Important Announcements

Dear Members and Clinical Supervisors,

We are aware of the significant uncertainty and concern following the news that the Academy of Play and Child Psychotherapy (APAC) has entered administration. We particularly recognise the impact this may be having on students currently undertaking training with APAC and are , PTUK student members, Clinical Supervisors supporting those students, and others directly affected.

We are happy to be able to announce that the University of Chichester will teach all current students currently on courses out to the end so all those students will have their qualification. All current students will have been contacted by the university so please follow their instructions and e-mail contact.

We want to reassure you that PTUK and PTI continue to operate as normal. PTUK remains committed to supporting its members, registrants and Clinical Supervisors throughout this period, and our membership, registration, professional standards, and other organisational activities continue.

PTUK and PTI are separate organisation professional organisations from APAC. PTUK is responsible for their member and the PSA register . As a result, there are important legal and organisational boundaries regarding our communication with you.  

We appreciate that this can be frustrating when people understandably want answers quickly. It is important, however, that PTUK does not speculate or communicate information before it has been appropriately confirmed. As soon as we receive further confirmed information that we are able to share, we will communicate this with members and supervisors as quickly and clearly as possible.

Supporting students and supervisors.

We recognise that Clinical Supervisors may currently be supporting students who are feeling anxious or uncertain about their training. Please continue to provide your usual professional and clinical supervision and maintain appropriate supervision records and documentation.

PTUK student members should also be reassured that they remain valued members of our professional community. We understand that you may have questions about what the current situation means for you but Chichester University are doing their best for you.

PTUK will be holding an online meeting for Clinical Supervisors supporting affected students. This will provide an opportunity to share the information available at that time, clarify matters within PTUK’s remit, discuss how supervisors can support their supervisees, and respond to questions where we are able to do so.

Further details regarding the meeting will be provided as soon as possible.

We understand that uncertainty is difficult, particularly for those approaching important stages of their training. Please be assured that the absence of immediate answers does not mean that concerns are not being heard or considered. There are legal processes and a number of organisations involved, and it is important that any information PTUK provides is accurate and appropriate.

Thank you for your patience, professionalism, and the support you continue to provide to one another during this period.

Kind regards,

Play Therapy UK

Celebrating Sarah Bentley

Celebrating Sarah Bentley’s Leadership of the Child Mental Health Charter Committee.

After eight years of outstanding dedication and unwavering commitment to improving children’s mental health through the Charter, Sarah Bentley is stepping down as Chair of the Child Mental Health Charter committee.

As a founding member, Sarah has been a member of the Child Mental Health Charter Committee since it began, in 2018. Sarah worked closely with the late Jeff Thomas and credits his support and belief in her, as a motivating factor for her to continue her work with the Charter to this day.

Since Sarah took on the role of chair in 2023, Sarah’s leadership has built on the work of Sophia O’Neill, whom Sarah took over the role from. Sarah’s leadership has helped to further shape the Charter into a respected and influential voice, championing the emotional wellbeing of children and young people and working to ensure their needs remain firmly on the national agenda.

Throughout her time as Chair, Sarah has been a passionate advocate for the Charter’s six principles – encouraging professionals, organisations and parliamentarians to work together to create meaningful change. Under her leadership, the Charter has continued to grow its network of supporters, empowering practitioners across the country to engage with their MPs and campaign for better mental health support for children. MP contact has been high on the agenda for Sarah, and her goal when taking on the role as chair was to increase the number of therapists who had contacted their MPs to make them aware of the Charter. Sarah has succeeded in this goal, as 52 members have contacted their MPs under her leadership – many of them leaning on Sarah for guidance and support in doing so, with Sarah attending many of the meetings as a support for the therapist.

Sarah has represented the Child Mental Health Charter at some of the country’s most influential venues, speaking twice in the Houses of Parliament and attending meetings at both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Sarah has built relationships within politics and worked endlessly to ensure that the voices of children, families and PTUK professionals are heard where it really matters.

Her leadership has also seen the Charter contribute to parliamentary discussions, online conferences, support consultation on proposed mental health legislation, find its own identity within PTUK and continue campaigning for greater recognition of qualified therapeutic professionals and earlier access to effective and qualified mental health support for children.

Perhaps Sarah’s greatest achievement has been inspiring others to become advocates themselves. Through her warmth, determination and belief that ‘together we are stronger – we really, really are’, she has encouraged countless professionals to speak up and spread the word about the Charter – be it through writing to their MPs, speaking at conferences, contributing to parliamentary reports and playing an active role in influencing policy for the benefit of children and young people.

The impact that Sarah has had on the people fortunate enough to work alongside her – namely the rest of the committee – is vast and the committee wish to thank Sarah for all of her unwavering support.

In the same way that Sarah felt supported by Jeff, she has continued his legacy in the support that she has offered to the committee.

Sarah has been a source of steadfast encouragement, investing time in every committee member’s personal and professional development and championing them at every opportunity. Whether offering guidance, creating opportunities to step out of their comfort zone, and an unshakeable belief in others before they even believed in themselves, Sarah has helped each committee member to grow in both confidence and capability.

Whilst Sarah is stepping down as Chair, the impact of her leadership will continue to be felt for many years to come. She leaves behind a Charter that is stronger, more influential and better connected than ever before, with a passionate committee ready to build on the foundations she has helped create. Sarah has helped to foster a culture where every voice is valued, every contribution matters and collaboration is at the heart of all we do.

On behalf of everyone involved with the Child Mental Health Charter, we extend our heartfelt thanks to Sarah for her vision, compassion and tireless commitment. Her legacy is not only reflected in the Charter’s achievements, but in the many lives that will be improved because she chose to champion children’s mental health.

Sarah feels that now is the time to step down and that the committee are in a strong place to continue the work of the Charter without Sarah at the helm. The new chairperson of the committee and committee roles will be shared in September…so watch this space!

Thank you, Sarah. Your dedication has inspired us all; your contribution will never be forgotten and your impact on both children and the Charter will remain.

Cathy Baker

Writing and Communications Lead
Child Mental Health Charter Committee.