Therapeutic Play Skills PG Cert CAPAC Course Handbook 201920

2019/2020 Postgraduate Course Handbook
PG Certificate
Therapeutic Play
Skills
School of Health and Community Studies
Leeds Beckett University
Partner Institution
Academy of Play & Child Psychotherapy
Programme code CAPAC-A395

Please contact Jennie Field If you require this information in an alternative
format (such as an audio version).
Contents
1 Welcome to the Course .............................................................................................. 1
1.1 Message from the Dean of School of Health & Community Studies ............................. 1
1.2 Message from the Academy of Play and Child Psychotherapy................................. 1
1.3 Message from your Link Tutor ................................................................................... 2
1.4 Academic Calendar and Timetable ............................................................................ 3
1.5 Key Contacts................................................................................................................ 3
1.6 Keeping in Touch......................................................................................................... 5
2 Assessment and Feedback ........................................................................................ 12
3.1 Assessment .............................................................................................................. 12
3.2 Getting Feedback on your Assessed Work .............................................................. 14
4 Where to Get Help ................................................................................................... 17
4.1 Course Director ........................................................................................................ 17
4.2 Student Support ........................................................................................................ 17
4.3 Disability Support ...................................................................................................... 17
4.5 Students’ Union ......................................................................................................... 19
5 What to do if you… ................................................................................................... 20
5.1 …are absent for more than one day ........................................................................ 20
5.2 …are ill ....................................................................................................................... 20
5.3 …have a comment, compliment or complaint ........................................................ 20
5.4 …are considering suspending studies or withdrawing from the course ................ 20
6 Relevant Policies ...................................................................................................... 22
6.1 Safety, Health and Wellbeing ................................................................................... 22
6.2 Regulations ............................................................................................................... 22

2019/20 Postgraduate Course Handbook – Validated Courses
6.3 University Academic Regulations............................................................................. 23
6.4 Student Contract ....................................................................................................... 23
7 Appendix 1 – Course Specification ............................................................................ 24
2019/20 Postgraduate Course Handbook – Validated Courses

1 Welcome to the Course
1.1 Message from the Dean of School of Health & Community Studies
Welcome! If you are joining us to start your course or returning to continue your studies, I hope
that you enjoy and value your time on your course over the coming year. This is the beginning of
something new and very special for you, and we are here to help you to meet your potential in
your studies. Everything we teach and research in the School of Health and Community Studies
makes a difference to communities and individuals, and this is the path you are following. Your
studies will make a difference to the people you work with and the communities you serve, and
you should be very proud of this.
Wishing you every success in your studies.
Sue Sherwin, Dean of School of Health and Community Studies
1.2 Message from the Academy of Play and Child Psychotherapy
Welcome to the profession of Play Therapy where I hope that you will be able to help many
children with emotional, behaviour and mental health problems to enable their full potential. This
is your first stage of building, what I hope will be, a rewarding career in all aspects.
It is a particularly good time to become a Certified Practitioner of Therapeutic Play Skills because
our professional organisation Play Therapy UK (PTUK) achieved approval from the UK Professional
Standards Authority for Health and Social Care on March 26th 2013 to manage the (then
Voluntary) Register for Play and Creative Arts Therapists. This is the first time that any
Government in the world has recognised the quality assurance of the Play Therapy profession.
This has very positive implications for yourself in obtaining referrals from employers,
commissioners and the public. It also places responsibilities upon practitioners that we will help
you to deal with. Most participants find the course intensive and at times emotionally demanding
but our teaching staff are there to support you, but please remember this is a training course, not
a therapy group.
Some of you may encounter unforeseen health or other emergencies in your lives. Please make
your Course Director aware immediately when this occurs, and not after the event, so that any
extensions or mitigation may be applied for.
2019/20 Postgraduate Course Handbook – Validated Courses 1

This handbook provides you with information that you will need to succeed on your course. You
should find it helpful when you first start, when you are preparing for assessment and at any time
that you need help or advice in connection with your studies here. You will also receive module
details and documentation for each module you study on your course. The course team is looking
forward to working with you and we hope that your time studying with APAC at Leeds Beckett
University is both enjoyable and successful.
On behalf of our University and the whole course team, I would like to wish you well in your
studies.
Monika Jephcott
Programme Director and Chief Executive
Academy of Play & Child Psychotherapy
1.3 Message from your Link Tutor
This handbook provides you with information that you will need on your course. You should find it
helpful when you first start, when you are preparing for assessment and at any time that you need
help or advice in connection with your studies here. You will also receive a Module Handbook for
each module you study on your course.
The course team is looking forward to working with you this year and we hope that your time
studying with Leeds Beckett University is both enjoyable and successful.
On behalf of our University and the whole course team I would like to wish you well in your
studies.
Professor Fraser Brown
Link Tutor, PG Certificate Therapeutic Play Skills

1.4 Academic Calendar and Timetable
The Postgraduate Certificate course is offered at multiple venues. Please check the APAC website
for delivery dates at each venue at www.apac.org.uk or at www.playtherapy.org.uk
Our standard student calendar which varies according to venue and start date is summarised
below. You will be given the actual dates when assignments are due during the first weekend.
Typical week number Student Calendar

1 Student Welcome & Block 1 of Module 1
5 Block 2 of Module 1 – Clinical practice starts
12 Block 1 of Module 2
32 Block 3 of Module 2 – 50 hours of clinical
practice completed
42 All summative assignments submitted – latest
date
78 100 hours of clinical practice target completion
104 100 hours of clinical practice must be
completed
The courses are delivered by APAC who will deal directly with any problems and day to day
enquiries regarding course delivery, management, organisation and expectations. Leeds Beckett
University provides services to support students and quality controls the course. Full details of the
University’s standard student academic calendars are available at: www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/about-
our-university/term-dates. Please be advised that whilst your course may broadly follow these
calendars, there may be local variation due to religious, national and local holidays. You will be
provided with a calendar specific to your course at the start of each year of your studies.
1.5 Key Contacts
Programme Director
Monika Jephcott mokijep@majemail.com
Research Director
Jeff Thomas jefferyht@majemail.com
Course Administration Team
Jennie Field (Director of Operations) contact@apac.org.uk

Szilvia Kamerda (Course Administrator) contact@apac.org.uk

Nancy McIntosh (Portfolio/Marking) contact@apac.org.uk
Academic Team
Anne Ambler anne.ambler@ntlworld.com
Nina Ambroziak nina.ambroziak.si@wp.pl
Renate Andrews renate.therapy@gmail.com
Alice Arianto Salim alicearianto@yahoo.com
Kanella Boukouvala nelbou@hotmail.com
Susannah Bradley susannah119@gmail.com
Eileen Braham eileenbraham@hotmail.co.uk
Julie Burton julieburton1969@hotmail.com
Janette Casey janettecasey@gmail.com
Amber Cawley acawleyuk@hotmail.com
Chua, Lay Har chualayhar@hotmail.com
Bridgette Clarke ptausnz@outlook.com
Natasha Conn playtherapy@theplayworks.com
Lydia Farley lydia@playtherapycornwall.co.uk
Ivanka Gregurincic ivanka.gregurincic@gmail.com
Sue Harrison sue@playtalk.co.uk
Alun John alunjohn@ymail.com
Aoife Kelly aoifekelly2011@gmail.com
Carolyn Kelly carolynkellyplaytherapy@gmail.com
Joyce Leung joyceleung307@gmail.com
Lauren Lamberton laurenlamberton@gmail.com
Wai Lee Kui kui.wailee@gmail.com
Marina Lim Siew Wan marinalim@creativeplaytherapy.sg
Wonhee Kang wonheemusic@gmail.com
Hilary McFaul hilarymcfaul@sky.com
Lisa Mulheir lisamulheir@stepbystepplaytherapy.com
Karen O’Neill k.o.neill@hotmail.co.uk
Dr Pandora Ng Oi Kwan panokng@gmail.com
Rene Ohlhoff rene.ohlhoff@yahoo.co.uk
Sabrina Persiano sabrina@playtherapycentre.co.uk
Rochelle Rajan rochrajan@outloook.com
Dr Sherine Ramzy sheramzy@aucegypt.edu
Evelyn Saunders evelynsaunders03@gmail.com
Shum, La Man Julia juliashum515@gmail.com
Avalon Thomas avalon@safespacesplaytherapyco.uk
Katerina Tsimila kat.tsimila@gmail.com
Fidelma Twomey fidelmatwomey@gmail.com
Jessica van Maanen jess_dc_evans@hotmail.com
Beth Wiseman bth.wiseman@gmail.com
During the entirety of a course, tutors for each cohort are contactable either by email or by phone
with prior appointment.
Clinical Supervisors are responsible for their students’ clinical work and are contactable by email
or by phone. Individual arrangements should be made between both parties.
The APAC Office and Programme Director are also contactable by email or phone as appropriate.
Course Representative
Course Representatives are student volunteers who represent your views at course-level, in
course forums and in meetings with academic and support staff. Details about being a Course
Representative are available at www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/studenthub/course-representatives.htm
and on the Students’ Union website https://www.leedsbeckettsu.co.uk/studentvoice/coursereps
Course Administrator
Elaine Sadd e.sadd@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
Library Support Staff
Penny Dunn p.g.dunn@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
Student Advisor/Student Services
Please contact APAC in the first instance
1.6 Keeping in Touch
2 You must provide APAC with a valid email address OR as a student of the university you will be
provided with a student email address, which academic and administrative staff may use to
contact you. APAC and PTUK will use your personal email address. It is an important
responsibility for you to check this account regularly. You can forward emails from your
student email address to a preferred personal email address; however, quarantine and spam
filters needed by our University mean that emails sent from external email addresses may be
delayed, blocked or deleted. It is therefore important that you also use your student email
address to contact University staff. Also APAC and PTUK will contact your personal email
address so please ensure that these will be accepted by your email system.
Information on how to access your student email address can be found on the Student IT Support
Pages (http://libguides.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/mybeckett/emailtimetable).
Your APAC Course Director or Course Administration department will notify you by email of any
changes of class dates, activities, and course notices using the email address held on your APAC
student record or in exceptional cases by mobile phone.
For each module, the module handbook will include the preferred method of communicating
general information about that module to you. We will inform you of cancelled classes / activities /
course notices as soon as possible.
A further important responsibility is that you inform your course admin team both at APAC and
Leeds Beckett University whenever you change your address and contact details. You can also
update your records yourself. For University records: select the appropriate link from the My
Account tab after logging in on the Current Students web page at: http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/
For APAC records email contact@apac.org.uk
Please make sure that you inform Jennie Field at APAC and Elaine Sadd at Leeds Beckett
University,e.sadd@leedsbeckett.ac.uk whenever you change your address, or name.
1.7 Attendance statement
The University expects you to attend and fully contribute to all mandatory sessions on your
timetable. Fully engaging with your lectures, seminars, tutorials and practical sessions is an
important part of your learning, contributing both to the University community and the learning
experience of your fellow students on the course.
1.8 Working in Partnership
We are committed to working in partnership with you and APAC to provide you with an inclusive,
safe and engaging learning environment which is conducive to study for all our students. An
important element of your time studying with us is your engagement in developing your learning.
Your engagement and attendance on your course enables you to further your learning and
supports your achievement, course completion and aspirations for the future. There is an
expectation that students will attend, engage in their learning and submit for assessment. APAC
will provide support for you to maximise your time studying with us and to develop your learning,
skills and abilities to support you in your chosen career path.
We seek active participation by all our students in the continuous enhancement of our courses
and through our monitoring, annual review and enhancement processes. These are formal
processes used by our University for assuring the academic standards and quality of your course
and its continuous improvement. These processes utilise your feedback, External Examiners’
reports, feedback from staff and others, data relating to student outcomes on the course and
student surveys to reflect on areas of good practice and areas for further enhancement. We invite

all students to participate in a range of opportunities to provide us with feedback on your course
and modules. This may include discussions with staff, focus groups, and meetings (e.g. with Course
Representatives or with staff) and formalised student surveys e.g. mid module reviews, end of
module evaluations and specific course or other surveys, which may be administered by the
University or by APAC
Informal feedback is also welcome at any time either via your personal or module tutor or via your
Course Representative. Our partnership with you enables us together to make the most of your
learning experience with us and to enhance the quality and reputation of your course. You can
find out what actions have been taken in response to your feedback through your tutors The
University works collaboratively with APAC to ensure that your experience is in line with standards
required by our institutional policies and procedures. Student Evaluation Questionnaires are
completed after each ‘theme’ or major topic. These allow Course Directors and the Scheme
Director to take any required urgent rectifying actions. The data from the questionnaires is
entered into APAC’s database system for analysis and used to inform the Annual Review and
Enhancement processes and to answer any specific queries that you might have about the quality
of the course.
1.9 Course Representatives
You have the opportunity of becoming an elected Course Representative working in a voluntary
capacity with students, the Students’ Union, the Course Director and members of the course team
and our University. The Course Director, working in partnership with our Students’ Union, enables
the process for election and appointment of Course Representatives. The Students’ Union
provides training and development for Course Reps and supports their engagement in
enhancement activities. Being a Course Representative provides an opportunity for you to
enhance your own learning and the development of relevant professional and employability skills
in parallel with your studies.
As a Course Representative you would play an important role in:
• acting as a point of contact and advocate for students on your course and in supporting
their active engagement;
• gathering feedback from students on your course to inform further enhancements to the
quality of your course and the student experience;
• enabling dialogue and good communication between students and staff on the course;
• working with the Course Director and members of the course team to enhance your
course;
• facilitating and engaging in meetings about your course; and
• being an ambassador for your course.
Further details about Course Representatives are available on the Student Hub web site and in our
University’s Academic Regulations.

2. Studying on this Course
Studying on the course will help students to:
• Develop personal perspectives in the field of play therapy for working with individual children.
• Acquire the competences required for helping children with social, emotional, behaviour and
mental health problems for working with individual children who have mild to moderate
problems.
• Apply the techniques learnt, and required to become a Registrant at Certified Practitioner in
Therapeutic Play Skills grade, to practise in a safe and effective way using clinical supervision
and clinical governance principles.
• Make informed judgements about current developments in play and creative arts therapies,
apply them in practice and be able to communicate these to specialist and non-specialist
audiences.
2.1 Course Specification
The Course Specification is a concise description of your course's aims and objectives and how you
will be taught and assessed. The Course Specification can be found in the appendix of this
Handbook.
Course Structure
The course structure outlines the modules that will be delivered on this course. Full details of the
structure for this course can be found in the Course Specification.
Course Learning Outcomes
All courses are benchmarked against the Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications of UK
Degree-Awarding Bodies (FHEQ-DAB). The FHEQ-DAB can be viewed on the Quality Assurance
Agency website: www.qaa.ac.uk. For more details on the Course Learning Outcomes specific to
this course please view the Course Specification.

Module Information
For detailed information about the modules on this course please refer to the Module Handbooks.
Your Module Handbooks will include information on the module content, module learning
outcomes, assessments (including submission dates) and reading lists.
Module Evaluation
Towards the end of each module, you will be asked to complete an module evaluation regarding
your experience of studying towards a Leeds Beckett award.
2.2 Course Resources
All course material and necessary documentation is provided on the APAC resource system called
ALMS and on the PTUK members website www.playtherapy.org.uk
2.3 Professional Accreditation or Recognition Associated with the Course
The course is accredited by PTUK (www.playtherapy.org.uk) as the professional organisation and

PTUK is accredited by The Professional Standards Authority (www.professionalstandards.org.uk).
2.4 Skills you will Gain during the Course
Skills Developed
The PG Certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills course aims to provide you with the opportunity to
study play therapy from the non-directive perspective at an advanced academic level. This will
enable you to start practising clinically using therapeutic play skills with individual children who
have mild to moderate emotional, behaviour and mental health problems. You will develop your
skills of critical analysis and synthesis to assist in critical engagement and evaluation of current
research and practice. Your study will incorporate the therapeutic perspective, create
opportunities for increased self-awareness, and will allow its translation into other types of work
with wider client groups. The programme experience will foster development of knowledge and
skills necessary to challenge boundaries at the forefront of the discipline, whilst supporting your
development as a creative and reflective practitioner of therapeutic play skills.

In the Postgraduate Certificate in Therapeutic Play Skills stage you will be introduced to therapeutic
work with children in one to one settings. You will develop knowledge, experience and skills in a
supportive therapeutic teaching and learning environment to support your understanding of
expressive arts and symbolic play used therapeutically as an intervention. Your reflective journey
will assist you to integrate your actions with psychological theories, neurobiological evidence, child
development and attachment theories.
2.5 Work-Related Activities and Employability
The Course Specification outlines what work-related activities are associated with this course.
Data shows that the percentage of those attending the course who will apply the skills of each
topic taught in their job has increased over the last two years, i.e. 69% compared with 47% and
54 % (2016-2018).
2.6 Opportunities for Graduates
The Course Specification includes details of any accreditations, career paths, further study options
and other opportunities for graduates.
2.7 External Examiner
The External Examiner assures that you are assessed fairly in relation to other students on the
same course and also that the standard of your own award is comparable to similar courses taken
by students in other higher education institutions within the United Kingdom.
The details of the External Examiner for this course are as follows:
Dr Sarah Parry
Senior Lecturer in Clinical and Counselling Psychology, HEA Fellow
Manchester Metropolitan University
The External Examiner provides an annual report for your course and Elaine Sadd can provide
details of the External Examiner’s report on request. Further details on all External Examiners’
reports can be located here: www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/studenthub/external-examiners-reports

2 Assessment and Feedback
3.1 Assessment
Assessment Strategy
Information on the various methods of assessment can be found in the Course Specification.
University Assessment Regulations
Our University’s assessment regulations are contained within the University Academic
Regulations. Regulations on progression and award eligibility are available at:
www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/public-information/academic-regulations/.
Course-Specific Assessment Regulations and Professional Body Requirements
All components of assessment must be passed to pass a module and all modules must be passed
to achieve the award.
This course has minimum attendance requirements.
It is compulsory that students maintain current registration with their professional body, Play
Therapy UK, as they continue with the diploma course. On demonstration of the attainment of
competence in line with PTUK Competency Framework they will attain the appropriate PTUK
Register grade (Available on the PTUK website: http://ww.playtherapy.org.uk). This requires an
additional 100 hours of clinical experience for the Postgraduate Diploma stage. Professional
standards are assessed and quality controlled by PTUK. Whilst this is a professional requirement,
students will only gain the associated academic award at Leeds Beckett once confirmation has
been received from APAC that the professional requirements have been met.
You will need to pass all the required elements of assessments in line with the university
Postgraduate Framework. Your university assessment marks will determine your overall grade.
Students will only be eligible for the Leeds Beckett academic awards as stated once confirmation
has been received from APAC that the professional requirements have been met. In the unlikely
event of a student not being able to complete professional requirements the Examination Board
may consider if a default award is appropriate. Students who receive default awards are not
eligible to either progress further in the programme or practice in the profession.

For professional registration purposes, you will be obliged to pass your practice placement, have a
satisfactory report from your clinical supervisor, placement organisation and complete the
stipulated number of practice and supervision hours. You should note that all assessed clinical
work will be dealt with according to PTUK Assessment Procedures and will be always pass/fail
grade only. The Academic work is assessed in compliance with Coursework and Examination
Regulations for Leeds Beckett University. If you have any questions about Coursework and Exam
Regulations, please e-mail e.sadd@leedsbeckett.ac.uk Please refer to the latter source with regard
to the University’s procedures for dealing with alleged plagiarism, the use of concessions etc.
Assessment Schedule
APAC will provide details of the assessment periods in the academic calendar. Please make sure
that you are available during those periods.
Please note the exam/assessment periods in the academic calendar (see section 1) and make sure
that you are available during those periods.
Module Title Summative Assessments

Module 1 1. Design and present through the use of PowerPoint, a tailored presentation
Orientation to Setting up play ‘An Introduction to Play Therapy’ (or similar title) to an external audience,
practice using non Directive Play with a reflective commentary on the above presentation. Word count:
Therapy Power Point Equivalent to 1000 words. Commentary 1000 words. (70%)
2. A reflective commentary upon the use of the Axline Principles during first
sand tray exercise. 1000 words. (30%).
Module 2 Using Symbolic Play 3. Write a therapeutic story for a specific child accompanied by an analysis
Therapy Tools and Metaphor Safely on the theoretical constructs that informed the story. Word count: 2000.
(50%)
4. Prepare an analytical review of two child development theories comparing
their contribution to play therapy. Word count: 2000. (50%)
Module 3
Module 3 5. Using Laban’s theoretical framework, analysing and preparing a report
Using Expressive Arts Therapy upon the movements of a specific client. Word count: 1000. (50%)
to Reach the Unconscious 6. Write a creative visualisation for a specific child accompanied by an
analysis on the theoretical constructs that informed the visualisation
Word count: 2000. (50%).
Coursework
Summative and formative assignments have to be submitted to the responsible member of

teaching staff at the specified times and format. The final portfolio containing both academic and
clinical work has to be sent to the APAC office – see above, by the specified date via tracked

courier/special delivery. (Electronic submission only, will be required for courses which started
after 25th July 2015.)
Reasonable Adjustments and Assessment Support
Students with a disability should contact Disability Advice at Leeds Beckett University at the
earliest possible opportunity to discuss their support requirements for assessments and / or
examinations.
Submitting Assignments
It is important for your progression and achievement that you submit all work for all assignments
in a timely manner. It is also important that you keep copies of all work submitted until after you
have graduated. You should also keep any receipts confirming the submission of assignments. In
the event of your submitted work being lost you may be required to produce a copy of the work
and submission receipt. If you are unable to do so, your work will not be marked.
It is important to note that submitting all assignments is a requirement of your course. Should you
experience extenuating circumstances which prevent you from submitting on time please make
yourself aware of section 3.4 of this handbook. Without any form of extenuating circumstances,
standard penalties apply for late submission of assessed work. Full details of the penalties for late
submission of course work are available in section 3.12 of the Academic Regulations at
www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/public-information/academic-regulations.
As agreed with Leeds Beckett University, we do not use Turnitin for the Post Graduate Certificate
in Therapeutic Play Skills nor the Diploma in Play Therapy. Turnitin is only used for MA students’
work.
Further information on Turnitin is available here: http://libguides.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/mybeckett/turnitin
3.2 Getting Feedback on your Assessed Work
Assessed work will normally be returned with appropriate feedback within four weeks of your
submission. Each Module Handbook will provide you with specific guidelines on how and when
you will receive this. The Course Specification explains how feedback will be provided on both
formative and summative assessments.

3.3 How do I Get my Results?
Results from module assessments and decisions on progression to the next level of study (e.g.
from level 4 to level 5 of an undergraduate degree) or awards (if you are in the final level) will be
provided to you after the date of the Progression and Award Board meeting (the meeting where
your end of level outcome will be decided)
Results will only appear within Results Online five working days after the date of the Progression
and Award Board meeting (the meeting where your end of level outcome will be decided)
If you are unsure about when you might receive your results or have queries relating to your
results, you should contact Nancy McIntosh at APAC or Elaine Sadd at Leeds Beckett University.
If your profile of marks has been presented to an Award Board, you will receive an email with
instructions on how to access your results.
3.4 Extenuating Circumstances and Mitigation
If you are experiencing problems which are adversely

affecting your ability to study (called 'extenuating
circumstances'), then you can apply for mitigation.
The University operates a fit to sit/fit to submit
approach to extenuating circumstances which means
students who take their assessment are declaring
themselves fit to do so.
Examples of extenuating circumstances include

personal or family illness, bereavement, family
problems or being a victim of crime. You will need to
provide evidence to prove your situation.
Further information can be found at www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/studenthub/mitigation.
Please contact Nancy McIntosh for an extenuating circumstances form if you are unable to
download one

If you have been recommended ‘flexibility around deadlines’ as a reasonable adjustment in your
Reasonable Adjustment Plan, your Course Administrator will be able to advise you of the process.
3.5 Re-assessment
If you have not passed a module at the first attempt you will be eligible for re-assessment. You will
be advised via your Course Director of your options for re-assessment. You are advised to contact
your Course Director or Administrator for any necessary clarification.
3.6 Student Appeals
If you feel that you have in some way been disadvantaged during your studies and this is reflected
in your results, then you may have grounds for an academic appeal.
After your results are available you have 15 working days to submit a request for an appeal
hearing. You will find the information you need, including grounds for appeal, when and how to
appeal and frequently asked questions at: www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/studenthub/appeals.htm.
3.7 Academic Misconduct
Academic integrity is a fundamental principle within the University and is strongly linked to good
academic practice. The University has processes to investigate alleged breaches of academic
integrity and, where a breach of academic integrity is admitted or found, applies appropriate
penalties.
Any attempt to gain an unfair advantage, whether intentional or unintentional, is a matter of

academic judgement and may be considered to be a breach of academic integrity. Examples of
unfair practice include, but are not limited to cheating, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion,
ghostwriting and falsification of data. Definitions of these offences and the serious consequences
of breaching academic integrity can be found in our Academic Regulations: Section 10 Academic
Integrity: www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/public-information/academic-regulations.
There are a range of resources available to help you understand what is and what is not permitted
and how to use other people’s ideas in your assessed work. These include the Skills for Learning
website which can be found at http://skillsforlearning.leedsbeckett.ac.uk
If you are unsure on how to reference your work correctly please seek advice from your tutors or
access the Skills for Learning resources online.
4 Where to Get Help
4.1 Course Director
Your Course Director will be your first point of contact and is available by email and phone
4.2 Student Support
In addition to the support provided by your course team, Course Director and APAC, the Student
Hub can help with a broad range of enquiries including: funding and money advice, being an
international student, disability, counselling and wellbeing support, student cards,
accommodation, fee payments, support from the Students’ Union, how to access on-line services,
getting help with your CV, preparing for an interview, careers guidance and getting a part-time
job. Details of these and other services are available at www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/studenthub.
The Student Hub telephone number is 0044 (0)113 812 3000 and their e-mail address is
StudentHub@leedsbeckett.ac.uk. They work closely with the course team, the Students’ Union, all
University Services and external organisations to make sure that if they don’t have the answer to
your question they will know who will.
4.3 Disability Support
Support for disabled students is available from our Disability Advice team. Support is available for
students with a range of disabilities including:
• epilepsy, diabetes and IBS

• depression, anxiety and eating disorders
• dyslexia, dyspraxia, and AD(H)D
• Autism Spectrum Conditions
• Mobility difficulties
• Sensory impairments
Support is individually tailored depending on the nature of your disability and the demands of your
course. www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/studenthub/disability-advice.
Disabled students can also access the Disability Resource Areas in each library and the support
provided by the Library Learning Support Officer, more information is available at
http://libguides.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/using_the_library/disabled_and_dyslexic_users .

4.4 Library Help
Leeds Beckett University online library and learning resources
In addition to the physical and online resources provided by the library at APAC, you will have
limited access to resources via the University’s online library. The Library website
(library.leedsbeckett.ac.uk) provides access to resources and information about Library services
available to support you.
Help and Information Points
If you have any questions about using the library you can get help:
• online: library.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/contact-us
• by phone - 0113 812 1000 (including 24/7 IT support).
Skills for Learning
Skills for Learning provides a wide range of web resources and publications to help your academic
skills including teamwork, research, essay writing and time management plus information to help
you reference and avoid plagiarism. Further information is available at:
http://skillsforlearning.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/

Your Leeds Beckett student ID card
Once you have enrolled on your course, you will be

provided with a Leeds Beckett student ID card, which
contains a username which will provide you with access
to the Library website, MyBeckett and Skills for
Learning. Your password will be sent to you in a
welcome email. It is recommended that you change
your password to something more personal to you the
first time you log in.
4.5 Students’ Union
The Students’ Union Advice Service offers free, independent, non-judgemental advice and
guidance to all Leeds Beckett Students. This can include advice on any problems you might have
whilst on your course including all the Academic Regulations (Mitigation, Extensions, Complaints,
Appeals, Disciplinary procedures and Academic Integrity). We can also give advice on any issues
you may have with your housing including disrepair, contract checking and issues with deposits.
We can also advise on student funding and debt.
We will listen to your problem and outline what options are available to you, so you can make an
informed decision on what to do.
Hopefully you will never need us but just remember we are here for you if you do.
Email: suadvice@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
Tel: 0113 812 8400
http://www.leedsbeckettsu.co.uk/advice

5 What to do if you…
5.1 …are absent for more than one day
You must notify your Course Director, who will in turn inform the APAC office, and initiate the
appropriate action.
If you are going to apply for mitigation you will need to provide written evidence of the reason for
your absence (see section 3).
5.2 …are ill
If you are absent through illness on the day of an assignment deadline and you intend to apply for
mitigation, you must also provide us with details and any available evidence as soon as possible.
Contact Nancy McIntosh to get a copy of the appropriate extenuating circumstances form. For
more details on ‘fit to sit’ and mitigation please visit:
www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/studenthub/mitigation.htm.
5.3 …have a comment, compliment or complaint
We are committed to providing a high quality experience for all our students. We welcome
comments and compliments from students, and find them valuable for on-going improvements to
our provision. Comments and compliments about your course can be raised with your course
representative or directly with your personal tutor / academic advisor.
If you have a specific complaint about your course, you should initially follow the complaints
procedure of APAC
If this does not resolve the matter, then you should make a formal complaint under the
University’s Student Complaints Procedure. Information about how to make a complaint, including
the student complaints procedure and a complaints form, is available online at:
www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/studenthub/complaints.htm.
5.4 …are considering suspending studies or withdrawing from the course
If you are considering withdrawal from your course you should speak to your Course Director, or a
member of staff at APAC to discuss your reasons. If there is a problem, University or APAC staff
may be able to help. It may be possible to arrange suspension of studies from your course.

If you are considering withdrawing, permanently or temporarily, you must complete a withdrawal
form, which you can download from the Leeds Beckett website
http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/studenthub/withdrawing-from-your-course/ or from
contact@apac.org.uk. This form must be submitted as soon as possible as withdrawals cannot
normally be backdated. For further details see the Student Regulations at:
www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/public-information/student-regulations

6 Relevant Policies
All student regulations and policies are available at:
http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/public-information/student-regulations/
6.1 Safety, Health and Wellbeing
Fire Safety Procedures

Due to the multi-venue arrangement for the course, it is advised that all students should
familiarise themselves with the Fire Safety Procedures at the particular venue where they are
studying.
Disabled students
All students, who have any physical disability, are responsible for checking beforehand that the
facilities at the venue where they will be studying are sufficient to enable them to undertake the
course safely.
First Aid
Due to the multi-venue arrangement for the course, it is advised that all students should
familiarise themselves with the First Aid Procedures at the particular venue where they are
studying.
Infectious disease
If you believe you may be suffering from an infectious disease, please contact the administration
team. Please do not attend classes until a medical professional has declared you fit.
6.2 Regulations
There are two sets of documentation you need to be aware of; the University Regulations and the
Student Contract. As a student registered on an award of Leeds Beckett, delivered at APAC, you
are bound by the University’s Academic Principles and Regulations. The Academic Principles and
Regulations relate specifically to your studies and your course. They cover issues such as
assessment, progression and award requirements amongst a range of other issues. The Student
Contract deals with a range of issues which apply to all students of our University.

6.3 University Academic Regulations
Our University Regulations can be found at: www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/public-

information/academic-regulations. You should familiarise yourself with these Regulations. The
following sections are of particular relevance to your course:
• Education and Assessment

• Progression and Award
• Examinations
• Award Board and Module Board
• Disabled Students
• Extenuating Circumstances and Mitigation
• Academic Appeals
• Academic Misconduct
Where students are undertaking any form of research project, reference should be made to the
Research Ethics Policy and Research Ethics Procedures which can be found at:
www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/studenthub/research-ethics.htm.
6.4 Student Contract
In addition to the Academic Regulations, you should familiarise yourself with the terms of the
Student Contract, which is available at: http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/public-
information/student-regulations/
Out Student Charter is available at:

https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/assets/studentcharter/index.html

7 Appendix 1 – Course Specification
Postgraduate Certificate Therapeutic Play Skills

Delivered by the Academy of Play and Child Psychotherapy (APAC)
General Information
Award Postgraduate Certificate Therapeutic Play Skills
Validated for delivery by the Academy of Play and Child
Psychotherapy https://apac.org.uk/
Contained Awards Postgraduate Certificate Play Studies, for students who

commence from September 2021
Postgraduate Certificate Therapeutic Play Studies for students
who commenced prior to September 2021
Awarding Body Leeds Beckett University
Level of Qualification & Credits Level 7 of the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications,
with 60 credit points at level 7 of the Higher Education Credit
Framework for England.
Course Lengths and Standard 1 year or 2 years part-time

Timescales
Location of Delivery The course is delivered at multiple venues. Please check the
APAC website for delivery dates at each venue at
www.apac.org.uk or at www.playtherapy.org.uk
Policies, Standards and Regulations www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/public-information

The course follows the Academic Principles and Regulations except where noted below. The
course is subject to the University’s Fitness to Practise Policy & Procedure:
http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/public-information/student-regulations/
Contained award: For students who do not pass the placement and who achieve 60 L7 credits,
there is a contained award ‘PG Certificate Play Studies’. This contained award defines no clinical
competence. For students who commenced prior to September 2020, the title is ‘PG Certificate
Therapeutic Play Studies’.
Attendance requirements: There is an 85% minimum attendance requirement for each module in
order to meet professional body requirements. Students must not miss a part of any theme (major
subject area) of a module, as each theme is a crucial part of the set of competencies required by
PTUK for professional accreditation.
Assessments: All components of assessments and modules must be passed to achieve the award
to meet the requirements of the professional body.
Your Key Contacts

The courses are delivered by APAC who will deal directly with any problems and day to day
enquiries regarding course delivery, management, organisation and expectations. Leeds Beckett
University provides services to support students and quality controls the course.
APAC
Programme Director Monika Jephcott, mokijep@majemail.com
Course Administration team
Director of Operations Jennie Field, contact@apac.org.uk
Portfolio/Marking Nancy McIntosh, contact@apac.org.uk
Course Administrator Szilvia Kamerda, contact@apac.org.uk
Leeds Beckett
Course Administrator Elaine Sadd, e.sadd@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
Link Tutor Professor Fraser Brown, f.brown@leedsbeckett.ac.uk
Work Placement Information
Summary: Clinical work is an essential component of the course with a 100 hours requirement.
Clinical supervision is mandatory at a ratio of one hour for every six hours of practice or fortnightly
whichever is the shortest. Clinical work is practised in a placement which may be in the student’s
current job. Clinical Supervisors have to conform with PTUK standards and APAC’s requirements
for the course. Students have to ensure that their employers or placement organisations agree to
an appropriate contract. The main setting for clinical work is primary schools but may also be in
special needs schools, nursery schools, primary health care, CAMHS teams, other social work,
hospitals, care homes, adoption and foster care services.
Length: The length of the placement in weeks varies according to the type of placement
organisation and the potential number of referrals. This typically entails at PG Certificate level a
maximum of four clients. The average number of sessions is 12 spread over 12 months. Each
session will take 60 minutes of which 40 minutes are spent working with the client and 20 minutes
in self-reflection, personal processing, record-keeping and restoring the room for the next client.
Location: Student choice with APAC’s overview.

Professional Accreditation or Recognition Associated with the Course
Professional Bodies: Play Therapy UK (PTUK) and Play Therapy International (PTI).
Accreditation/ Recognition Summary: This course is accredited by the professional organisations

PTUK and PTI, and students are required to be Trainee members of PTUK’s Register of Play and
Creative Arts Therapists, accredited by the Professional Standards Authority. This is to ensure that
students observe the Ethical Framework and comply with the standards necessary for the
protection of the public. Once successfully completed both the academic and clinical work,
students may upgrade from Trainee to the Certified Practitioner in Therapeutic Play Skills
grade/occupation. The professional award by PTUK is ‘Certified Practitioner in Therapeutic Play
Skills’. Successful students will receive a Certificate of Practice from Play Therapy UK and the
Register grade/ occupation of ‘Certified Practitioner in Therapeutic Play Skills’.
Course Overview
Aims
The aims of the PG Certificate and the PG Diploma are:
1 To provide an opportunity for graduates with relevant professional qualifications and for
experienced practitioners to study play therapy from both non-directive (PG Certificate) and
directive perspectives (PG Diploma) at an advanced level, fostering the knowledge and skills
necessary to challenge boundaries at the forefront of the discipline and meet the
requirements of Government regulation.
2 To develop creative and reflective practitioners of play therapy who are able to critically
evaluate current research and practice.
3 To enable practitioners of play therapy to contribute to the further development of their
profession through supplying practice-based evidence data.
4 To enable the participants to study and explore the field of play therapy in a way that
meaningfully incorporates the therapeutic perspective into other types of work with a wider
client group.
5 To provide a Master’s level programme that fills the need for a genuinely integrative approach
to play therapy.
6 To ensure that they work according to ethical principles and within statutory requirements
including the Data Protection Act 2018.
7 To provide the participants with sufficient skills to obtain work as professional Play Therapy
practitioners.
Course Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course, students will be able to:
• Develop personal perspectives in the field of play therapy for working with individual children.
• Put into safe and effective practice the competences required for helping children with social,
emotional, behaviour and mental health problems for working with individual children who
have mild to moderate problems.

• Apply the knowledge and skills learnt to meet the standards required for a Registrant at
Certified Practitioner in Therapeutic Play Skills grade/occupation on the Register of Play and
Creative Arts Therapists, accredited by the Professional Standards Authority, by practising in a
safe and effective way using clinical supervision and clinical governance principles.
• Make informed judgements about current developments in play and creative arts therapies,
apply these in practice and be able to communicate these to specialist and non-specialist
audiences.
• Develop the personal skills for learning and self-management to pass the course and cultivate
the skills which are necessary for success in fulfilling the course aims and learning outcomes.
These skills enable students to develop the personal and professional qualities which integrate
their studies and research, and facilitate the transfer of skills into other personal and
professional environments and include: personal responsibility (ethical awareness, active
participation, accountability); self-direction (a reflective, questioning, proactive attitude, taking
initiatives based on curiosity); communication at different levels to different audiences, as
appropriate; and the IT skills to search for knowledge and evidence, produce documents,
charts, statistics, keep and manage confidential records and communicate with others.
Teaching and Learning Activities

Summary
The key concepts that our students need to understand and internalise on the programme are:
• The application of the core theoretical integrative holistic approach. This is the key to safe and
effective practice.
• The Spectrum of Needs and the Play Therapy continuum, key to the integration of their work
with other professionals.
• The Axline principles and the PTUK Ethical framework to ensure safe practice.
• The principles of efficacy, effectiveness and efficiency to be able to interpret research in the
context of play therapy and communicate it to other professionals.
• Child protection, risk management and data protection requirements to protect the children.
• Child development stages to understand the appropriateness of an intervention and
therapeutic medium.
• The application of attachment theory.
• The principles of clinical governance and clinical audit to quality assure work and identify
areas for self-improvement.
• The dynamics of therapeutic group work to avoid chaotic practice.
• The adoption of a therapeutic decision-making framework to maintain safe practice but
increase effectiveness and efficiency of practice.
• The use of IT for essential play therapy clinical records management.
The learning methods have a large proportion of experiential work. Students are guided to
distinguish between what principles may be used in practice with the children and which are to
identify psychological issues within themselves that will lead to unsafe practice and suboptimal
clinical work.
There is progression throughout the programme. This starts with the PG Certificate modules,
where fundamental skills are acquired for working with individual children who have slight to
moderate problems. It continues in the PG Diploma modules in which skills for working with
groups of children and those with more severe problems are provided. In the MA, the students
create and interpret new practice-based methods to extend the knowledge base of the profession.
Students develop their own cohort-based network and also join PTUK local support groups which
include experienced practitioners.
A number of exercises involve presentations both by individual and small groups of students to the
whole cohort. Each student has to give a presentation to an external audience. These enable the
students to gain professional confidence and celebrate their achievements.
The Programme Director and many of the Course Directors have delivered the programme in
Europe, Africa, Asia and Australasia enabling course materials and activities to reflect a range of
cultural perspectives and practices.
Students who display concerns about fitness to practise are mandated to undertake personal
therapy using the creative arts. The therapist is required to send a report to the Course Director
confirming the fitness to practise before the trainee is allowed to work with children.
Students are given a self-scored Learning Style Inventory questionnaire which obtains reliable
measures of the four Jungian psychological/learning dimensions. This has assisted Course
Directors and Clinical Supervisors as well as the students to take account of different learning
preferences and learning styles.
Your Modules
This information is correct for students progressing through the course within standard timescales.
Details of module delivery will be provided in your timetable.
Level 7 Core Modules

• Orientation to and Setting Up Play Therapy Practice Using Non-Directive Play Therapy
• Using Symbolic Play Therapy Tools and Metaphor Safely
• Using Expressive Arts Therapy to Reach the Unconscious
Assessment Balance and Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities

The assessment balance and overall workload associated with this course are calculated from core
modules. A standard module equates to 200 notional learning hours, comprising teaching, learning
and assessment, any embedded placement activities and independent study. Modules may have
more than one component of assessment.

Assessment
On this course students will be assessed through coursework, a presentation and a portfolio.
Workload
Overall Workload for the Course Hours
Teaching, Learning and Assessment 66
Independent Study 347
Placement 187
Learning Support
Academic of Play and Child Psychotherapy support

Academic
Academic support is provided by APAC by means of:
• Daily group review sessions
• Feedback on formative assignments
• Individually requested support sessions
• Requests arising from the responses to theme questionnaires
Emotional support
Emotional support is integral to all experiential exercises. All facilitators through their training,
their specialities in practice and their own continuing clinical supervision have experience with the
issues that arise during the training. This allows them to hold these issues in a group as well as
individually.
Career development
APAC believes strongly that it has a responsibility to support trainees to obtain work, based upon
their training, through their own efforts. Career development support is provided by means of:
• Personal guidance on obtaining a placement to develop their professional skills.
• A master PowerPoint presentation that can be adapted to promote the profession and the
student’s own skills and experience to obtain work.
• Job prospecting, CV and interview guidance through individual personal advice.
Records management system

Students are trained in the use of the specialised records management system needed for
academic and clinical assessment, annual re-accreditation for the Register of Play and Creative
Arts Therapists and practice management purposes as recommended by the professional
organisation PTUK. The system (Caerus) is designed to help users to meet the requirements of the
Data Protection Act (2018) including General Data Protection Regulation in an efficient way. It also
provides users with an effective way of defending complaints. The use of the system is supported
by the Professional Standards Authority. The software is supplied free of charge. Trainees are
required to have their own PC laptops that can run Microsoft Office 32-bit version.
Leeds Beckett support
Students on the course are registered students of Leeds Beckett and are entitled to access
appropriate academic and pastoral support from the University. There is a University-based
Course Administrator for help and guidance, and further support can be provided by the Student
Experience team in the Student Hub (StudentHub@leedsbeckett.ac.uk). Services include a
counselling service, financial advice, disability support services and the Students’ Union support
services, all accessed through the Student Hub.
The University’s Virtual Learning Environment, MyBeckett, provides a range of online facilities and
tools to support staff and students in the provision of flexible online learning and communication.
Within MyBeckett there are two tabs (Support and Opportunities) for online information and
resources. The Support tab gives access to details of services available to give academic and
personal support. These include Library Services, the Students’ Union, Money advice, Disability
advice and support and Wellbeing. There is also an A-Z of Support Services, and access to online
appointments/ registration. The Opportunities tab is the place to explore the options for jobs,
work placements, volunteering, and a wide range of other opportunities, for example, how to get
help with CVs, prepare for an interview, get a part-time job or voluntary role, or take part in an
international project.
Students can register for the Library’s off-site facilities. Offsite gives library and 24/7 IT support to
Distance Learners and students based off-campus.
http://libguides.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/using_the_library/distance_learners_offsite

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2019/2020 Postgraduate Course Handbook

Programme code CAPAC-A395

1.2 Message from the Academy of Play and Child Psychotherapy................................. 1

1.3 Message from your Link Tutor ................................................................................... 2

1.4 Academic Calendar and Timetable ............................................................................ 3

1.5 Key Contacts................................................................................................................ 3

1.6 Keeping in Touch......................................................................................................... 5

2 Assessment and Feedback ........................................................................................ 12

3.1 Assessment .............................................................................................................. 12

3.2 Getting Feedback on your Assessed Work .............................................................. 14

4 Where to Get Help ................................................................................................... 17

4.1 Course Director ........................................................................................................ 17

4.2 Student Support ........................................................................................................ 17

4.3 Disability Support ...................................................................................................... 17

4.5 Students’ Union ......................................................................................................... 19

5 What to do if you… ................................................................................................... 20

5.1 …are absent for more than one day ........................................................................ 20

5.2 …are ill ....................................................................................................................... 20

5.3 …have a comment, compliment or complaint ........................................................ 20

6 Relevant Policies ...................................................................................................... 22

6.1 Safety, Health and Wellbeing ................................................................................... 22

6.2 Regulations ............................................................................................................... 22

6.4 Student Contract ....................................................................................................... 23

7 Appendix 1 – Course Specification ............................................................................ 24

2019/20 Postgraduate Course Handbook – Validated Courses

Wishing you every success in your studies.

Sue Sherwin, Dean of School of Health and Community Studies

1.2 Message from the Academy of Play and Child Psychotherapy

2019/20 Postgraduate Course Handbook – Validated Courses 1

Programme Director and Chief Executive

Academy of Play & Child Psychotherapy

1.3 Message from your Link Tutor

Professor Fraser Brown

Link Tutor, PG Certificate Therapeutic Play Skills

2019/20 Postgraduate Course Handbook – Validated Courses 2

Typical week number Student Calendar

1.5 Key Contacts

Monika Jephcott mokijep@majemail.com

Jeff Thomas jefferyht@majemail.com

Course Administration Team

Jennie Field (Director of Operations) contact@apac.org.uk

2019/20 Postgraduate Course Handbook – Validated Courses 3

Elaine Sadd e.sadd@leedsbeckett.ac.uk

Library Support Staff

Penny Dunn p.g.dunn@leedsbeckett.ac.uk

Student Advisor/Student Services

Please contact APAC in the first instance

1.6 Keeping in Touch

1.7 Attendance statement

1.8 Working in Partnership

2019/20 Postgraduate Course Handbook – Validated Courses 6

1.9 Course Representatives

As a Course Representative you would play an important role in:

• facilitating and engaging in meetings about your course; and

• being an ambassador for your course.

2019/20 Postgraduate Course Handbook – Validated Courses 8

Studying on the course will help students to:

2.1 Course Specification

Course Learning Outcomes

2019/20 Postgraduate Course Handbook – Validated Courses 9

2.2 Course Resources

2.3 Professional Accreditation or Recognition Associated with the Course

The course is accredited by PTUK (www.playtherapy.org.uk) as the professional organisation and

2.4 Skills you will Gain during the Course