Serious Help and Advice needed - Working with chldren

[drivin_me_nuts]

I need some advice here regarding working with children.

I run a therapy practice that I want to start working with children and families. Now this is an area that's new to me wrt the law and matters of that.

Are you aware of any legal consisderation that need to be in place before I do this. For example, when working with children alone do the parents need to sign a confirmation. The processes I use are interactive and involve touching children in specific places (EFT). I am planning to explain this all first to the parents and provide them with some clear guidance of what I do and how I operate as part of this disclaimer. I don't want to use CCTV or anything like that but is there a way that I can help protect the child, me personally and the reputation of my business.

Now I really want to do this work but I need to make sure that to the best of my efforts all parties feel safe and secure in the process and there is absolutely minimum risk of misunderstandings etc.

Any thoughts on the best way to what would be the most pragmatic way forward with this?


Thanks

[drivin_me_nuts]

Plotloss said:

I would have thought that as long as you have all the professional qualifications and an enhanced CRB disclosure you're pretty much set.

Not sure about on the alone side mind, you take your kids to the doctors and sit in with them etc.

...the difficulty is that it's often the case that the children won't interact with the parents in the room...because it's the parents that are part of the issue.

[drivin_me_nuts]

G1ABB said:

Interesting, have you tried OFSTED? They may have some guidlines that you can follow or adapt. I only suggest this as I run a children's Nursery. The amount of regulation and control in place is mind blowing at times, although in general I do support OFSTED and what they are trying to do to raise standards.

Graham

..no I have not tried OFSTED, but indeed now that you have mentioned it I shall have a look around and see what I can kind. Thanks for the tip.

[drivin_me_nuts]

shadowninja said:

When working with children, you shouldn't really work behind a closed door nor should you work one-to-one (having a secretary/PA present could be an option); it's more to protect yourself than anything else. Having a CRB check is useful although that only proves the person hasn't been caught.

Anyway, with EFT, you shouldn't have to touch a client; if they are old enough to locate the points then let them do it; if not, there are simplified points (or at least, ways of tapping) described on the main EFT website (think monkey, gorilla, chimpanzee).

Another thing, why not a video-only feed to a waiting room for the parent, so no sound?

Edited by shadowninja on Sunday 2nd December 18:37

..even with the shortcut approach there are times when people are too upset to tap. There are many time when I have had to do it for them as stopping would have really left people in trauma..

I think that the idea of having someone else in the room is a good work around ( I work the practice with my partner and we can schedule children around us both being present at the same time) Video feed idea is also a very good idea as well.

Thanks