TREE PLAY THERAPY

CHILD PROTECTION POLICY

NOVEMBER 2025

Tree Play Therapy helps children aged 4 – 12 with emotional and behavioural difficulties through play therapy sessions, which enable the children to make sense of their life experiences.

Tree Play therapy helps children and young people aged 10 – 19 an integrated approach that combines talking therapy with creative activities tailored to everyone’s needs and developmental stage.

This policy applies to all staff working for or on behalf of Tree Play Therapy.

Legal Framework

This policy has been drawn up on the basis of law and guidance that seeks to protect children, namely:

• Children Act 1989
• United Convention of the Rights of the Child 1991
• Data Protection Act 1998
• Sexual Offences Act 2003
• Children Act 2004
• Protection of Freedoms Act 2012
• Relevant government guidance of safeguarding children

Tree Play Therapy recognises that:

• the welfare of the child is paramount, as enshrined in the Children Act 1989.
• 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 or abuse.
• some children are additionally vulnerable because of the impact of previous experiences, their level of dependency, communication needs or other issues.
• working in partnership with children, their parents, carers, teachers and other agencies is essential in safeguarding children from harm.

The purpose of this policy is:

• to provide protection for all children who receive Tree Play Therapy Services
• to establish Tree, Play Therapy’s roles and responsibilities regarding child protection.
• to set out Tree Play Therapy’s procedures in the event we suspect a child may be experiencing or is at risk of harm.

We will seek to safeguard children by:

• listening to them and respecting and valuing them
• adopting child protection guidelines through procedures for staff and volunteers
• recruiting staff and volunteers safely, making all necessary checks to ensure all have received full enhanced DBS clearance before working with children.
• sharing details of child protection good practice with children, parents, staff and volunteers
• sharing information about concerns with agencies who need to know, and involving parents and children appropriately
• providing effective management for staff and volunteers through supervision, support and training

We are committed to reviewing out policy and good practice annually.

Tracey Cook, Director, Tree Play Therapy

TREE PLAY THERAPY

CHILD PROTECTION PROCEDURES

JANUARY 23

The procedures apply to anyone working for or on behalf of Tree Play Therapy who may be concerned about the safety and protection of a child.

Purpose and aim

We aim to ensure every child who attends Tree Play Therapy sessions and any other children who may come to its attention receive the protection and support they need if they are at risk of abuse or any other form of harm.

The organisation should know how to recognise and act upon indicators of abuse or potential abuse involving children. There is an expected responsibility for Tree Play Therapy to respond to any suspected or actual abuse or harm of a child in accordance with these procedures.

These procedures provide clear direction to staff at Tree Play Therapy if they have concerns that a child is in need of protection.

Definitions of different types of abuse

Physical abuse is violence causing injury or occurring regularly during childhood. It happens when:

• a child is hurt or injured by being hit, shaken, squeezed, thrown, burned, scalded, bitten or cut
• someone tries to drown or suffocate a child
• someone gives a child poison, inappropriate drugs or excessive levels of alcohol
• someone fabricates the symptoms of, or deliberately induces, illness in a child.

In some cases, the injuries will be caused deliberately. In others they may be accidental but caused by the child being knowingly put at risk

Sexual abuse occurs when someone uses power or control to involve a chid in sexual activity in order to gratify the abuser’s own sexual, emotional or financial needs or desires. It may include:

• forcing or enticing a child to take part in sexual activities, whether or not the chid is aware of what is happening.
• Encouraging children to behave in sexually inappropriate ways
• Showing children pornographic material or involving them in the production of such material
• Involving children in watching other people’s sexual activity or in inappropriate discussions about sexual matters

Emotional abuse is persistent or severe emotional ill-treatment of a child that is likely to cause serious harm to his/her development. It may include:

• persistently denying the child love and affection
• regularly making the child feel frightened by shouts, threats or any other means.
• hurting another person or a pet in order to distress a child
• being so over protective towards the child that he/she is unable to develop or lead a normal life
• exploiting or corrupting a child, e.g., by involving him/her in illegal behaviour
• conveying to a child the message that he/she in illegal behaviour
• conveying to a child the message that he/she is worthless, unlovable, inadequate, or his/her only value is to meet the needs of another person. This may or may not include racist, homophobic or other forms of abuse.

Neglect involves persistently failing to meet a child’s physical, psychological or emotional needs. It may include:

• failing to ensure that a child’s basic needs for food, shelter, clothing, health care, hygiene, education and emotional support are met.
• failing to provide appropriate supervision to keep a child out of danger. This an include lack of supervision of particular activities or leaving a child alone in the house.

If a child tells you he/she or another child is being abused:

• Reassure the child that telling someone about it was the right thing to do.
• Tell him/her you now have to do what you can to keep him/her (or the child who is the subject of the allegation) safe.
• Let the child know what you are going to do next. If the child discloses during a Tree Play Therapy session that he/she is being abused, the session will be ended immediately. Transfer the child to the care of an appropriate adult. If the disclosure occurs during a Tree Play Therapy session at the child’s school, immediately contact the school’s Child Protection Officer. Otherwise immediately call the duty social worker in the relevant Children’s Social Care team or report into the MASH (Multi Agency Safeguarding Hub)
• Suffolk 0808 800 4005 (manned from 8.a.m – 6.45 pm Monday – Friday). Outside these hours the call is automatically diverted to the Emergency Care Team.
• Cambridgeshire 0345 045 5203 (8am-5pm Monday – Friday). Outside these hours call the Emergency Duty Team on 01733 234724

Providing the parent/carer is not the alleged perpetrator, then call the parent/carer explaining that you had to do this.

• Do not question the child about the disclosure or try to investigate their allegation.
• Do not contact the child again until after the case has been closed.

Radicalisation means being encouraged to develop extreme views of beliefs in support of terrorist groups activities

Tree Play Therapy is legally required by the UK government’s Prevent Duty ‘to have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism’.

We follow the protocols outlined in the government’s Counter Terrorism Strategy in identifying individuals at risk of being drawn into terrorism; assessing the nature and extent of that risk: and developing the most appropriate support plan for the individuals concerned.

If a child is in immediate danger or in need of emergency medical attention:

• If the child is in immediate danger and is with you, remain with him/her and call the police
• If the child is elsewhere, contact the police and explain the situation to them
• If he/she needs emergency medical attention, call an ambulance and, while you are waiting for it to arrive, use first aid to help the child.

A decision will need to be made about who should inform the child’s family and the local authority children’s social care department. If you have involved the police and/or the health services, they should be part of this decision. Consider the welfare of the child as the highest priority in your decision-making.

If a parent/carer fails to collect the child after a play therapy session having arranged to do so:

Call the parent/carer to find out whether collection of the child is imminent.

If it is not, call the designated emergency contact to come and collect

If they are unable to collect, call the Children’s Social Care team.

Record keeping

In the event of a disclosure of abuse or potential abuse, clear accurate records ensure there is documented account of Tree Play Therapy’s response. This will provide an essential tool for any other agencies or individuals who are responding to the incident.

In the event of a disclosure or incident, fill in the following form; –

TREE PLAY THERAPY INCIDENT FORM

Private & Confidential Details of the and their Parents/Carer:

Name of child:

Gender: Male Female Age: Date of Birth:

Parent/Carers name(s):

Home address:

Your Details:

Your Name Your Position

Date and time of incident:

Report:

Are you reporting your own concerns or responding to concerns raised by someone else?

Responding to my own concerns

Responding to concerns raised by someone else

If responding to concerns raised by someone else, please provide their name and position within the organisation/club/group:

Please provide details of the incident or concerns you have, including times, dates or other relevant information (describe and injuries? Whether fact, opinion or hearsay):

The child’s account, of what has happened and how:

Please provide details of the person alleged to have caused the incident/injury

Please provide details of any witnesses to the incident(s)

Signed …………………………………………………. Date ……………………………………………………………… Name of signatory……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Signed ……………………………………………………… Date…………………………………………………………………. Name of signatory…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

This form should be signed and dated by all those involved in its completion and kept confidentiality on the child’s file. The name of the person making the notes should be written alongside each entry

Useful contact details

Child Protection Officer, Tree Play Therapy; Tracey Cook

Suffolk Police: Non-emergency numbers 101 or 01473 613500

Cambridgeshire Police: Non-emergency 101 or 01480 456111

SuffolkSocial Care Team: 0808 800 4005 (manned from 8am-6.45pm Monday-Friday). Outside these hours the call is automatically diverted to the Emergency Care Team.

Cambridgeshire Social Care Team:  0345 045 5203 (8am-5pm Monday-Friday). Outside these hours call the Emergency Duty Team on 01733 234724.

NSPCC Helpline: 0808 800 5000 or [email protected]

ChildLine: 0800 1111 or www.childline.org.uk