Play Wales Annual Report 2008-2009

Play Wales Annual Report for the year ended 31 March 2009

www.playwales.org.uk

Welcome Play Wales/Chwarae Cymru is the national organisation for children’s play in Wales; an independent charity funded by the Welsh Assembly Government. Our aim is to act as a champion for children’s play; to increase awareness and understanding of the critical importance of play in the health and well-being of children.

One day Wales will be a place where we recognise and provide for every child’s play needs Un dydd bydd Cymru’n wlad ble y byddwn yn cydnabod ac yn darparu ar gyfer anghenion chwarae pob plentyn

Contents

Director’s Report Chairperson’s Report Play provision and development BIG Lottery Information Guidance and Networking Workforce Development Playwork: Principles into Practice (P3) Financial Review Future Plans IPA 2011 Play Wales Team Contact details

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Director’s report This year marked the tenth anniversary of Play Wales/Chwarae Cymru as a registered charity. In many ways such anniversaries make no difference at all to the work that we do or to our ambitions, but they do provide us with an opportunity to reflect on our progress, celebrate successes and look forward to the future. Importantly, this tenth anniversary is a chance to thank all those who have supported us and worked with us over the past years.

The last decade has seen considerable change in the understanding of the importance of play to children; the ways in which we adults can improve and influence legal and physical environments (as well as the culture of our country) to make it a place where every child has free access to a choice of quality play opportunities within their community.

A key Assembly Government initiative that we hope will make a significant difference to provision for children’s play in Wales is the Legislative Competence Order on Social Welfare – Vulnerable Children and Child Poverty and the subsequent proposed Children and Families Measure. It contains within it a duty on local authorities to assess and provide for ‘sufficient’ play for children. This year the Measure has continued to progress through the various stages that will see it eventually becoming law. This duty was a headline recommendation in 2004 when we were one of the organisations involved in advising the Assembly on its Play Policy Implementation Plan, so it is a long-held goal and seeing it achieved in such a way as to make the most positive impact for children and their play will continue to be one of our top priorities.

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In order to be most effective in attaining our objectives while acknowledging changing roles within our team and the availability of funding, we commissioned a staffing review during this financial year that has resulted in staffing changes that better reflect what individual staff actually do. Some members of the team left to take up career opportunities elsewhere and were not replaced, and the trustees and management team made some hard decisions that we hope will support the long term sustainability of Play Wales. The changes we have made also reflect the increased level of support for grass roots play providers in Wales now that there are ten BIG Lottery funded play infrastructure projects that have been set up to meet local needs across every region, and now that we have an established National Centre for Playwork Education and Training in Wales.

This annual review details the wide and varied range of work that Play Wales has undertaken to advocate and ensure quality provision for the play needs of every child in Wales during 2008/2009. In conclusion, from time to time we hear a description of Play Wales that reflects a perception that we are only here to advocate for and support staffed open access play provision. Nothing could be further from the truth. I hope that everyone reading this review will soon see that we embrace much much more in order to achieve our vision on behalf of the children of Wales.

Mike Greenaway Director

Chairperson’s report Thinking back to the late nineties it seems a very long time since a small, determined band of us fought to retain a national organisation for children’s play in Wales. In 1998 Play Wales had existed for some time but was struggling to survive, play was all but scrubbed from the political agenda.

However with a promise of a small grant from the Welsh Office, we formed a new charity, Play Wales/ Chwarae Cymru, to be an effective voice advocating children’s play needs and promoting quality in play provision.

Now we are ten years old as a charity, we are an established organisation with a decade’s worth of successes to celebrate and a new decade and new challenges to overcome. We continue to work hard to influence policy-making that may have an impact on children’s access to a choice of quality play opportunities and to advise on the strategic delivery of positive outcomes for children’s play. We have campaigned for and supported the development of the Assembly Government’s Play Policy and subsequent Play Policy Implementation Plan, both of which have made a significant impact on the policy context in which we work; and more recently the strategic contribution of the BIG Lottery Child’s Play programme has begun to make a difference. We look forward to the results of Round Two of the programme and its support for innovative play projects across Wales later in 2009.

Many of the Child’s Play programme play project applications, if successful, will rely on Wales having a steady supply of qualified and competent playworkers – people whose job it is to support children in creating and protecting environments where they can play. Sustaining Play Wales’ acclaimed Level 2 playwork qualification, Playwork: Principles into Practice (P3) has been one of our priorities this year and in due course it is our intention to further develop the qualification at Levels 3 and 4.

We do have a sense of making some headway but there is much that remains to be done over the next decade.

Margaret Jervis, O.B.E 5

Play provision and development To maintain and ensure appropriate representation and consultation Play Wales was involved in a variety of Wales-wide working groups, predominately funded by the Welsh Assembly, to ensure that children’s play acquires the status it deserves: • Physical Activity Network • Climbing Higher Physical Activity Action Plan External Stakeholders Group • Fields in Trust Planning and Design Advisory Group and Welsh Supplement Advisory Group • UNCRC Monitoring Group • Early Years and Childcare Group • Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW) under 8’s Providers Group • Under 8’s Regulation and National Minimum Standards Group • Fforwm Magu Plant • National Association of Toy and Leisure Libraries Welsh Development Committee • The Director was a trustee of Children in Wales and Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids’ Clubs • Planning for Health Conference Steering Group • Welsh Assembly Government Play Policy Implementation Plan Monitoring Group • Guidelines and Standards for Actions within the Play Policy Implementation Plan Advisory Group • Participation Consortium 0 – 10’s Participation Sub Group

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Play Wales has supported the development of a strategic approach to children’s play through:

Play Wales has supported children’s play and play provision at local level by:

• The design and delivery of playwork seminars.

• Ensuring that local community groups are signposted to and supported appropriately by local support networks. We estimate that we received and responded to more than 1000 telephone and email queries from parents, elected members, schools and small organisations during the last year.

• The development, maintenance and support of the Playwork Development Officer Network. This network has a membership of over 40 professionals involved in play provision development.

• Membership on 20 strategic play working groups throughout Wales.

• Providing non-managerial professional development support to 20 Play Development Officers throughout Wales.

• Supporting the development of a federation of providers of resources for play.

• Delivering 20 presentations regarding planning for play in local authority areas/communities.

• Supporting the development of technical advice, guidance and safety matters specific to staffed play provision.

- Play Right (Swansea Neath Port Talbot)

- Re-create (Cardiff and Vale Play Services Association)

Play Wales was involved in a variety of UK wide policy groups, such as: • Children’s Play Information Service Advisory Group • National Play Safety Forum

• Providing support for voluntary sector play projects including:

Play Wales responded to a wide range of consultations including: • • •

• Children’s Play Policy Forum

• • •

• Children’s Play Council

•

• Register of Playground Inspectors International

• National Playday Steering Group

•

FIT (Fields in Trust) Planning and Design for Outdoor Sport and Play Implementing a Dormant Accounts Scheme in Wales Supporting Quality Childcare in Wales (Review of the Regulations and the National Minimum Standards for Daycare and Childminding) Wales Transport Strategy-Connecting Wales Taking Action on Child Poverty Children and Young People Committee’s call for evidence for the Welsh Assembly Government’s Parenting Action Plan Children and Young People Committee’s Inquiry into Children’s Budgeting in Wales Proposed Playing Fields (community involvement in disposal decisions) (Wales) Measure

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BIG Lottery In August 2006 Play Wales was awarded a contract by the BIG Lottery Fund to help deliver the Child’s Play programme. Play Wales has supported a strategic response to the Child’s Play programme through: • The production of an appendix to State of Play 2006, providing information as to how the additional funding for play facilities for disabled children was employed to highlight issues which need to be addressed.

• Continued support for 10 infrastructure projects.

• Organising a seminar for key stakeholders, ‘Designing Creative Play Spaces’ and ‘Taking the Application Forward’ to disseminate information and share good practice.

• Publicising the service through dedicated web pages, Play for Wales magazine and other publications, and the publication of an information leaflet.

• Continued facilitation and support of 10 regional partnerships (working groups) to submit applications.

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• Support for 10 lead applicants to Round 2 of the Child’s Play programme.

Information Guidance and Networking Play Wales’ Information team has produced and disseminated a wide variety of bilingual information over the past year, including:

• Provision, maintenance and ongoing development of a website which is regularly updated with items of interest to members and to those who have an interest in children’s play, playwork and play provision. The number of information pages on the website has increased and so have the number of visitors downloading information.

• Quarterly publications of Play for Wales magazine.

• Supporting the work of Playwork Wales, the national centre for education and training in playwork – production and marketing of a playwork recruitment booklet and flier, developing a website.

• Review and publication of fact sheets and web pages on a range of topics including Play and the Plug, a position statement and briefing on the use of computer games within play provision.

• Expansion of Play Wales’ library which offers the most comprehensive resource of play and playwork materials in Wales; currently we hold approximately 1,100 reference books. This is open to visitors by appointment.

• Editing, proofreading, managing the design and supporting the development of new playwork training materials.

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Publications Play and the Plug (March 2009)

• Promotion of play through the media - Play Wales made a significant contribution in terms of advice and participation in the BBC Wales What are We Doing to our Kids?

Season. Representation at national events, such as national Playday and Eisteddfod – where the Information Service organised a debate in 2008.

A briefing and position statement on children’s use of computer games and their relevance within play settings.

• Contribution to the UK national Playday steering group and Information Pack.

The Play Resource Triangle - increasing play opportunities creatively (September 2008)

• Regular contact with Members of Parliament and Assembly Members.

• Contribution to conferences and events in Wales and throughout the UK. • Co-ordinating the organisation of the IPA 2011 conference.

• Dissemination of publications, 486 copies of The First Claim and 42 The First Claim - Desirable Processes.

• Seminars and conferences on topics such as:

- Spirit of Adventure Play national playwork conference

- Professional development seminars including

Workforce Development - Take the Credit, Playworkers’

skills, Play Area Design, Re-charge.

This briefing highlights the benefits to children’s play and play provision in Wales of toy and leisure libraries, scrapstores and mobile play provision - the play resource triangle. Published

by Play Wales, in collaboration with the National Playbus Association and the National Association of Toy and Leisure Libraries (NATLL).

Child protection – Safeguarding our children (July 2008) Policy and procedures for adoption and adaption.

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Workforce Development

Play Wales’ Workforce Development team has continued to support and contribute towards playwork education training and workforce development in Wales.

Over the last 12 months Play Wales has: • Provided ongoing significant support to SkillsActive, the sector skills council for playwork, including the delivery of the UK strategy, Quality Training, Quality Play and the development of a sector qualification strategy for playwork in Wales.

• Delivered four Playwork Education and Training Council Wales meetings on behalf of SkillsActive. Attended development meetings for the Playwork Common Units Qualifications with SkillsActive.

• Maintained a strong relationship with Welsh Assembly Government Education Training Standards Committee to ensure a peer-led endorsement system - four meetings per year and additional endorsement meetings per year depending on demand, work programme and support needs.

• Hosted the National Education and Training Centre for Wales, Playwork Wales – delivered two roadshows including consultation on a Continuing Professional Development strategy, worked on the web-based interactive learning platform and website and the development of the Basic Skills Toolkit.

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• Support to Glyndŵr University to deliver a honours degree pathway in playwork.

• Delivered the Take the Credit conference on playwork workforce development which included the launch of Playwork Wales, the presentation of workforce research ‘Where are you?’ and first sight of the web-based interactive learning platform.

• Accredited the Playwork: Principles into Practice (P3) suite of Level 2 qualifications onto the new Qualifications and Credit Framework.

Qualified in excess of 200 P3 learners.

• Continued to work on the development of a new European Social Fund (ESF) Convergence bid to support the delivery and development of P3 qualifications at Levels 2, 3 and 4.

• Developed a memorandum of understanding with the Scottish Qualifications Authority in terms of the future development and delivery of P3.

• Began the qualification of V1 internal verifiers award for three individuals now either qualified or working towards qualification.

P3 Following extensive piloting Playwork: Principles into Practice (P3) became the first playwork qualification in the country to sit on the new Qualifications and Credit Framework. Awarded through the Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA) it is available in English and Welsh throughout Wales.

Over the past year we have: • Trained over 340 learners • Successfully registered as a City and Guilds centre in order to offer an appropriate range of qualifications for our trainers and assessors • Qualified 15 new trainers through the 7302 Introduction to Delivering Learning, awarded through City and Guilds • Ensured 19 new assessors have completed their Learning and Development Unit L20 (Support competence achieved in the workplace) • Fast tracked and qualified another trainer through the mini NVQ route • Successfully completed two External Verifier visits from SQA • Provided regular support and information to all our P3 trainers and assessors through our network • Ensured quality standards in assessing P3 through regular standardisation meetings • Worked closely with our Information team to finalise the production of extensive support materials for the P3 Award, Certificate and Diploma • Instigated the development of an online learning and submission system to support the delivery of P3.

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Financial Review Principal Funding Sources

During the year Play Wales raised its income principally from the Welsh Assembly Government, the BIG Lottery – a contract for services which commenced in August 2006, the annual ‘Spirit’ Conference, various seminars, consultancy and advice and membership fees (effective 1 January 2009). The core funding from the Welsh Assembly Government is a major source of revenue, which has ensured the implementation of the work programme by employing staff and the associated operational costs.

Reserves Statement

Play Wales intends to maintain the level of free reserves of at least three months annual expenditure, currently approximately £252k. The financial reserves are set aside to ensure financial stability for staff and its members and to ensure that the current activities would be maintained in the event of a significant drop in funding.

Restricted funds of £(2,547) as at 31 March 2009 will be used during the year for purposes for which they were received.

At the year-end, the charity has an accumulated unrestricted surplus of £2,913 (2008: £264,361). Of these reserves £23,767 is tied up in fixed assets, £48,000 has been set aside in a designated fund as a payroll reserve. However, the unrestricted reserves are stated after the deduction of a pension liability of £310,000 that does not require to be settled immediately. The free reserves available to the charity (excluding fixed assets, the designated fund and the pension liability) were £241,146 (2008: £276,361).

Investment Policy

The trustees regularly review the amount that the organisation requires to ensure that they are adequate to fulfil its continuing obligations. Currently the charity takes a cautious approach to investing, adopting a short term, low risk policy, interest bearing 14 day deposit account which attracts approximately 3.76 percent return.

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Future Plans Play Wales will consistently work to promote children’s play at every level, act as an advocate for children and their play needs and ensure a strategic national focus on play across divisions.

Significant activities and services that will contribute to the achievement of the stated objectives include: • A review of Play Wales’ five year and 10 year strategy • Potential closure of North Wales office due to changing funding and strategic needs – seeking the hosting of North Wales Development Officer within the Children’s Commissioner’s Office in Colwyn Bay • Continued development and delivery of quality play training materials and qualifications • Development of bid for European Funding • Development of a National Training Centre for Playwork Education and Training - strategically contributing to workforce development for the playwork sector across Wales • Continued development of the website and development of Information Services

• A magazine published three times a year • A programme of conferences, workshops, events and seminars • Contribution to the development of meaningful, appropriate local strategies in each of the 22 Welsh local authorities area, maintaining memberships and facilitating the development of partnership working with existing groups • Contribution to and support the implementation of Play in Wales • Contribution to the implementation of the UK Playwork Education and Training Strategy • Development of Play Wales membership and increase new members by 20 percent • Supporting the development of a strategic approach to the delivery of play provision at local authority level, to enable appropriate response and the most effective funding applications to the BIG Lottery Child’s Play programme.

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IPA 2011

Play Wales has been chosen to host the next International Play Association conference in Wales in 2011.

The organisation is working together with partners and colleagues to make this an exciting, vibrant, interesting and memorable event.

This is an opportunity to bring together play providers, practitioners, theorists and researchers and to showcase the policy and practical work that happens in the UK. The conference will be held Monday 4 – Thursday 7 July 2011.

I’ll be there During the year steady progress was made in preparing to host the IPA 2011 50th Anniversary World Conference. We have: • • •

• • •

booked the venue - City Hall, Cardiff booked student accommodation for delegates set up advisory groups with Wales, UK and International membership started our advertising campaign started to seek additional funding appointed a conference co-ordinator from among our team

We look forward to a lively and stimulating four-day conference in 2011 and to showcasing the best that Wales (and the UK) can offer playing children.

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Play Wales Team

(correct as of March 2009)

National Office

Organisational Structure

Kate Barron - Administrative Assistant Gill Evans - Communications Manager Mike Greenaway - Director Jane Hawkshaw - Playwork Wales National Centre Manager Agii Hennessey - Finance Assistant Jacky Jenkins - Finance Manager Michelle Jones - Development Officer Marianne Mannello - Assistant Director Tillie Mobbs - Assistant Director Aled Morris - Administrative Assistant Kathy Muse - Office Manager Sarah Southern - Development Officer Richard Trew - Training Development Officer Mel Welch - Workforce Development Co-ordinator Angharad Wyn Jones - Communications Co-ordinator

The Board of Trustees administers the charity. The Director is responsible to the Board of Trustees for the day to day management of the organisation.

North Wales Office

To register for membership please visit: www.playwales.org.uk/register.asp

Annette Hennessey - Administrative and Communications Co-ordinator Martin King-Sheard - Development Officer

Membership Play Wales is a membership organisation. Membership is open to organisations and individuals from voluntary, statutory and independent sectors.

The membership fees for 2009 are: Individual: £10 Organisations - one full-time member of staff or fewer: £25 International: £25 Organisations - more than one full-time member of staff: £50 Commercial/private: £75 Local Authority: £100

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Contact us ...

Play Wales National Office

Play Wales North Office

Play Wales Baltic House Mount Stuart Square Cardiff CF10 5FH

Play Wales Tai Tywyn Business Centre Sandy Lane Prestatyn Denbighshire LL19 7SF

Telephone: (029) 2048 6050 Fax: (029) 2048 9359 Email: mail@playwales.org.uk

Telephone: (01745) 851 816 Fax: (01745) 851 517 Email: northoffice@playwales.org.uk

www.playwales.org.uk Registered Charity No. 1068926.

A company limited by guarantee registered in Wales No. 3507258