Play for Wales issue 32

Issue 32

Play for Wales Play news and briefing from the national charity for play

Play – improving opportunities

Summer 2010

www.playwales.org.uk

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Play for Wales Summer 2010 EDITORIAL

Contents

page

Editorial

2-3

News

3-5

BIG Play Adventure

6-8

Playing and Hanging Out

9-10

Events and Book Review

11

Workforce Development

12-13

IPA 2011

14

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.uk Registered Charity No. 1068926 ISSN: 1755 9243 The views expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of Play Wales.

We reserve the right to edit for publication.

We do not endorse any of the products or events advertised in or with this publication.

This publication is printed on paper produced from sustainable forests.

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

Editorial

Play: the generation gap

By Keith Towler, Children’s Commissioner for Wales.

Laughing. Screaming. Shrieking.

Chanting. Yelling. Don’t you just love listening to children having fun? If there is a better sound to hear I’m yet to hear it.

When I go on school visits I hear it in the school yard, when I’m in playgrounds I hear it and in nurseries I hear it. But it’s become apparent to me in recent years that we hear these sounds in fewer and fewer places. In fact, can you think of anywhere else except the beach, or when snow has fallen, when you can routinely expect to hear and see children having fun? As a society we seem to have lessened opportunities for children’s play, we seem more intent on tutting if we hear children having fun and we seem to be at the point where if we could hit the mute button we would.

There are a number of reasons for this I suspect. Intolerance of the noise generated by play; fear of children falling and getting hurt, or worse, worry about the damage that children may cause to the local community. But when was it, that society became so narrowminded about playing children? And why do many of today’s adults, who played in fields, the local woods and on the streets, prevent our children from being afforded the same opportunities?

The memories of my childhood include playing footie in the street, climbing trees, building dens in the woods, making dams in streams, and grazing my knees as I hurtled down some slide the wrong way.

And do you know what? I wouldn’t trade a second of it. Yes it involved getting hurt, and yes what I was involved in may well have been viewed by some adults as a bit of a nuisance. I remember being told

off, I remember that footie by Mr Brown’s house was off bounds unless of course we fancied being chased down the street!

But the bottom line was I don’t remember that any adult ever challenged our right to be there or called the police to say we were being anti social.

My own childhood can be characterised, like many others, with tales of how I would say goodbye to my mum in the morning returning that night when I was hungry. The whole day would be filled with playing and hanging around with friends.

I learned how to deal with boredom, how to have fun, how to negotiate, how to assess risk and how to socialise; all of these things have helped to shape the person that I am today. My concern now is that this current generation of children and young people will not be afforded the same opportunities to learn through play that I have had.

We had an interesting meeting about a year ago in our office with Mike Greenaway of Play Wales. During the meeting Mike presented some pictures to staff of places where they may have played during their childhood. There were pictures of fields and pictures of parks with swings and slides. Mike asked our staff where they remembered playing – I was surprised that even in that room of about 20 professionals, people whom I work with on a daily basis, that there was an obvious split. The younger staff members seemed to remember playing in ‘organised’ play areas like parks.

The other staff had childhood memories like mine. What has happened to the freedom I had when I was young?

When I ask children whether they would rather play outside or inside the majority always tell me that they would rather play outside. My feeling is that this is

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

Play for Wales Summer 2010 NEWS largely about the freedom of play.

They want to choose how and where and when. There are some choices to be had indoors of course – a huge range of television channels to choose, online chat rooms, instant messaging and video games. These are all more sedentary in nature and whilst adults complain about children staring at screens all day they reconcile the physical inactivity with a phrase like: ‘but at least I know where they are and what they are doing’. Really?

Play is a fundamental right (Article 31) in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. As adults we are duty bound to make play possible. But how do we go about making it happen?

I truly believe that the first step we have to take to make play happen for Wales’ children and young people (and this is true about any service or opportunity we want to provide them) is to talk to them, and the second crucial step is to listen to what they have to say. Then, we need to provide the opportunities they need; in structured and semi structured settings fit for playing children – that should not be that tough a task. The bigger nut to crack is how we as a society can respond to children’s right to play.

I can’t be the only one who thinks that children’s right to roam should be restored to the standard afforded me in the 1960s and early 70s. The right to play in your local street free from the tyranny of motor cars, freedom to play in the woods, kick a ball against a wall and build a den without ridicule from watching adults.

Not too much to ask surely.

I would argue that children’s play is so important to their physical and emotional development that we do damage if we prevent them from enjoying their right to play. Ask ten children how important play is to them and you will get a very strong positive response. Ask the same ten children what they like to do when they are out playing and you will get ten different answers. That’s fine because that is what play is all about. Individual expression and learning – it’s innate in all of us. We would do well to recognise that.

Perhaps the true mark of a healthy society is the extent to which you see and hear children playing outside. We have someway to go here in Wales but I hope all is not yet lost.

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URGENT – Have your say!

New Child Poverty Strategy and Delivery Plan for Wales The Welsh Assembly Government is conducting a three-month public consultation on a new Child Poverty Strategy and Delivery Plan for Wales, which ends on 12 August 2010. This has the potential to change the resourcing and policy environment for children’s services.

One very important thing that has clearly been overlooked is the significant positive contribution of playing and play provision to this agenda.

The Children and Families (Wales) Measure, which became law in February 2010, places a duty on Welsh Ministers to publish a strategy which sets out the Welsh Assembly Government’s vision for tackling child poverty in Wales and improving outcomes for children and parents living in low-income families.

The delivery plan sets out the policy action the Assembly Government will deliver to achieve this vision. Play and play provision have been omitted from the proposed Strategy, even though it is included in the Measure. We have a increasing body of evidence that shows that quality play provision can alleviate aspects of child poverty and support children in thriving and building resilience – as well as fostering community cohesion.

Play Wales members will be invited to comment on our draft response to the consultation to inform our final submission – and we will post our final response on our website so that others can use it to inform their own. We would urge everyone in Wales who has an interest in children’s play and play provision to respond to this consultation.

Following the consultation period, it is envisaged that a revised Child Poverty Strategy and Delivery Plan will be published by the Welsh Assembly Government (Autumn 2010).

Deadline for consultation responses: 12 August 2010 Please visit: http://cymru.gov.uk/consultations/childrenandyoungpeople/ cpstrategy/?lang=en

Health benefits of play for disabled children KIDS, a charity working to create an inclusive world for disabled children, young people and their families, has published a new briefing – The health benefits of play and physical activity for disabled children and young people.

This briefing intends to raise awareness of the vital role of play and physical activity in promoting disabled children and young people’s health and wellbeing. It examines the health benefits of play, the national policy context in England, and the additional barriers disabled children and young people face in accessing play, sport and leisure opportunities. It also includes case studies, key recommendations for policy makers and a list of useful resources.

To download the briefing please visit: www.kids.org.uk/publications Play Wales and KIDS are exploring ways to publish this briefing to include the Welsh policy context.

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Play for Wales Summer 2010 NEWS

Young people submit evidence already submitted video evidence to the committee. Following this Jessica and Victoria were invited to speak to the committee in person.

Earlier this year Funky Dragon (the children and young people assembly for Wales) representatives, Jessica Simmons and Victoria Madden gave evidence to the Children and Young People Committee at the National Assembly for Wales as part of the inquiry into safe places to play and hang out in Wales.

Along with other Funky Dragon members, Anthony Aratoon, Charlie Prowse and Guto Davies they had

Questions ranged from where they hang out and what they get up to, to what they think needs to be put in place next. The committee was made up of Assembly Members from all parties and was chaired by Helen Mary Jones. They talked at great length to the committee with their evidence taking almost two hours.

Jessica and Victoria were also interviewed for Senedd TV which broadcasts live from the committees and transmits events in the assembly chamber – www.senedd.tv For more information about the children and young people’s assembly please visit Funky Dragon’s website: www.funkydragon.org Please see our ‘Enquiring into the Inquiry’ article on page 9/10.

Child Minding and Day Care Regulations consultation This Welsh Assembly Government consultation seeks views on proposed amendments to the existing regulations governing child care for children below the age of 8.

The Children and Families (Wales) Measure received Privy Council approval on 10 February 2010. It provides an opportunity to use powers devolved under the Government of Wales Act 2006 to update existing child minding and day care legislation. This will make the law in these important areas more accessible and easier to understand.

The Measure (Part 2: Regulation of Childminding and Day Care) does not radically change current childcare registration and inspection arrangements. It provides, however, the opportunity to consolidate and improve existing childminding and day care regulations.

Play Wales members will be invited to comment on our draft response to the consultation to inform our final submission – and we will post our final response on our website so that others can use it to inform their own.

Deadline for consultation responses: 6 September 2010 For more information and to respond to the consultation please visit: http://wales.gov.uk/consultations/education/childdaycare/?lang=en

2010 update T

his year’s Playday takes place on Wednesday 4 August 2010.

The Welsh title for the 2010 Playday campaign is Its Our Place Too! We believe that children can and should be able to play every day almost everywhere that they live or move through ... because playing is important to them and this is their place too.

Register your event Whether you’re organising a small neighbourhood get together or a city-wide extravaganza to celebrate Playday 2010, please register your event on the Playday website.

A registration pack will be sent to each registered event while stocks last.

Forum Through the online Forum on the Playday website event organisers can share ideas and advice with other organisers. There are various topics you can contribute to, including ‘HELP! Ask fellow organisers for advice’ or you can create a new topic.

Drawing Consultation As part of this year’s campaign a drawing consultation is being held.

To help build a picture of play in communities across the UK children are being asked to draw what it is like to play where they live. The consultation template can be downloaded from the Playday website.

Playday poll On the Playday website homepage there is a quick poll asking ‘How often do you see children playing outside in your community?’ To take part in the poll visit the Playday website. www.playday.org.uk

Play for Wales Summer 2010 NEWS

Raising Awareness of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child Article 42 of the UNCRC says Government should make the Convention known to all parents and children – Geraint Hamer (Rights Policy and Implementation team, Welsh Assembly Government) and Trudy Aspinwall (Save the Children) tell us about moves to raise awareness in Wales …

Toolkit A UNCRC Raising Awareness Toolkit, launched in November 2009, is aimed at practitioners and professionals.

Save the Children (funded by the Welsh Assembly Government) has developed Children’s Rights in Wales – a web resource to assist professionals in developing a child rights approach to planning, delivering and evaluating services to be launched at the National Eisteddfod in August. Find out more from Trudy Aspinwall: t.aspinwall@savethechildren.org.uk Children’s Rights – Spice ’em up! published by Dynamix, is a toolkit of participatory activities that explore what rights are, aimed at children, young people and practitioners.

Turn on the Rights – within Government Young people from the Save the Children project Turn on the Rights helped to facilitate workshops with staff from different policy areas to raise awareness within Welsh Assembly Government. The Rights Policy and Implementation team and Turn on the Rights are working on a roadshow for Welsh Assembly Government offices across Wales, and creating a film.

Translation The articles of the UNCRC, Concluding Observations and the Priorities for Wales have been published as bilingual Braille and audio resources, with plans to extend this to British Sign Language.

Promoting Positive Images In 2010 the Welsh Assembly Government will focus on tackling negative perceptions – working with media representatives to persuade them to alter their writing style and use more positive images and stories of children and young people. Children and young people will be asked to submit competition entries that they think portray positive images of them, and there will be a celebratory event in November that will include workshops with journalists and media students.

Find out more at www.uncrcletsgetitright.co.uk http://cymru.gov.uk/topics/ childrenyoungpeople/rights/?lang=en

Making Space 2010 Award Making Space 2010: architecture and design for children and young people is an international award and conference promoting innovation, creativity and sustainability in design for children and young people aged 0-18.

Submissions are invited from across the world for the most successful building or space (indoor or outdoor) for children and young people aged 0-18 (inclusive), completed between January 2005 and December 2010.

Award winners will be announced and showcased at a international conference on 7-8 October 2010 to be held in Edinburgh, with supporting events in Glasgow and Stirling.

Closing date: 8 August 2010. www.childreninscotland.org.uk/html/makingspace.htm

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Change4Life Newid am Oes launches in Wales

An ambitious new campaign that will help families eat well, move more and live longer hit television screens, billboards, public transport and newspapers in March 2010. Since then 14,000 families have joined the scheme. The aim of the campaign is to kickstart a lifestyle revolution for every family in order to halt the rising tide of obesity.

The Heritage Minister, Alun Ffred Jones, said: ‘Simple changes to our lifestyle can improve our health, help us to live longer and set a good example to our children. The Welsh Assembly Government is launching this campaign to provide practical advice and support to families across Wales about how they can make choices that will have a positive impact on the health of their children.’

Parents can sign up and receive tailored action plans for their children.

Call the Change4Life contact centre on 0800 100 900 or complete a questionnaire online on www.wales.gov.uk/change4life

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Play for Wales Summer 2010 BIG PLAY ADVENTURE

A BIG new adventure begins!

Many adventures – one aim Across Wales the projects all have their own individual and unique elements, and they also have much in common.

All of the projects aim to encourage community engagement, to support disabled and marginalised children to be included, and to build local and family confidence in all children being able to play out, whether supported by trained adults or not. This is no surprise – school age children tell us time and time again that the places where they would prefer to play are outside and close to home.

The biggest single investment in children’s play provision in Wales will bring massive benefits for our children and create new jobs for Welsh workers. Play Wales has supported the delivery of the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) Child’s Play programme and here we give a round up of the new adventure that is about to happen.

This spring, BIG announced that ten projects covering every region of Wales are to share a £9.5 million investment in play provision. All the projects will meet the programme priorities by creating new play initiatives and facilities in local communities across Wales.

Background Back in November 2006, BIG launched a two round, £13 million Child’s Play programme in Wales as part of its Healthy Families Initiative to fund play projects that aim to achieve one of the following outcomes: • More children have access to play opportunities • The creation of a local infrastructure to provide and plan for children’s play activities • The development of strategic links that promote a joinedup approach to nutrition, physical activity and play In December 2007 BIG announced Round One funding of £2.2 million to create an infrastructure to provide and plan for children’s play provision across all the regions of Wales – 10 infrastructure organisations were created, some based within existing play associations. Regional groups of key stakeholders for each infrastructure project, supported by Play Wales, identified gaps in provision for playing children, agreed priorities for investment at a local level and planned projects to meet them through Round Two of the programme.

The infrastructure projects completed regional audit exercises mapping play provision (e.g. local play spaces, inclusive open access play schemes, adventure playground sites, and mobile and outreach play projects). The audits helped identify local priorities and they provided the evidence for the development of the applications, meeting strategic objectives, for play projects in Round Two.

One of the Round Two projects’ key tasks will be to start to overcome some of the barriers to children playing outside.

The sight of children playing outdoors is disappearing from our daily lives and this has an adverse effect on perceptions and expectations of children and young people. Playworkers will help community members and parents to recognise the need for children to experience a broad range of play opportunities and experiences and help to build confidence and reassurance.

The projects aim to support children and young people to use existing local spaces to meet their play needs – helping them to become more visible through the provision of more time and places for playing within easy distance of their front door.

Here are a few of the unique details of the Round Two play projects:

Conwy, Gwynedd and Ynys Môn Across north west Wales, bilingual staffed open access play provision will be offered for the first time in rural communities where Welsh is the community’s first language.

Swansea and Neath Port Talbot In Neath Port Talbot, the funding will be used for a play bus offering free play sessions across the county in places that are out of reach of other services, starting this autumn.

In Swansea the project will support communities to develop play spaces in Morriston Park, Montana Park and Penclawdd Community Centre.

Ceredigion In Ceredigion, lead applicant RAY Ceredigion will be enhancing eight community play areas over the four years of the project.

Flintshire, Denbighshire and Wrexham In north east Wales, a research project developed in ^ partnership with Glyndw r University is key to evaluating the Round Two investment. It will ‘enquire into the effectiveness of a creation of additional play opportunities within communities ...’ and it should provide evidence that will be useful in advocating for play opportunities across Wales in future.

Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan The Cardiff and Vale project includes training young volunteers to be playworkers so that, with support, they can provide and advocate for playing children.

Play for Wales Summer 2010 BIG PLAY ADVENTURE Rhondda Cynon Taff and Bridgend The project will invest in the recruitment of four apprentice playworkers, who will receive playwork training up to level 3 (equivalent to A level standard) supported by the qualified playwork team.

Merthyr Tydfil, Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent Tri County Play Association will develop a regional quality assurance toolkit based on what children see as quality provision, as well as an inclusive play toolkit to support parents to understand the value of children playing outdoors.

Powys This project will develop a volunteer training programme which will offer a range of training opportunities.

Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire The project will recruit a resource worker who will develop a scrap delivery and collection system and explore new avenues of sourcing scrap in order to resource play teams in the region.

Torfaen, Newport and Monmouthshire This project will develop a toolkit to support the sustainability of community based play projects – created in partnership with

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the groups running them and informed by research gathered by the play teams. Projects will identify what works and what doesn’t, record and analyse achievements and build a greater understanding of their impact and effectiveness.

Leaving a legacy Each of the projects has the opportunity to leave an important legacy, whether by generating a collection of cherished play memories that will help children understand and provide for their own children’s play needs in the future, or by training local volunteers to advocate on behalf of the playing children in their community, or by reclaiming and creating a playable space for local people to share.

This summer, when we are faced with news of funding cuts and difficult decisions regarding children’s services, an investment in children’s play could not have come at a better time. This is a unique opportunity to support children’s right to play outside in their communities. Engaging with families and communities to develop and sustain play provision has the potential to contribute to community cohesion and the development of vibrant and resilient communities – vital if we are to make a lasting contribution to children’s well-being.

Round Two BIG Child’s Play projects in Wales All the projects aim to meet BIG Child’s Play programme priorities by creating new play initiatives and facilities in each area over the next three to four years, all will be recruiting new staff over the coming months. Here is some of the detail: Lead applicant to Round Two

Location

Jobs created

Amount Awarded

Conwy County Borough Council

Conwy, Gwynedd and Ynys Môn

£999,199

Tri-County Play Association

Merthyr Tydfil, Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent

Flintshire County Council

Flintshire, Denbighshire and Wrexham

Torfaen Voluntary Alliance

Torfaen, Newport and Monmouthshire

Carmarthenshire Association of Voluntary Services

Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire

RAY Ceredigion

Ceredigion

Play Right/Chwarae Iawn

Swansea and Neath Port Talbot

1 9 4 8 1 1 9 1 3 6 2 1 8 1 1 4 1 1 6

Dyfodol Powys Futures

Powys

RCT Play Association

Rhondda Cynon Taff and Bridgend

Cardiff City Council

Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan

co-ordinator play rangers senior playworkers playworkers manager resource manager playworkers co-ordinator development workers playworkers co-ordinators resource worker playworkers development officer senior playworker playworkers administrator senior playworker playworkers

1 co-ordinator 3 senior playworkers 6 playworkers 2 senior playworkers 6 playworkers 4 trainee playworkers 2 senior playworkers 10 playworkers

£902,821 £964,850

£999,092

£999,328

£842,321

£998,136 £812,460

£979,511

£998,117

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Play for Wales Summer 2010 BIG PLAY ADVENTURE

Playworkers at the Boost for Eisteddfod yr Urdd playwork The Urdd Eisteddfod introduced an open access play site onto the maes for the first time this year, and Gill Byrne of RAY Ceredigion helped make it happen …

When Mared Dafydd of the Urdd asked Play Wales how to get free and accessible play opportunities onto the 2010 Urdd Eisteddfod site (at Llanerchaeron, near Aberaeron) they pointed her towards us at RAY Ceredigion, the nearest BIG Lottery Child’s Play infrastructure project.

The pilot was very successful. RAY Ceredigion playworkers recorded over 200 children visiting the play site on the first day, a gloriously hot Bank Holiday Monday. ‘From what I saw the area was a huge success!’ said Mared, ‘I hope (this) will develop from year to year at the Urdd Eisteddfod.’

Playworkers kept a comments book all week to record the reactions of parents and children – a total of over 900 children and young people visited the play site over the six days. The words of children and parents show just how much of a draw the play site was for children and how much the children enjoyed it.

‘This place is cool! You should come every year!’ Girl aged 11.

‘Everything I need is here for making things, not like school.’ Boy aged 9 (making a bazooka).

‘I think we’ll be lucky to get him away from here today – we’ll get a chance if he falls asleep.’ (Parent) ‘I thought buying him an ice cream would tempt him away, but no joy.’

(Mother).

‘Sorry boys, you haven’t got through to the next round of the competition.’

(Father to his two sons).

‘Great – we can stay here!’ (Sons’ reply).

Many parents and grandparents appreciated the fact the play site was free of charge and saw it as a lovely ‘chilled out’ (parents’ description) area where they could relax and have a sit down on the grass while the children played.

RAY Ceredigion saw it as an ideal opportunity to promote the Child’s Play project to the Welsh speaking community throughout Wales and produced a leaflet with contact details for all 10 Wales projects. The five Welsh speaking playworkers who staffed the play area over the six days had a fabulous time, the weather was beautiful, the atmosphere was fantastic… and we would all be more than happy to do it all again!

Gill Byrne: gill.byrne@btconnect.com

The BIG Child’s Play programme Round Two investment will create and sustain over a hundred new playwork posts over the next three to four years. This is a significant boost to the profession in Wales, and we hope this opportunity will attract new talent as well as time-served playworkers who already have the experience, skills and qualifications to work effectively in open access play settings.

Playwork Wales is ready with bilingual resources, and support, to offer the projects in recruiting and providing training and continual professional development opportunities for new talent and for time-served workers. As the national centre for education and training in playwork we would like to congratulate all the successful applicants and we look forward to working together in the future.

Jane Hawkshaw, Centre Manager

T

he play area on the Maes got off to a slow start on the first day, and playworker Amy Jones amused herself by making a ra ra skirt out of brightly coloured strips of netting – a great buy from a scrapstore. Little did Amy know that by the end of the day around a hundred adults and children of all ages – plus one reluctant playworker – would have made and be wearing their own versions of Amy’s skirt. What started off as a huge pile of netting was more or less gone by the end of the day, and there was a new fashion on the Maes!

A directory of UK scrapstores is available online at: www.childrensscrapstore.co.uk

Play for Wales Summer 2010 PLAYing AND hanging out

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Enquiring into the Inquiry In the last issue of Play for Wales we reported on the National Assembly for Wales Children and Young People Committee’s inquiry into safe places for children and young people to play and hang out. As part of the inquiry the Committee gathered evidence from children and young people.

Helen Mary Jones AM, Chairperson of the Children and Young People Committee was pleased to be the one answering the questions for a change when our reporter Lowri Brown (15), from Ysgol Plasmawr Cardiff, interviewed her about their inquiry.

The Committee will be completing their report and recommendations over the summer term. The report will be presented to the Welsh Assembly Government in the autumn.

When published the report can be downloaded at: www.assemblywales.org Lowri: Why are you having this inquiry into safe places to play?

Helen Mary: Many people write to us from various organisations asking us to hold a consultation into this or that, but we decided last summer we should ask the children and young people of Wales what they think is important and what’s worrying them. Assembly staff visited different shows and agricultural shows during the summer and held a vote, by asking children and young people

what they thought we should look at next. [We found out that children and young people] worry about safe places to spend their free time, worry about some adults’ attitude towards them if they’re chatting or playing football on the street, and worry about having enough freedom.

As it happens, the Government has a play policy implementation plan which is meant to promote children’s opportunities to play and for people of your age to be independent and to spend time with your friends. So, looking if the implementation plan was working was a good starting point. We have asked many children and young people, bodies and organisations such as Play Wales, local government in Wales and the Police, what the problems are and what suggestions we should make to the Government in order to improve things.

Lowri: Would you encourage parents to be willing to give their children more freedom?

Helen Mary: It depends on the circumstances. Life is difficult for children and young people – and more complicated than it was ages ago, when I was your age. Many parents worry about things like bullying over the internet, bullying through facebook, and things like that. I believe that this arises, in part, from the fact that we [adults] aren’t used to this form of communicating, so it makes us scared.

With younger children, we worry about more practical things like crossing the road. But I would support parents to allow children to be independent, but it’s important to understand why they are concerned and to try and give them the facts, so that they can come to understand that the only way to keep their child safe, in the long run, is to teach that child to keep itself safe.

It can be difficult to let children go.

When I started to let my daughter play outside when she was around seven years old, I remember hiding behind the curtains and looking out, because she would have been angry if she knew that I was watching her. But of course, only by doing that was she able to learn how to be careful on the street.

Lowri: Could you tell me where was your favourite childhood place to play?

Helen Mary: I used to read a lot when I was little, so one of my favourite places was in my imagination, but we also had quite a large garden. Me and my sister would spend a lot of our time out there, just playing – building dens, playing tea parties with teddy bears and stuff like that. One of my big brothers built a little playhouse up in the woods, and it was a perfect little house – it had stained glass windows and everything – I felt like a princess in a fairytale. When I was older, after we moved to Wales, I spent a lot of time just walking around in the fresh air.

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Play for Wales Summer 2010 PLAYing AND hanging out

Lowri: In what way do adults think that playing outdoors is important?

Helen Mary: The evidence we have gathered varies – some people stress the need to learn to be independent and to learn for yourself what is safe and what is not, and others stress the element of physical exercise in order to keep fit. I think it’s important that we recognise that there are many ways of playing, many ways of enjoying yourself with your friends and on your own too.

As evidence comes in, I’ve come to the conclusion that what we need is loads of different opportunities for children and young people, because there are some children and young people who want to be on their own without any adults around but there are others who

feel safer if there is someone, perhaps not someone who intervenes all the time, but someone who can offer support if something goes wrong, for example wardens in a park.

This will be challenging, especially as public money gets more and more difficult [to allocate] in the days to come. Many people who have spoken to the Committee have told us that there’s no need to spend much more money, but rather to think more about how it is spent. Also, we need to speak with children and young people before building a park or a skatepark or before deciding where to place a youth centre. This doesn’t necessarily mean using more resources but rather making better use of [existing] resources.

Lowri: Will this inquiry make a difference to me and my friends?

Helen Mary: Perhaps I should explain a little about the process. We have nearly completed gathering the evidence, then we will present the Committee’s report to the Government.

The Government will have six weeks in which to respond to each of the recommendations in the report. Then we will need to create a new play strategy based on our evidence. [Bodies and organisations] such as schools and the parks departments of local authorities will then respond to the Government’s new strategy. I hope it will make a difference, but it won’t make a difference over night because the process is rather a long one.

Lowri also questioned Helen Mary Jones AM on behalf of Pembrokeshire Young Voices for Choices – a forum for disabled young people aged 15 to 25 who regularly work with the National Assembly for Wales representing the views of disabled children and young people ...

Lowri: We find that our parents’ concerns about allowing us (as disabled young people) to be more independent are a barrier to getting out and hanging out with our friends.

How can decision makers help our parents to be more confident about us playing and hanging out independently?

Helen Mary: That’s a very important question for all children and young people but in particular for disabled children and young people. All parents tend to be a bit over protective, and if a child is disabled the parents have probably gone through a lot of worry and concern; they will sometimes see the disability first, and only see the child afterwards.

To help build the confidence of parents of disabled children, decision makers need to make sure the facilities are actually there and the staff are properly trained to ensure those facilities work

for people with a range of challenges and impairments. We need to provide spaces where there is sensitive supervision and support because we want to get to the point where disabled young people can go out with their friends in the same way as everybody else. But, most parents need a ‘half way house’ before they’re ready to do that.

I think we need to make sure young disabled people are helped to find a way to get their voice across to their families as well.

Lowri: Given the barriers to us playing and hanging out independently we really value the staff-supported groups we attend. We are really concerned that cuts to funding will leave us isolated with nowhere to go to meet our friends. How will decision makers make sure our groups carry on?

Helen Mary: I don’t think anyone can say that everything is going to carry on.

Our country is in a huge amount of debt and that means some difficult decisions need to be made. As decision makers, whether that’s at a local level, or in a voluntary organisation, or in the Assembly, we need to decide what really matters and what can we not do without.

Decision makers need messages from children and young people. If your local council is saying, ‘we can’t afford to run that group anymore’, go to see your local councillors. Ask them what they’re still spending money on, because I’m sure those clubs and organisations (the young people asking the question are asking about) could well be funded with one chief executive salary for quite a few years. So young people need to get their voices heard by decision makers.

Play for Wales Summer 2010 EVENTS AND BOOK REVIEW

Events Playday – Events all around the UK 4 August 2010 Marrakech www.playday.org.uk

Playing Outside – A Children in Europe special conference 16 September 2010

Markinch, Fife www.childreninscotland.org.uk/html/ tra_tshow.php?ref=1408

The Beauty of Play: the everydayness of play 10 – 12 September

Staffordshire 0114 255 2432 or email info.ludemos@virgin.net

Places and Spaces – Creating Child Friendly Communities Play Scotland Annual Conference 30 September 2010 Apex Waterloo Hotel, Edinburgh www.playscotland.org/assets/Flyer2.pdf

Making Space 2010: architecture and design for children and young people 7 – 8 October 2010 Edinburgh www.childreninscotland.org.uk/html/ Conference.htm

5th Edition: Child in the City 2010 27 – 29 October 2010 Palazzo dei Congressi, Florence, Italy www.childinthecity.com/5th-EditionChild-in-the-City-2010/page/1836/

A World Fit for Children: Advancing the Global Movement International Forum for Child Welfare World Forum 2010 8 – 11 November 2010 New York www.worldforum2010.org/Home.aspx

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Possible Summers: stories and reflections from the playspace Author: Eddie Nuttall Children’s play can be hard to define in words alone, but the narrative within this book goes a long way towards drawing together exactly what it is that makes it all so special and important. In our busy working lives, taking the time to reflect on our working practice can sometimes slip down the list of priorities …

Possible Summers is a personal, reflective account of playwork. It is partly a travelogue of Eddie’s experiences between the winter of 2008 and the autumn of 2009, and partly a contemplation of playwork and its close relationship with the world of playing children. The reflective material that complements the journal forming the ‘backbone’ of the book, uses a biographical approach to attempt to make personal sense of the author’s existence as a playworker.

The book can be used rather like a ‘loose part’ so we can stimulate and complement thoughts and feelings relevant to our own individual practice, whatever form that practice may take.

After reading Possible Summers, I cannot help but think that it would have been impossible to read it without a great deal of reflection. This book has made a significant contribution to my own reflective journey. I have found myself transported to moments in time that appear to freeze and anything is possible, lost in the moment, a ‘what if?’ feeling. Reading the text, I find myself cherry picking ideas and concepts and exploring them at my own leisure. I can highly recommend a hammock as a space to consider possibilities!

Reading these accounts and the associated vignettes has been a joy, and has been helpful to my own considerations of the experiences of play, and more importantly, of my own need to enrich and strengthen my own reflective practice as a playworker. We often talk of reflection being at the centre of our practice, or as managers, we talk of reflection being embedded in the practice of staff teams. However, I sometimes find myself questioning whether this is always the reality. In our busy working lives, taking the time to reflect can sometimes slip down the list of priorities.

I believe that this is ultimately counterproductive, and I have found myself appreciating the honesty and candor of the author.

The descriptions and reflections are blended in such a way that it inspired me to seek out more clarification of my own thinking by looking at how others look at things. Children’s play can be hard to define in words alone, but the narrative within this book goes a long way towards drawing together exactly what it is that makes it all so special and important.

With the recent changes in Government there are going to be some interesting times ahead, and I would just like to finish by quoting the author who concludes, ‘we owe it to those who provided for us early in our life, and the children we now provide for, to send out a clear message to the world how absolutely essential it is to keep our societies playful, dynamic and wonderful places within which to be and grow, if we are to survive the shifting seasons that lie ahead.’

Reviewed by Simon Bazley, Executive Regional Play Development Officer, NEW Play

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Play for Wales Summer 2010 WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Playworkers Forum 2010 The theme for this year’s event was Quality Play = Quality Communities and playwork trainers Jess Milne and Ali Wood opened the event with an opportunity for delegates to consider the role of the playworker as local advocate and agent for change. A range of workshops gave delegates a choice of learning on practice and theory to build their skills in providing playwork within communities.

The Rugby Club at Meifod near Welshpool provided a great environment for learning and the wonderful Nia catered for delegates’ calorific needs. The river running past our campsite was a focal point for workshops and end of the day fun, whilst on the far bank various structures were built and then rebuilt and finally played on by local children.

T

his year’s Playworkers’ Forum was a beautiful sunny learning opportunity in the heart of Wales. Once again delegates joined together for two days of outdoor workshops, camping and networking. This year NEW Play (North East Wales Play Forum) took the lead, supported by a planning group comprising Rhondda Cynon Taff Play Association, Play Wales, Gwenfro Valley Adventure Playground, Wrexham Play Development team, North West ^r University.

Wales Play Forum and Glyndw

3 P

Once again the Playworkers’ Forum responded to the changing professional needs of playworkers in Wales and we encourage anyone with ideas for workshops at future events to get in touch. The Playworkers’ Forum is a great place to facilitate a workshop and we would welcome offers to run workshops in the future.

Thanks to everyone involved in planning the event and especially to those who took part as delegates.

update

Since the last issue of Play for Wales 374 learners have undertaken our Playwork: Principles into Practice (P3) training. Of those 164 of the learners are working towards completing the Level 2 qualification.

Throughout the summer months, courses will be taking place, and learners will be assessed, across Wales – from Caernarfon to Pontypridd and Ebbw Vale to Conwy.

Playwork Wales, working in partnership with Creative Play Project GAVO (Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations), has recently held a P3 taster session with pupils at Caerphilly Comprehensive school. This is part of the 14 to 19 pathway; the taster session was used to inform young people about the role of a playworker and to encourage pupils to undertake the P3 Level 2 qualification.

In September, Bedwas Comprehensive school in Caerphilly is hoping to include the P3 level 2 Award in the Key Stage 4 curriculum. Over two years pupils could undertake and gain the full P3 level 2 playwork qualification.

Playwork training review A

s we reported in the last issue of Play for Wales Melyn Consulting has undertaken research as part of a Welsh Assembly Government review into capacity and delivery of playwork training in Wales. This includes the role of Playwork Wales, the national centre for playwork education and training.

We are currently awaiting the review report from the Welsh Assembly Government. We’ll keep you posted on the Playwork Wales website over the summer. www.playworkwales.org.uk

Play for Wales Summer 2010 WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

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A toolkit for boosting confidence Playworkers tend to be multi-talented people with a wealth of practical and people skills, however, for some, low confidence in their own literacy and numeracy can prove a barrier to professional development.

Being able to write and tackle numbers confidently is a real asset to every worker; not only does it make many work tasks much easier, but it allows learners to express themselves well in written assignments for qualifications and those who are ambitious to progress along a career path.

SkillsActive, the sector skills council for playwork, in partnership with Basic Skills Cymru and Play Wales, has produced a toolkit – Supporting playwork staff in Wales to improve their literacy and numeracy – which is funded through the Welsh Assembly Government’s Basic Skills Employer Pledge Grants Programme. The toolkit is aimed at employers in the playwork sector who would like to support their staff to improve their basic skills within the workplace and to grow in confidence.

Supporting playwork staff in Wales to improve their literacy and numeracy can be downloaded in the Resources section of the Playwork Wales website – www.playworkwales.org.uk

The Power of Play and Parenting

Consultation

Circles Network tells us a bit more ...

Quality Training Quality Play (QTQP) is the UK strategy for playwork, education, training and qualifications for the next five years.

The Family Empowerment Project is a service run by Circles Network that offers support, educational packages and assessments for parents with disabilities. We work with parents who are experiencing difficulties in parenting their children, enabling them to recognise the difficulties they face, and facilitating them to overcome these issues. We find many parents need support in providing a play friendly environment for their children and that a playful approach helps to cement family relationships – supporting children to thrive.

We work in unique and creative ways, supporting parents to learn a range of parenting skills tailored to their needs in formats that support their learning styles. We recently approached Playwork Wales seeking playwork training to support our staff, and ultimately the parents we work with, in understanding children’s play behaviour and how to facilitate positive play experiences.

For more information about our services please telephone Circles Network on 02920 487575

Events Playwork Wales is organising September consultation events that will help inform SkillsActive’s Quality Training Quality Play 2011 – 2016 Implementation Plan for Wales. There will be one event in North Wales and one event in South Wales – keep an eye out on the Playwork Wales website for dates and further information. www.playworkwales.org.uk

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Play for Wales Summer 2010 IPA 2011

Playing into the Future – surviving and thriving The 50th anniversary world conference of the International Play Association

International Playwork Camp – 1 to 3 July 2011

4 – 7 July 2011, Cardiff, Wales

This is a weekend, under-canvas event for 50 IPA members who have booked at least two days at the Cardiff conference.

Situated on a farm in beautiful midWales and organised by Play Wales in ^r University. collaboration with Glyndw

The International Play Association has its roots in Scandinavia, where it was founded in 1961.

For 50 years the Association has worked across borders to raise awareness of the critical importance of play to all children across the world.

In the 1980s IPA helped ensure that play was included in article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and continues to strive for the right to play to become a reality.

In 2002 Wales was the first country in the world with the foresight, commitment and sense of adventure to adopt a national policy for play.

Those qualities link us directly to the origins of IPA 50 years ago. We look forward to welcoming you to Cardiff for the 18th IPA World conference.

Theresa Casey, President, International Play Association The 18th IPA world conference offers four days to share evidence, experience and examples of good practice.

It is hosted by Play Wales on behalf of IPA – and here are some of the things we are working hard to make happen in collaboration with colleagues and supporters from Wales, the UK and the rest of the world.

A chance to share skills and ideas, build international friendships, experience facilitating play with the elements (earth, air, fire and water) and help build play structures – observe local playwork projects and taste playwork in Wales.

Booking opens 1 September 2010 through the conference website.

The number of UK delegates is restricted so as to ensure this is a truly international event.

Twmpath – Monday 4 July 2011 Two evening social events are included in the delegate registration fee; the first is a traditional welcome to Wales – Welsh food, culture, live music and dancing. We hope this will break the ice and help delegates relax and have fun – and that we will be able to teach some Welsh phrases and songs!

Make a Noise for Play – Wednesday 6 July 2011 Make a Noise for Play is a celebration we hope to share around the world to gain attention from the media and decision makers – because anyone anywhere can make a noise for children’s play no matter what their physical or material resources or age. This is an event for children and delegates to enjoy – one afternoon of unadulterated noisy mayhem during the conference in celebration of IPA’s 50th anniversary and to raise awareness of the importance to children of playing.

Wales Cymru

2011

We will be inviting school children and pre-school children to attend the event in Bute park – which is near to the conference venue.

We have invited each of the BIG Lottery funded Play Infrastructure Projects to submit proposals for staffed play opportunities that will be vetted by children and young people to see if they make the grade. So, if you are a play provider in Wales and would like to get involved in making a noise in 2011 please contact your regional Play Infrastructure Project.

The Presidents’ 50th Anniversary Party – Wednesday 6 July 2011 We are really flattered that IPA chose to come to Wales for its 50th anniversary and we are planning a big party to take place in City Hall that reflects the fashions in clothes, music and culture that have swept across the world since 1961.

Music, food and fun for delegates.

Important dates Conference registration (delegate booking) – opens online 1 September 2010 Deadline for Abstracts and Proposals submission – 10 November Find out more at www.ipa2011.org