledge that PT is an appropriate intervention and have asked the team involved to change the original document. Suzy will follow up
Action: SA
4. SUB COMMITTEES
Comms & PR – Harriet Armstrong/Lucy Llewellyn
The new PR & Comms team met before the board meeting, this now consists of Hilary Dumbrill/Lucy Llewellyn/Cathy Pierce and Suzy Williams, along with Harriet as ex Chair and agreed a number of new initiatives to work with. Main aim is to take advantage of the opportunities provided by Facebook (Lucy), Twitter (Hilary) and Pinterest (Suzy) and the website (Cathy).
Nina Ridsdale & Anne Fullalove (Magazine) are also part of this team. Magazine Winter issue is now completed and a full colour issue is going to print this week. Unfortunately Anne has a serious back problem which means she has had to withdraw from the role she had wanted to do in supporting Nina, so there is a need to find some additional input for next issue. Lucy has taken on responsibility for noticeboard, but need to find some reliable people to write articles, profile of a PT, Book reviews etc.
Conferences – need to re-start getting to some of these around UK, get BAPT stands &/or speakers at some conferences –
Midlands therapists day (March) –contact members to see if anyone available
National CAMHS Conference (July) – Jo Hill said she would be interested
Optimus Conference (NOV) – Suzy Anderson to liaise about this once she has more info.
Lucy has been asked by members is they can put BAPT after their names like BACP members? Yes, as long as it is after Members name, not after company name. Associates can also say ‘Associate Members of BAPT’
Supervisor application process- some feel this is quite lengthy. Helen advised that the system has been updated to make it more rigorous and relevant. The upcoming magazine includes an article by Della Austin to explain all of this, which should be helpful to members looking to become Supervisors.
Some members via facebook also advising they find it difficult to access website – any problems direct to office.
Also requests received for a ‘starter pack’ for New Therapists in Schools. –All new members get a pack with various leaflets/information i.e. record keeping/Health safety re toys/ CPD recording and will also now get consent docs and a draft Contract once this has been sorted out. There is also a lot of info on the website – need to encourage members to access that.
Scotland
Nothing to report
Research
Nothing to report
Membership – Audrey Lee
We still need some Clarity to some grey areas around different BAPT membership types, especially members going on Maternity Leave/to look after relatives/long term illness & also Retirement.
It was agreed that for maternity Leave etc members can choose either to not pay membership fee, in which case they no longer appear on Register and will re-join the register once they return to work and start paying fee
Or
Stay as a Full Member, paying fee & staying on register, but they must comply with CPD.
Retired members – if members still supervising then they are not ‘retired from all paid work’ and must therefore remain a full member and pay full fee etc; if they are not supervising then they become a Retired member and pay reduced Fee.
Hopefully this will help eliminate any future misunderstandings.
RL/AL to meet to discuss update to Portfolio applications
Action: RL/AL
Suzy Anderson left the meeting at 3.10pm
Wales
Nothing to report
Training & Education – Helen Gedge
Latest Course Directors meeting was 19th Jan, sadly Helen unable to make it as train/Tube strikes in place!
Scotland – all going well, they responded very positively to the questions raised over accreditation application and all now seems on track for accreditation to be approved in May. 2nd Cohort will be taken on in Sept.
Wales - Clare Carbis has done an amazing job in picking up from the last administration – and was very pleased to have had BAPT help regarding the Supervision issue.
On that note the 1st cohort of Play therapists from 3 year ago can now become BAPT Supervisors and should be encouraged to do so to alleviate the issue in Wales. Simon Kerr-Edwards is offering a course this year which hopefully will be well attended, although don’t need to do the course to apply as a Supervisor.
Maggie Fearn has been appointed recently as part of teaching staff on the course.
Roehampton – Continues to be a strong, robust course. The Uni are trying to sell the course to a Uni in Hong Kong and want that to have BAPT Accreditation. This will need to be a separate accreditation to Roehampton’s and will incur additional fee. Helen has provided accreditation documentation.
Harriet Armstrong left the meeting at 3.30pm
CPD – the log required for completion by members is being tightened up and will be available shortly.