Why Play Mattersin East Lothian

Jane CrawfordSenior Play Development Officer

About Play ScotlandPlay Scotland is a children’s charity formed in

1998 to promote The Child’s Right to Play

and funded by The Scottish Government.

© Play Scotland

Aims of Play Scotland• Creating a Policy framework for Play

• Providing support and resources to the Play Sector

• Promoting a Playwork Profession

• Develop and dessimate information and research on the benefits of play and child-friendly communities

© Play Scotland

Policy Framework for Play in Scotland

• Equally Well (June 2008 and review, 2010)

•Achieving our Potential (Nov 2008) • Early Years Framework (Dec 2008)

• Child Poverty Strategy (2011)

© Play Scotland

• Provide support to Local Authorities to embed Play in Single Outcome Agreements and integrated planning

• Providing support to membership and the play sector

• Identifying where play happens in Scotland and audit of training needs ( Glasgow, Shetland, West Lothian, East Ayrshire)

• Play Manifesto 2011

Play Scotland promotes child-friendly communities

© Play Scotland

Developing a Toolkit for Local Authorities and Community Groups

‘Power of Play’ - literature review and policy context

Play Indicators to measure sufficiency and quality of play provision

Opportunity to pilot toolkit in summer

Getting it Right for Play

© Play Scotland

Early Years Framework OutcomesSHORT TERM PRIORITIES

• £4M investment from Scottish Government focusing on free play for 5 -13yrs.

• Creating a robust infrastructure across Scotland for the play sector.

• Support to strengthen and support play services in areas of greatest need.

© Play Scotland

Regional Infrastructure

• Midlothian Association of Play (MAP)

• East Ayrshire Community Play Forum

• Aberdeen Play Forum

Newly created by Go Play funding

DG Play (Dumfries and Galloway)

North Lanarkshire Play Association

Play Borders

What a Play Forum could do• Influence the attitude of children, parents and the community by

promoting the Child’s Right to Play, Article 31 UNCRC • Provide support and cohesion to the delivery of Play by all sectors• Assist community groups to access external funding and resources • Develop sustainable Play opportunities and fill gaps in provision

More that a Play Forum could do

• Creating child friendly communities through a multi agency strategic approach to Play • Provide training and resources for groups/individuals/volunteers involved in Play

• Attend national Play events to ensure the Local Authority Play Forum is kept up to date with national initiatives.

Local challenges

• Delivery of Play priority in Early Years Framework. Who?? How??

• Cost effective delivery of services – Out of School Care, Active schools, Community playschemes !

• Quality of Play through a trained workforce

• Keeping at the forefront of new developments and initiatives

Government priorities

• A Change fund for early intervention – Children and Family Centres

• Additional funding for parenting, PLAY, childcare, child and maternal health family support

• National Parenting Strategy – agencies working together to develop parenting skills

• “Play, Talk, Read” and “Take Life On”

• Support from Play Scotland via Play Forum Network for Scotland. (13 local authorities)

• Role of East Lothian Out of School Care Network (ELOSCN)

• Play Forum providing authority wide support to all play providers

• Exploring capacity of Midlothian Association of Play• Strategic direction for early years, play and

childcare

© Play Scotland

Future opportunities

Improving children’s quality of life through PLAY

“when one examines the benefits of play holistically, it seems that we have been granted a magical gift,

and people are now taking notice”

Danielle Marshall, Health Policy Forum

“Let’s share the magical gift!”

© Play Scotland