Issue 31

Play news and briefing from the national organisation for play Spring 2010

Play for Wales

www.playwales.org.uk

PLAY – are we up to the measure?

Contents page

Editorial 2

News 3-5

It’s Our Place Too 6-9

People Make Play Report 10-11

Workforce Development 12-13

Events and Membership 14

EditorialOur new Welsh legal Measureplacing a duty on local authoritiesto audit and secure sufficient playopportunities for children offers usa unique opportunity - thepotential to change theenvironment for children andyoung people in Wales.

Huw Lewis, AM, the new Deputy Ministerfor Children has said that he is looking forinnovation. But the Measure comes witha risk; the risk that we fail children byrestricting ourselves to old ways ofthinking and doing. The ‘same old sameold’ that has brought us to where we aretoday – where children are becomingless and less visible, more and morecooped up inside, less confident to beoutside in their own communities. Itdoesn’t happen everywhere in Wales orfor every child, but where it occurs, theMeasure, and the way it is implemented,has the potential to help to change thispattern for the better.

During the last century or so we haveprovided for children’s playing outsideas if all that was needed was adestination, with a manufacturedfenced play area, often too far awayfor children to walk to independently.Whilst the playground has a role to playit does not fully meet children’s wide-ranging play needs – it can only be onein a range of choices that open upopportunities for the kind of diverse playbehaviour that we know contributes tochildren’s resilience and health – theirability to survive and thrive.

Children’s play can be seen as ajourney: it starts when they wake up, itcontinues as they leave their house,given sufficient freedom children playtheir way through their communityand through their day, and if there is afinal destination at the end of the day,it is back home and so to bed. Itdoesn’t just happen in certain placesand at certain times – it is an integralpart of children’s lives.

As a society we need to take a hardlook at how we view children and theirpresence in public open space.Children tell is in their own words thatfor a variety of reasons they often feelneither safe nor welcome outside –this significantly reduces theiropportunity for playing. The NationalAssembly Children and YoungPeople’s Committee has beengathering evidence for their inquiryinto safe places to play and hangout, we look forward to learning fromand acting upon their findings. Wehope that the recommendations ofthe inquiry will inform the Regulationsand Guidance that will give the detailof the duty on local authorities.

The Measure talks about ‘sufficiency’,so, what is enough? Surely the veryleast is an environment where childrenfeel free to roam, playing their waythrough their community, playing withwhat comes to hand, and withwhoever turns up. This could comeabout if we change the way we viewall public open space; if we startedseeing it not just for adults but forchildren too.

And how do we assess sufficiency?The Measure also places a duty inrespect of children’s participation.Surely this is the perfect example ofwhere we can engage with children –if we want to know what is sufficientplay opportunity, we ask them what isenough. Our Children’s Commissionerhopes that in 5 years’ time, those1000’s of children that have talked tohim about not being able to play out,will have seen a real change in theirfreedom.

If we get this right, the increasedvisibility of children playing throughoutour communities, and their stories, willshow the success of our work toprovide sufficiency. Children will tell usand children will show us.

Mike GreenawayDirector, Play Wales

Play for Wales is published by Play Wales three times a year.

Contact the Editor at:Play Wales, Baltic House, Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff CF10 5FH

Telephone: 029 2048 6050 E-mail: info@playwales.org.ukRegistered Charity No. 1068926

ISSN: 1755 9243

The views expressed in this newsletter are notnecessarily those of Play Wales. We reserve the right to edit for publication. We donot endorse any of the products or eventsadvertised in or with this publication.This publication is printed on paper producedfrom sustainable forests.

Designed and printed by CarrickTel: 01443 843 520 E-mail: sales@carrickdp.co.uk

Play for Wales Spring 2010EDITORIAL

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A heartfelt thank you to everyone who contributed to this magazine – wecouldn’t do it without you. This issue of Play for Wales, as well as previous issues, isavailable to download from our website news section at www.playwales.org.uk

Play for Wales Spring 2010NEWS

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Safe Places to Play and Hang Out inquiry

During the summer of 2009, the Children and Young PeopleCommittee of the National Assembly for Wales ran the ‘it’s

all about you’ project which asked children and young peoplethe question ‘what matters to you?’

Over 2700 answers were received. Unsurprisingly, the projectshowed that play provision is one of the most common issuesconcerning children and young people in Wales today.

The Welsh Assembly Government’s 2006 play policyimplementation plan recognised that ‘the impact of modernsociety on children’s lives has significantly restricted theiropportunity to play freely and has resulted in a poverty of playopportunities in the general environment.’ In December 2009,as a direct result of responses to the ‘it’s all about you’ project,the Children and Young People Committee launched itsinquiry into the provision of safe places to play and hang out.

The Committee has actively sought the opinions of childrenand young people throughout the inquiry. On day one of theconsultation, the Committee Chair - Helen Mary Jones,Assembly Member for Llanelli – met with 40 children fromLlwynhendy. The children were keen to offer ideas forimprovements that could be made to enable them to accesssafe play opportunities. Other Committee members havearranged to meet with groups of children and young peopleacross Wales and the Assembly’s Outreach and EducationOfficers have been working hard with school children andyouth group members to enable them to present their views to

the Committee. Over 500 children and young people havecompleted questionnaires issued by the Committee andstakeholders, organisations and individuals have submittedwritten evidence. Several hours of oral evidence have beentaken already, but the inquiry is ongoing.

When taking evidence, the Committee will consider manyissues, including; the barriers faced by specific groups; issuesrelevant to existing provision; the cost of accessing provision;transport; traffic and road safety; planning policy andperceptions of anti social behaviour. With such a wideranging remit, the Committee has not set itself an easy task.However, with the regulations relating to the new Children andFamilies (Wales) Measure expected soon, the inquiry comes ata critical time for the play agenda in Wales.

The Committee’s report and recommendations are expectedto be published during the summer recess. The WelshGovernment will then respond within around six weeks and theissues will be debated in a Plenary debate shortly after.

For updates on the progress of the inquiry and a copy of thereport when published, please see www.assembly.org

Play Wales has provided written and oral evidence as part ofthe inquiry. We have received positive feedback about ourevidence from Assembly Members, Committee Clerks andother organisations involved in children’s play. The writtenevidence submitted is available to download from thehomepage of our website: www.playwales.org.uk

Abigail Phillips, Clerk to the Children and Young People Committee ofthe National Assembly for Wales, tells us about their inquiry into safeplaces for children and young people to play and hang out.

Speaking at our ‘Sufficient Play Opportunities for Children: Whatis good enough’ seminar in Cardiff the Deputy Minister forChildren, Huw Lewis AM, explained the impact of the Measureon play provision and what will happen next. Here are quotestaken from the transcript of his speech.

‘This will place a duty on each Local Authority to:

• carry out an assessment of the sufficiency of playopportunities in their area, in terms of quality andquantity, and:

• secure provision of and access to sufficient play opportunitiesfor children, with consideration to their age and ability

• make arrangements to ensure the participation ofchildren in decisions of the Authority which affect them

‘This duty reflects the Assembly Government’s commitment tothe UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and in particularto Article 31.1 which states that “State Parties recognise theright of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play andrecreational activities appropriate to the age of the child andto participate freely in cultural life and the arts”.

‘Of course we understand that any duty has to be seen inthe context of the resources that are available, but thisshould not prevent local authorities from coming up withcreative ways to promote children’s play.

So what are the next steps in this process?‘Over the next 12 months the Welsh Assembly will set downstandards and regulations, and will provide guidance toLocal Authorities on fulfilling their duty to provide sufficient playopportunities for children and young people in their area.

‘This will involve working with all Local Authorities; with VoluntaryOrganisations concerned with play; with other Welsh AssemblyDepartments and Regulatory bodies in areas that affect children’sability to access play opportunities; and of course parents; andmost importantly children and young people themselves.

‘The purpose of this work will be to establish realistic expectationsand effective processes to achieve the best outcomes for children.’

Find more information about the Measure at:www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus-legislation/bus-leg-measures/business-legislation-measures-cf.htm

On 10 February 2010 the Children and Families (Wales) Meaure received Royal Assent. The Measureplaces a duty on local authorities to audit and secure sufficient play opportunities for children in Wales.

Sufficient Play Opportunities?

Play for Wales Spring 2010NEWS

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A Noisy Noise ...Media attention has recently focused on Berlin’s localGovernment and their decision to amend a law to allowchildren to be noisy.

The BBC online report says:Children in the German capital Berlin are to be exempt fromstrict laws on noise pollution. An amendment to the city's lawnow makes it ‘fundamentally and socially tolerable’ formembers of the younger generation to make a racket.

Until now, only church bells, emergency sirens, snow ploughsand tractors have fallen outside the stringent rules onexcessive noise in Germany.

In Berlin alone, hundreds of complaints are made each yearabout noise levels in kindergartens and children's playgrounds.Some day-care facilities have even been forced to close afterlocal residents have gone to court in search of a quiet life.

Axel Strohbusch (Department of Noise Protection) said it was‘the first time we have it written in law that we have to considerthe rights of children to shout and make noise while they aregrowing up and this must be considered by all the neighbours’.

Germany's organisation for child protection told AFP news agency itwelcomed the move, saying: ‘We live in a city and children shouldbe allowed to play and make noise.’

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8520941.stm

SkillsActive has launched a consultationon its UK strategy for playwork,

education, training and qualifications -Playwork Learning and Skills Strategy 2011-2016 – and is urging the playwork sectorto get involved.

It follows SkillsActive’s first playworkstrategy Quality Training, Quality Play(QTQP), which is founded on theprinciple of Article 31 of the UNConvention on the Rights of the Child,recognising play as a right and beingfundamental to children’s quality of life.

Deadline for consultation responses: 9 April 2010

For further information and to completethe electronic English version of thequestionnaire visit:

www.skillsactive.com/resources/consultations-have-your-say/playwork-strategy/

The consultation questionnaire andfurther information is also available inWelsh on Play Wales’ website:www.playwales.org.uk/news.asp?id=977

SkillsActive Playwork Learning and Skills Strategy Consultation

The first ‘Play Priority Areas’ in Wrexhamhave been launched on the PlasMadoc estate.

The aim of the play priority signs is to identify appropriateareas within a community where children are safe and

actively encouraged to play.

We are all familiar with No Ball Games signs but rather thansending out this negative message the Play Priority Areas canhelp to support play whilst at the same time helping to movechildren away from less appropriate areas, where play canoften be confused with anti-social behaviour.

The response to the consultation with local residents receivedpositive feedback. Comments such as, ‘This is what the streetneeds,’ and, ‘Fantastic idea, about time,’ enabled PlasMadoc Communities First to progress with the projects.

Claire Griffiths, Play and Early Years Participation Officer of PlasMadoc Communities First says, ‘We aim to uphold the child’s

right to play and welcome children playing in their streets. Torecognise this we plan to display Play Priority Area signs insome of the streets where children actively play. They will bean encouraging sight for all children and young people,giving them a green-light to play in areas where they will bewelcomed’.

Find out more about Play Priority Area signs, which have beenproduced by London Play at www.londonplay.org.uk - perhapsif there is sufficient demand in Wales we will soon have ourown bilingual version.

First Play Priority Areas

in Wrexham

Play for Wales Spring 2010NEWS

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UNCRC action plan and toolkitOn the 20th anniversary of the United NationsConvention on the Rights of the Child, the WelshAssembly Government launched an action planthat sets out the steps it plans to take to makechildren and young people's rights a reality overthe next five years. The Action Plan, Getting it Right, which has been published in response to theConcluding Observations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child2008, sets out 90 key actions across a wide range of policy areas.

The actions include developing a new play policy and providing moreopportunities for children and young people to engage in music, arts and sport.

http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/childrenyoungpeople/publications/gettingitright2009/?lang=en

Also, to raise awareness about children's rights the Welsh Assembly Government hasdeveloped a workshop toolkit. The toolkit is a stand alone resource that can beused with children and young people, professionals and parents.

www.uncrcletsgetitright.co.uk/toolkit.aspx

Sustrans DIY streetsThe Sustrans DIY streets project is demonstratingaffordable but innovative approaches to streetdesign, taking inspiration from home zones andsimilar approaches.

In partnership with local authorities Sustrans have helped local communitiesdesign low-cost changes that have made their streets safer and more attractive.

Preliminary results from the end of project research has found that theresidents find their streets are more sociable and they are more likely to lettheir children play out.

Full evaluation results will be available on the Sustrans website soon.www.sustrans.org.uk

Information ServiceevaluationAngharad and Gill (and our Information Service Advisory Group) wish to thankall of those who have completed and returned our Information ServiceEvaluation questionnaire. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and it will helpus improve and shape how we communicate with you in future.

If you haven’t been included in the evaluation so far and wish to provide yourfeedback, the questionnaire is available to download from the Informationsection of our website or please contact Angharad for a printed copy:angharad@playwales.org.uk or call 029 2048 6050.

Diolch yn fawr iawn.

Playday 2010

‘Our Place’ What’s behind it?We believe that children can and should beable to play every day almost everywherethat they spend their time ... because theirplaying is important to them and to every oneof us, and this is their place too.

We hope you will join us in promoting playingchildren as key partners in the life of Wales –visible, valued and provided for in every placethey could spend time or travel through - fromtheir own doorstep to the top of Snowdon,Offa’s Dyke to a Barry Island bus stop.

Playing is one of the most important aspectsof children and young people’s lives. We arecalling for communities across Wales to standup for (and with) children - working together tochange attitudes and environments so thatWales truly welcomes playing children. Thisyear’s Playday theme gives us an opportunityto foster relationships across our communitiesand start to change the environments wherewe live so that children can truly believe it’s‘our place too!’

Play Wales and PlaydayEach year Play Wales takes part in the Playdaysteering group - together with the other threeUK national organisations for children’s play –we also co-ordinate the media campaign inWales and publish bilingual briefings and tipsthat support the Playday message.

For more information on Playday please visitwww.playday.org.uk

Not just one day a year – everyday of children’s lives.This year’s Playday takes placeon Wednesday 4 August 2010.

Upon his retirement Rt Hon Rhodri Morgan AMsaid that the development andimplementation of the Foundation Phase forWales was his greatest achievement whileserving as First Minister.

On behalf of the Play Wales team Marianne,Gill and Kathy presented the former FirstMinister with one of our original cartoons – acolourful beach scene.

Thanks to Rhodri

Play for Wales Spring 2010IT’S OUR PLACE TOO

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Royal Assent for the Children and FamiliesMeasure means that those of us in Waleswho have an interest in children’s playhave started to consider what might bemeant by auditing and providing sufficientplay opportunities within local authorityareas. Dr Jan Van Gils joined us at ourrecent seminar, Sufficient Play Opportunitiesfor Children; what is good enough? to sharehis many years of research and experienceand his insights into children: play, societyand planning. Here is his contribution toour considerations:

We are here In our society today, we have special provision for children, forinstance, special books, TV channels, games, spaces for playing –and on the whole this is a good thing. However, this specialprovision also means that children and young people arebecoming segregated from the rest of society, we see them lessand less on our streets – our research says that half as manychildren are playing out today as played out in the 1980’s.

There is a trend towards children and young people being lessvisible in public spaces and I have some suggestions as to howwe can begin to reverse it. We need to support children to signalto other members of their community that they are here and thattheir presence is legitimate and to be welcomed:

• I suggest to children (if they want to) to display their drawingsin their front window, just to show ‘we are here’ and to showpassers-by their works of art

• I encourage people who are organising community eventsto include images of children in their posters and publicityand to design their publicity to appeal to children

• I encourage public outdoor exhibitions of children’s artwork –it can be simple, just pictures collected together on aboundary wall that others walk past

• I encourage children to make chalk drawings on pavementsand streets

With these non-aggressive signs we can start to send a message‘children are here’. None of these suggestions is sustainable longterm, the drawings disappear, but then this gives the opportunityto make more and different ones.

These things don’t happen on their own, we need to facilitatethem. In the street where I live, I give the children chalk for their

drawings – I don’t tell them what to draw - it’s not expensive but itmakes a difference.

Our streetThe street where I live is not special, there are cars parked oneither side, but the very important thing about our street is thattraffic goes very slowly. Local drivers are aware that there maybe children playing here, and of course, the children andyoung people have developed a warning system if a carapproaches. The older ones look out for the little ones andwhen a car comes the street is cleared of children as well asthe play equipment they have brought or built for themselves.

Over the years gradually the numbers of children playing out inour street has grown, alongside a growing appreciation that thisspace is children’s place too. Parents have become morecomfortable with the idea of their children playing out. Theapproaches we have used are inexpensive; about helping tochange attitudes over a long period of time through sustainedcommunity building rather than making a big financialinvestment. Much of the improvement has been made throughobserving what already takes place and gently building on it.

It is important to influence attitudes towards playing childrenbefore we make physical environmental changes – this waywe bring people with us and we make organic sustainablechanges with the support of many rather than few.

Mobility and reclaiming the streetIt is important that we use the streets to walk, not just so thatchildren are seen in the neighbourhood but so they becomeaccustomed to walking and familiar with their neighbourhood– for instance a trip or swimming lesson could be arrangedwithin walking distance and avoid using transport. We all need

It’s our place too

© Sustrans

7Play for Wales Spring 2010IT’S OUR PLACE TOO

to attend to this – mums and dads, schoolteachers, sportscoaches, people running children’s clubs and play provision.

Here I have a picture of children at a playground and theyhave parked their bikes on the street – why not? This is children’sstreet, it’s not just for car drivers. Car drivers are allowed to parktheir vehicles – why can’t children do this too? These kinds ofapproaches may seem naïve but they are small, cheap,simple and effective. But children need support to do it.

Play streetsIn Holland and Belgium we have introduced play streets; somestreets are closed to traffic for up to three weeks during theschool holidays and they have a special sign on their lampposts. We have to gain the support of at least half theresidents in the street in order to be granted permission fromthe local authority. This means that neighbours talk toneighbours about children playing out, they lobby each other.

For a few weeks these become streets for playing children –there isn’t always special provision here for their play, but thereis freedom for children to bring their own play things and ideasto the space.

Initially (10 – 20 years ago) there was opposition from thosewho thought that if children were encouraged to play in thestreet there was a danger they might do it all year round, butthen, this was the intention. Some of us opposed the playstreets because we thought there should be special spacemade for children’s play, but we realised that this wasn’talways practical or possible in every street. Play streets is asimple, inexpensive solution.

Gradually the play streets initiative is beginning to embed theidea that children can and should play in the street, inneighbourhoods. Play streets start to create a sense that thestreet is for everyone, not just the people who park their carsthere - but it is a slow process, results start to show only afterfour to five years.

Street partiesTwice a year our street has a party outside – once in summerand once in winter. Children and adults plan it together andwork together to make it happen. Our street parties create anambience and an opportunity for people to become familiarwith each other and for the children and young people to seethe adults in a different light. The children like to help out –perhaps in ways that may not normally be popular with themat home - but in a different context chores become fun andthey can truly participate and make their own contribution.

We learn the names of the children – this is very important – Ican’t say hello properly, or tick someone off for doingsomething foolish in the street, or start to know someone, if Idon’t know his or her name.

Once again this approach is positive to playing children, thestreet starts to belong to all the residents, not just the carowners, but we need to be patient, it takes time.

In my street young people sit on the pavement with their feetin the road, just chatting. This is good for our street. It isunrecognised participation – they are reclaiming the streetfrom cars.

A gentle approachNone of these approaches needs to be forced, we can makea difference to our neighbourhoods just by starting at our frontdoor step. Give children and young people room to be. Givethem a choice and a chance to be involved in theircommunity, value their contribution, let them help. Start withlittle things.

PlanningOne of the problems with our planned environment is that it isnot integrated; the many functions of public space tend notto be linked up or planned to meet everyone’s needs. Publicspace is designed by different architects, or planners, or

© Sustrans

engineers; each has a different approach and a differentremit.

If you want to make changes in favour of children’s play andtheir mobility, make a master plan for the neighbourhood -map all the public space in terms of access and mobility, linksbetween places, designated places for playing, all the placeswhere children play, green spaces, recreation, sport, schools,shops ... but start by mapping play space as the first step andlater include all the other functions. Such a map can be usedas evidence to persuade local decision-makers andpoliticians to make changes. Then make a plan – how canspaces be better linked up? How can children make their ownway from place to place safely? It can be used as a blueprintfor a long term approach.

As part of the mapping, make an inventory of the playopportunities in the neighbourhood – ask children to help, butbe aware that some play places are special and secret tothem. Evaluate the whole neighbourhood in terms of itspotential for play and accessibility for children of differentages with diverse needs.

Through observation it is possible to research the presence (orlack) of different age groups, girls and boys, disabled children,and children from different cultural backgrounds. This gives usa good idea of whether spaces are good enough for play –for example, many formal play areas are used very little or byonly one age group for a short period of time each day. Allthis information is useful – it is no good including a playopportunity in a sufficiency audit if nobody uses it.

Given the population characteristics of the area, who mightbe expected to be in each public space or on each route?An initial count of who is where can be a good benchmarkand then successive observations can help evaluate theeffectiveness of the actions taken and inform adaptations.

ActionA neighbourhood cannot be changed over night; a plan ofaction can take at least 20 years to accomplish. Start withshort term cheap improvements and plan more expensivestructural improvements in the long term. Aim to makesustainable long term changes in favour of playing children –we are not looking at creating short term or one off attractions– we are looking at making it possible for children to play ineveryday ways every day throughout their day for years andyears to come.

DiversityWhen planning we need to make sure there are diverse playopportunities and public spaces so that children have choicesto meet their changing needs. I have identified four playcharacteristics that we can use to make sure that children andyoung people’s needs are met (I know that there are manydifferent types of play but this is a useful shorthand):

• Receptive play – people observing, dreaming, soakingup the environment, reading, reflecting

• Social play – people interacting, negotiating, laughing,meeting, arguing

• Movement play – people running, chasing, skipping,tumbling, climbing

• Creative play – people dancing, singing, drawing,building and making

RangeThe master plan needs to encompass what is available atdifferent distances from the front doorstep.

We need to take into account the mobility and independenttravel capabilities of different children. For instance everytown ought to have a skateboarding facility, but it needn’t beat the end of every street because few little children needspecial places for skateboarding and older children tend tobe able to access it from a distance. Every town should alsohave access to water play, and a staffed adventureplayground (where children can change the play opportunitiesand find surprises). These specialist play opportunities are notnecessary at a very local level, but all families needpossibilities for playing out daily very close to home as well asopportunities to share a ‘day out’ that offers a special playopportunity.

Any play opportunity offered at the townor regional level should be wellconnected in terms of public transport,cycling and walking routes.

8 Play for Wales Spring 2010IT’S OUR PLACE TOO

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DIYOne very important play possibility that needs to be taken intoaccount is the space to make dens. One Dutch researcherfrom the last century said that children have to make dens,just as explorers place flags to mark territory - the rest of thebuilt world is made by adults – dens say ‘this is ours’ and ‘weare here’.

For instance I know of a BMX track made by children. Theydid most of the work themselves, but when they found theydidn’t have enough expertise to realise their ambitions, theyenlisted the help of the local authority who arranged for aworker with a mechanical digger to help them. This kind ofapproach supports children’s true participation, recognisesand rewards their efforts to provide for themselves – andproves economical as well (the local authority has met a playneed with very little expenditure, a manufactured BMX trackwould cost much more).

Sometimes we don’t need to make anyintervention at all – leave a good strongclimbing tree to be climbed on – itcosts very little.

Mobility plan

As part of our master plan we need to incorporate routes andlinks between places. Children and young people don’t justplay at a destination, they play and interact along the journey.We can make routes more interesting by being imaginative –for instance the bollards used to prevent cars parking onpavements could (and often do) present a ‘stepping stone’ or‘leapfrog’ opportunity – with a little lateral thinking, invitations toplay can be incorporated at no extra expense.

Schools in particular need a mobility plan – what are the saferoutes for walking to school? What are the safe routes forcyclists? But most importantly we need to do this from

children’s perspective – routes that appear safe to adults maynot be safe for children and may also be very boring andunattractive.

Once each school’s mobility plan is combined with those ofschools in the surrounding area, it is possible to form a networkthat is useful for the whole community.

Meeting upMeeting places are very important for everyone. Youngpeople in particular need and ask for places to join up withtheir peers. Our research suggests that they are not just‘hanging around’ but that sophisticated conversations takeplace (about others, music, fashion, sport, activities) whereyoung people are developing their own terms of referenceand exploring values. We parents and teachers can’tcontribute to this – we are old fashioned! This very importantinteraction among young people is something that takesplace away from adults and it significantly adds to their socialand emotional resilience. We need to respect this andprovide for outdoor meeting places for young people.

A neighbourhood for allOur master plan needs to aim for a landscape where all thepeople in the community feel fine – where age groups are notsegregated and where there is enough room for everyone tolive together. Children and young people cannot be seen orprovided for in isolation from the rest of their community – theonly sustainable or workable approach to sufficiency of playopportunities is a holistic one.

Dr Jan Van Gils is the Director of the Research Centre forChildhood and Society in Belgium. He is the founder andPresident of the European Child Friendly Cities Network,President of the International Council for Children’s Play and theformer President of the International Play Association.

Find out more about the European Child Friendly CitiesNetwork at www.childfriendlycities.org

Find out more about the International Council for Children’sPlay at www.iccp-play.org

Play for Wales Spring 2010IT’S OUR PLACE TOO

Conference reportOur ‘Sufficient Play Opportunities for Children: What is goodenough?’ seminar in February offered interesting andinformative presentations by Wendy Russell and Stuart Lester(who are both senior lecturers at the University ofGloucestershire and authors of Play for a Change – Play Policyand Practice: a review of contemporary perspectives); DavidHawker, Director General of the Department for Children,Education, Lifelong Learning and Skiils (DCELLS); and KeithTowler the Children’s Commissioner for Wales.

The conference report will be available to download onthe Play Wales website by Easter.

Summary The report says staffed play services, built around the children’sown ideas about how they want to play, make a significantdifference to children, parents and neighbourhoods. Suchprovision can be integral to the broader network of support forchildren and families to live better lives and belong to a thrivingcommunity. Investment in the skills and commitment ofdedicated staff and volunteers can provide some of the bestopportunities for the children most in need.

Here are key passages from the Executive Summary:People Make Play provides a range of qualitative perspectiveson the role and potential impact of good quality, staffed, localplay provision in the lives of children and young people, theirparents and the wider community. The research focused onplay provision for children aged between 8 and 13 years, andon staffed provision alone: the study did not look atunsupervised provision.

The research draws on recent literature reviews about theimportance of play to children’s lives, and is based on six in-depth case studies of good quality, free, staffed play provisionacross England.

Key findings Physical settings The presence of playworkers or play rangers provides safetyand increases the confidence of children to play freely, as wellas increasing the range of play opportunities within the spaceprovided. To children and parents this provides a markedcontrast with the wider public realm, which all too often fails toprovide the same safety and diversity of opportunity.

Children’s stories ... while they love well-designed playgrounds and attractive,spacious play areas, it is the staff – the ‘software’ – rather thanthe ‘hardware’ of play equipment that, for them, really makesthe difference. (Children) enjoy the freedom to play in theirown way that playworkers and play rangers give them, butwhat also shines through is the confidence that they derivefrom supportive, responsible adults: to play games, take risks,

test boundaries and socialise with others in a way that is notalways possible at home, on the street, at school or inunsupervised playgrounds.

Staffed play provision often takes place where children mayhave difficult and complex lives, and where the wider publicrealm is generally inhospitable to them. Providing a place toroam free, a safe haven in a hostile world, these sites havereal value as places where children can be themselves, haveunique and cherished experiences, bond with their peers andassociate with older and younger children.

Children’s active involvement in designing, making decisionsand then, literally, building, together with the staff, the kind ofplay-scapes that inspire them is evidence of a relationship thatis more of a partnership than anything else. Equally importantis the time afforded to them by a grown-up who wants nothingof them but for them to be themselves.

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People Make Play: The impact of staffed play provision onchildren, families and communities is a new report published byPlay England and based on research by the independent thinktank and research institute Demos.

People Make PlayPlay for Wales Spring 2010PEOPLE MAKE PLAY REPORT

‘This timely report illustrates the vital roleadults have, not in the actual play ofchildren, but in the provision of thephysical and social space that it needs.’

Adrian Voce, Play England

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Staff stories Within the Playwork Principles the role of the adult is to support andfacilitate the play process in all its richness and complexity, ratherthan to direct or steer what children do. Playworkers help to shapeboth the physical and the social environment to offer all childrenthe fullest possibility to play ... striking a balance between allowingfull expression through play and cultivating an atmosphere ofsafety, tolerance and mutual respect, intervening carefully onlywhere necessary to ensure that the sites are inclusive to all.

Within the case studies, playworkers see their work not as isolatedfrom neighbourhoods and communities but as connected to thewider context of their locality. They increasingly work beyond theboundaries of their site to explore and expand play opportunities,thereby changing the culture and possibilities within the publicrealm at large. In this respect, play providers are at the forefront ofpublic services innovation.

Making a difference in children’s lives Children mention many elements of ‘learning’ ... to be inventive,confident and social. They talk about their experience in terms oftrajectories of progress: about overcoming initial difficulties,whether social or physical, about taking new risks and sharingstories with others. There is a huge range of life skills and attitudesthat children say they obtain as part of this process: from caring,sharing and being kind, to standing up for oneself or asking forhelp. These experiences, it would seem, can change children’sperception of their neighbourhood, transforming it into a trustedplace in which they feel welcome, know their peers and others,and consider themselves at home.

Parents’ stories Parents and carers are frequently big supporters of staffed playprovision. Across the case studies, they have been eager to sharepowerful stories of how it has changed the lives of their children,of themselves as parents, and how it has benefitted theirneighbourhoods as places to live. They recognise that staffedplay provision is a crucial ingredient of their children’s lives – anintegral experience that their children would otherwise sorely miss.They are also keenly aware of the mix of learning, socialising andhealth benefits that children gain from playing, but primarilyemphasise how their children gain precious and uniqueexperiences when play is allowed to take place for its own sake.

But these sites make a difference in parents’ lives too. They bringparents into contact with other parents and facilitate the creationof informal social bonds and support networks – crucial lifelines indeprived neighbourhoods and for parents in need. In fact,parents feel that play provision can transform their communities,by cutting across social divides, bringing neighbours into contactwith each other and creating a greater sense of community.Support is often expressed through volunteering, which in turn canbe beneficial to parents, who learn valuable skills.

Play provision can increase local social capital where it is neededmost. Because of all this, many parents feel that the value ofthese play settings, as expressed by what their children tell themor what they experience themselves, can be equal to or higher

than many services for which they have to pay – includingchildcare, school trips or sports activities. In some cases, thepresence of good quality play provision has even served as adeciding factor in whether to move to or stay in aneighbourhood.

Institutional links A wide range of institutional links are evident in the daily practice ofsuccessful play providers. Local schools, children’s services, parksstaff, family support workers, libraries, police and elected membersare just some examples found of play professionals having regularcontact with a wider network of support for children and families.Because play provision is often in areas of high deprivation, andbecause its ethos of enabling self-directed, freely chosen activitymakes it more accessible to children otherwise at risk of exclusion,it can often build important bridges between the statutorychildren’s services and so called hard-to-reach children andfamilies.

There are plenty of examples here of the way staffed play settingsare increasingly seen as a vital element of the multi-agency,integrated services approach that is central to sustained,improved outcomes for children.

Firstly, far from simple recreational space, staffed play provision iseffectively a holistic service to children and young people.Informal counselling, mentoring and coaching along with adviceon drugs, sex and staying safe are all part and parcel of theplayworker’s role, together with the all important sign-posting andreferral to statutory services, including local safeguarding boards.They can also be a gateway to sports, arts and other culturalopportunities. In this way staffed play provision can be seen to fill avital gap for the middle years, between statutory early educationand youth provision.

Secondly, these places are touch points for children and youngpeople’s engagement with their physical and social environments.Being places they elect – rather than being referred or compelled– to attend, they serve to enhance children’s sense of place andcommunity.

Finally, the huge added value of volunteers and voluntarymanagement committees, the resourcefulness and self-sufficiencyof the playwork ethos (adventure playgrounds and their scrapstore suppliers were the original recyclers) and their refreshing lackof bureaucratic administrative tiers, make a significant economiccase for this form of provision. Any cost-benefit analysis of theprojects highlighted here would surely demonstrate high returnscompared to the more established statutory services.

Policy partners’ responses The importance of play is increasingly being recognised bypolicymakers and public service stakeholders. This is for a mixof intrinsic and instrumental reasons: whilst first and foremostrecognising children’s right to good play provision, thesestakeholders also recognise the difference that play provisioncan make to other outcomes for children and their ownprofessional objectives.

Play for Wales Spring 2010PEOPLE MAKE PLAY REPORT

Conclusions What this research demonstrates is that some of the best opportunities for the children most in need do not come about frominvestment purely in the ‘hardware’ of sites and equipment, but through the understanding, skills and commitment of dedicatedstaff and volunteers. Playworkers and play rangers turn physical spaces into places of opportunity, imagination and belonging. Formany children in many places, investing in hardware will never be enough. The best opportunities to play are shaped by people. People Make Play can be downloaded for free on the Play England website and is available to purchase in printed form.

www.playengland.org.uk

Play for Wales Spring 2010WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

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So far 2010 has been an exciting andchallenging year for our Playwork:Principles into Practice (P3) level 2qualification. Since January, 143learners have enrolled (or are due toenrol) on courses across Wales – fromCeredigion to Caerphilly and Conwy toRhondda Cynon Taff.

Getting onlineOver the past few months we have been piloting an onlinesubmission system that gives P3 learners the option to submittheir work and to chat online and post messages about theircourses. This system will soon be fully bilingual, but we canalready support the submission of work in English and Welsh. Ofcourse, the traditional paper option using the learnerhandbook is still available for both English and Welsh speakinglearners.

Learners can take part through our Playwork Wales website atwww.playworkwales.org.uk

New trainersWe have a new group of P3 trainers ready to spread thedelivery of P3 into Conwy, Gwynedd and Cardiff. We aregrateful to Cardiff Children’s Play Services for providing a freevenue for running the course and to all those who took partwith so much physical and mental energy! Dafydd MyrddinHughes from Gwynedd tells us all about it:

‘Having completed the P3 Award as a student a year ago andhaving felt the “WOW” factor then, I was expecting this course tobe something different, something out of the box and possiblytesting ... I was right. The course was outside the box in terms ofthe variety of learning methods and our involvement in all aspectsof the course (which empowered us to comment freely, openlyand honestly without the threat of being made to feel stupid). Thiscreated an effective and supportive learning environment.

‘I learnt a massive amount over the five days and left eachday extremely tired, but it was a good happy tirednessbecause “it was worth it!” Above all I believe it has preparedme well for my first course as a trainer which, I’m pleased tosay, will be delivered entirely through the medium of Welsh.’

Assessors’ trainingIn March we ran the City & Guilds L20 – Support Competencein the Workplace course for those wishing to become assessorsfor playwork qualifications.

P3 on the qualifications frameworkP3 has recently had its registration extended until the end ofthe year by SkillsActive, the sector skills council, when it willcome up for review along with all playwork qualifications inorder to ensure that it meets national occupational standards.

activepassport™ is an online tool supportingcareer development for playworkers andother professionals involved in playprovision. It provides a handy, verified,record of skills, learning and qualifications,including on-the job training, employmenthistory and professional achievements.

• The activepassport™ is owned by you and it is transferablebetween employers, so it can form the basis of a personaldevelopment plan or help map and navigate your entirecareer path

• By highlighting practical abilities, as well as any formal

qualifications, the activepassport™ provides an easy way ofshowing prospective employers all your achievements

• As well as recording your current training and qualificationsyou can also plan for ongoing CPD

• Unlike a standard CV, this record takes the form of an easilyaccessible photo card and interactive online profile,capable of being updated at anytime

• Getting an activepassport™ demonstrates a commitmentto developing your skills and maximizing your potential

• Reminds you when compulsory training is due to expire sothat you can keep any essential training up to date.

For more information please contactworkforce@playwales.org.uk or find out more atwww.activepassport.co.uk

Playwork Wales, the National Centre for Playwork Educationand Training, has become an Approved CACHE Centre

for the delivery of CACHE level 3 Award, Certificate andDiploma in Playwork.

We are hoping to draw down funding from the Departmentfor Children, Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills (DCELLS)through our contract with ITEC Training Solutions to supportthe delivery of CACHE level 3.

Playwork training reviewColleagues may have been involved in research undertakenby Melyn Consulting for the Welsh Assembly Government toreview capacity and delivery of playwork training in Wales.

The review also covers the role of Playwork Wales, thenational centre for playwork education and training.

P3update

activepassport™ for playwork

Play for Wales Spring 2010WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

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Great recruitment tool

Quality Training Quality Play

At the recent Playwork Wales seminarin Builth we took the opportunity to

work with colleagues from across Walesto build and plan for the playworksector.

Good Communication – our pledgeCommunication is key to everyone’swork with and for children, so at PlayworkWales we have started to work on aCommunications Strategy for our workand for all those with an interest inchildren’s play – but this isn’t to be adocument that just sits on a shelf ...

People came together and got involvedin forming a plan at our WorkforceSeminar – and we were delighted tosee the smiles on participant’s faces aswe started to explain our early ideas fora shared Communication Pledge forWales - so that we can all aid clear andeffective communication within andoutside our sector.

It seems participants might have beendreading another long dusty officialdocument and were relieved to find that thisstrategy is nothing of the sort. The idea is thatwe all sign up to the Pledge and use thesymbols that are currently being designed tohelp identify information that needs to beshared with contacts and networks.

So watch this space for developments,and here is the draft we all worked on atthe Seminar:

The Communication Pledge:

We pledge to share …to actively pass on news or informationof interest to others

We pledge to provideappropriate information … to give accurate, timely, accessible,succinct information in the right format(not always email!)

We pledge plain speaking …

We pledge to be honest …

We pledge to have integrity …

We pledge to keep current …to check and make sure information isstill relevant and useful

We pledge to be interesting …

We pledge to tell …to take responsibility for givinginformation as well as receiving it

Playwork Wales will be using all thesepledges in our future communications.

For a start we pledge to update thePlaywork Wales website regularly; makesure there are plenty of links; and makesure it is user-friendly. We will check itregularly and we will avoid jargon. Wealso encourage colleagues to feed usideas and information for the website –so that we are all actively involved inmaking the pledge work and keepingthe flow of information going.

At the Playwork: A Quality Future seminarwe also consulted our colleagues in thesector on proposals for the future ofplaywork qualifications, education andtraining from 2011 onwards. This willfeed into the SkillsActive consultationoutlined in the news section. Fourdistinct messages came from ourdiscussions:

1. Play and the playwork approachshould be included within integrated

workforce strategies – promoting agreater understanding of play andplaywork across sectors.

2. There should be provision ofprocesses to support improvedplaywork learning and skills – forexample an element of playworktraining might be mandatory for allchildren’s workforce development.

3. We need to engage and inspireemployers and practitioners to

prioritise workforce development –for example we might research therelationship between playworkershaving full time positions and thedelivery of quality playwork.

4. We need to increase the uptake ofplaywork qualifications - for exampleoffer playwork qualifications inschools, work towards parity of payand conditions for playworkers withyouth workers, teachers, and otherskilled workers.

Potential in Playwork: AContinuing ProfessionalDevelopment Strategy for Playand Playwork in Wales 2009 isnow available to download fromPlaywork Wales’ website:www.playworkwales.org.uk

A Career as a playworker? is Playwork Wales’bilingual guide to playwork, a tool for employerswho are recruiting or anyone who wants help toexplain the playwork role to others.The booklet has been updated to make it even more usefuland reprinted (our first batch is all used up) so there areplenty available for summer 2010 recruitment.

Copies are available to purchase (to cover our costs) in theshop section on Play Wales’ website: www.playwales.org.uk

CPDStrategy

playworkPlaywork: A Quality Future

Play for Wales Spring 2010EVENTS AND MEMBERSHIP

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Events

Funding

5 – 6 May 2010Holiday Inn, CardiffThis is Spirit’s tenth anniversary and it is still as popular asever with everyone from beginner playworkers tomanagers. It covers both the practical and theoreticalaspects of playwork as described in the PlayworkPrinciples – and much more.

This year we have invited George Broeseliske who leads avoluntary sector play organisation in Rotterdam to speakabout adventure playgrounds as part of a range ofcommunity play provision in a ‘Child Friendly City’.

We also have contributions from Stuart Lester, Perry Else,Eddie Nuttall, Ali Wood, Grant Lambie, Bristol ScrapstorePlaypods, Jess Milne and many more, plus excitingpractical workshops.

Booking forms are available to download from ourwebsite: www.playwales.org.uk

20th International Play Therapy World Congress13 – 24 May 2010Marrakechwww.playtherapy.org.uk/WorldCongress/WorldCongress2010home.htm

25th ICCP World Play Conference -Children's Play: New Goals for the Future16 – 18 June 2010Lisbonwww.fmh.utl.pt/25iccp/

British Association of Play TherapistsAnnual Conference25 - 26 June 2010Birminghamwww.bapt.info/conference.htm

Playday 20104 August 2010www.playday.org.uk

Create Inspiring Playgrounds29 September – 1 October 2010Karlstad, Swedenhttp://ipaworld.org/category/news-and-events/conferences

5th Edition: Child in the City 201027 - 29 October 2010Palazzo dei Congressi Florence, Italywww.childinthecity.com/page/1836

Spirit of Adventure Play

Austin and Hope Pilkington TrustGrants of between £1,000 and £10,000 are availablefor projects in the following areas for 2010: children,youth, the elderly and medical research projectsdealing with the ageing population.

Deadlines for application: 1 June and 1 November 2010.

www.austin-hope-pilkington.org.uk/

IPA membership – for an international perspectiveThe International Play Association; promotingthe child’s right to play (IPA) is aninterdisciplinary organisation bringing togetherpeople from all professions which have animpact on opportunities for children’s play. Examples include:playwork; health; education; social work; early childhood; cityplanning; landscape design; social planning; architecture;community development; art; and research.

IPA England Wales and Northern Ireland (EWNI) branchwelcomes new members and we encourage anyone whowants to raise the profile of children’s play and to make themost of next year’s IPA World Conference in Cardiff to join up.Please email Bob Hughes, the Membership Secretary:playeducation@ntlworld.com

Find out more about IPA’s international work at www.ipaworld.org

Play Wales membership 2010 To renew your membership, or to become a new memberof Play Wales, please complete the membership registrationform which is available to download from our website:www.playwales.org.uk

Benefits for members living or working in Wales include:reduced conference and seminar fees; reduced rates forpublications; free Criminal Records Bureau checks for staffworking in regulated provision; previews of articles of interestand briefing sheets.

Benefits for members living or working outside Wales are:free poster; e-bulletins with events and funding news;previews of articles of interest and briefing sheets.