Play: inclusive provision

Play: inclusive provision

Inclusion is not an option, it is every child’s right to play and to access local play provision, but how do we make it work?

A Bevan Foundation report on play and leisure activities found that: ‘Disabled children and young people face barriers from lack of provision, lack of support, poor access to buildings and negative attitudes which, notwithstanding legislation and policies, prevent them from participating like non-disabled children and young people.’1 This information sheet, for play providers, aims to offer some practical steps to overcome the barriers to inclusion so that disabled children and young people can access play provision.

Playwork Principle 1 states: All children and young people need to play.

The impulse to play is innate. Play is a biological, psychological and social necessity, and is fundamental to the healthy development and wellbeing of individuals and communities.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) Article 23 states: Children who have any kind of disability should have special care and support so that they can lead full and independent lives.

UN General Comment on Article 23 states: Play has been recognised as the best source of learning various skills, including social skills.

The attainment of full inclusion of children with disabilities in the society is realised when children are given the opportunity, places, and time to play with each other (children with disabilities and no disabilities).

The UNCRC Article 31 states: Every child has the right to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Article 30 states: Ensure that children with disabilities have equal access with other children to participation in play, recreation, sporting and leisure activities

… Pro-active measures are needed to remove the barriers and promote accessibility to and availability of inclusive opportunities to participate in all these activities.

The Children and Families (Wales) Measure: All Local Authorities are required to assess the sufficiency of play opportunities for children within its area.

Playing is crucial to children’s physical, mental, social and emotional health and wellbeing, and therefore to their families and to communities as a whole. Children have an inborn urge to play – recent research suggests that playing has an impact on the physical and chemical development of the brain – it ‘influences children’s ability to adapt to, survive, thrive and shape their social and physical environments’2.

All children are morally and legally entitled to play within their own community whatever their culture, impairment, gender, language, background, behaviour or need. Inclusive play means that all children and young people have equal access to good quality local play provision. This means that they can play with others or alone as they wish in a rich environment that supports their play needs and gives them access to a wide range of play opportunities.

Barriers

Attitudinal barriers

Disabled children and young people can face significant barriers to accessing local play provision, but they, along with their nondisabled peers have a right to access provision where they can experience possibilities to play freely and to associate with their non-disabled peers.

Attitudinal barriers can include:

The term ‘disabled children and young people’ describes those who experience discrimination on the grounds of their impairment and/or medical condition. Discriminatory practices such as negative attitudes, inaccessible environments and institutional systems can make it difficult and sometimes impossible for disabled children and young people to experience the play process fully.

Disabled children’s play needs are the same as those of non-disabled children and young people – they may want to run about, jump and climb, socialise and hang out with friends, make things, listen to music, chat, play alone, to daydream, simply be, make mistakes, take risks and to be challenged. Disabled children and young people have a right to be valued for who they are and for what they as individuals have to offer and especially to be welcomed to and included in local play settings.

Play providers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments; to welcome all children; to offer appropriate assistance; and to meet the individual requirements of children and young people.

Disablism – a definition Disablism occurs when an individual with significant or multiple impairments, experience discrimination because of the barriers within everyday activities and services in mainstream society. Disablism, like sexism and racism is a particular form of discrimination and leads to oppression.

To understand disablism we need to explore the barriers disabled children, young people and their families might face when accessing our play provision. The barriers fall largely under three headings – attitudinal barriers, environmental barriers and institutional barriers.

• Our own attitudes and those of others we work with, for example a lack of knowledge and experience of associating and working with disabled children and young people, the feeling of ‘getting it wrong’ of ‘not being able to cope’ and thinking that segregated provision is the answer.

• Those using our service including the parents/carers of disabled children who may feel that our provision wouldn’t be able to meet the ‘care needs’ of their child appropriately.

• Parents/carers of non-disabled children who may question whether their child would receive the same level of attention if disabled children attend our provision.

• Other professionals we work with who may consider segregated provision as preferable and more suitable to inclusive provision.

• The wider community and how disabled people are stereotyped, for example how disabled people are portrayed in the media. The ‘Ah!’ factor can still prevail when we see a disabled child pictured in a newspaper receiving an achievement award.

In challenging and overcoming attitudinal barriers we need to start with our own organisational framework and adopt an inclusive ethos that underpins all our policies, procedures and practices, based on the Social Model of Disability. Consider: • Writing an ethos statement that reflects inclusion • Writing a mission statement that says how the organisation will act inclusively.

• Writing new policies or review existing policies to ensure their content and intent clearly reflect inclusivity.

• Including appropriate personal assistance and intimate care procedures when writing

new procedures or reviewing existing procedures for meeting the individual requirements of disabled children.

professionals such as social workers, medical workers, therapists and health visitors.

• Stating in recruitment materials that the provision is inclusive and that disabled children are welcome.

• Consulting with disabled children and young people about their play needs and preferences and how their specific access requirements can be met.

• Using positive language and terminology that reflects inclusion in promotional materials.

• State clearly in publicity for parents and carers that the provision is inclusive and that staff are trained in inclusive play practice.

• Writing publicity for parents and carers in clear and accessible language.

• Being prepared to advocate on behalf of the rights of disabled children in other adult agendas, such as cross-sector meetings.

• Using positive language and terminology in relation to disabled children and young people when talking to others.

Environmental barriers In challenging and overcoming environmental barriers we need to think about our own physical environment and the environment beyond. The Disability Discrimination Act (2005) and the Equality Act (2010) require public buildings to make reasonable adjustments to ensure disabled people have equality of access – this isn’t just about ramps.

Disabled children and young people coming to our setting are individuals and may have other specific access requirements, it is our job to find out from them and their families how we can best meet those requirements. Consider:

• Building good working relationships and effective communication with others who work with disabled children and young people including their families, special schools, disability groups and other

• Exploring how disabled children might travel to the setting. Many will travel in the same way as their non-disabled peers, but others may require particular transport assistance to reach the setting. If this is

Case study

as the playworkers were not trained to administer the medication.

Sapphire is a child who suffers from epilepsy; she has regular seizures which require immediate medication. She was referred to Wrexham County Borough Council Playscheme Inclusion Project. A Play Development Worker met with the family to discuss the referral; Sapphire’s mother was concerned about her going out to play without adult supervision in case she had a seizure. The Play Development Worker organised for Sapphire to attend a WCBC managed playscheme, but this was not ideal.

The project ran in a community several miles from Sapphire’s home with her mother having to rely on public transport to travel to the provision. She also had to stay with Sapphire

The Play Development Worker contacted Plas Madoc Play Department which runs a street play project. It was arranged that the team would deliver sessions in the street in which Sapphire lives. This set her mother’s mind at ease as she knew that in the case of an emergency she could be reached easily to administer medication.

Since attending the project Sapphire’s confidence and independence have improved significantly. Her mother believes the project has had a great impact on both their lives; through meeting the Plas Madoc team both now access other projects and have a wider social network.

the case find out if it is affordable for an individual child, if not work with the family to consider ways to make it affordable.

• Looking at the public physical approaches to the setting including pavements, road crossings, street lighting, signage and accessible parking adjacent to the setting.

• Adaptations that could be made to the setting’s entrance. All public buildings should be ramped. Ensure the entrance is clearly visible and welcoming signage is displayed in both words and symbols leading up to and on the doorway.

• Looking at what is seen on first entering the setting. First impressions count and all children and young people deserve a warm welcome. For some this may include an uncluttered entrance way and initially a calm environment.

• Using tramlines inside the setting so that disabled children and young people can move around with dignity. Use colours, symbols and sensory aids to define areas within the setting to signpost where resources are kept and to show where the toilets are located. This applies to both indoor and outdoor areas.

• How and where intimate care can best be carried out to maintain dignity for an individual child or young person.

• Providing resources that can be used to create restful and quiet spaces within the

setting. All children and young people enjoy opportunities for rest and quiet.

• Adapting equipment and resources and where it is kept. Avoid having a ‘special’ place where ‘specially’ adapted equipment is kept. All equipment should be accessible to all children and young people.

• Undertaking regular inclusion and access audits of the play environment.

Institutional barriers In challenging and overcoming institutional barriers we need to understand how to use rights legislation to support the argument for inclusion. Institutional barriers may exist in our own policies and procedures, those of bodies who may govern venues we use, those of Local Authorities we work with and those of government that may at times conflict with our inclusive ethos.

The Children Act (2004), The Equality Act (2010) and the UNCRC have all informed legislation in Wales through the Children and Families (Wales) Measure 2010. This includes disabled children and young people and we can effectively use this legislation to inform our own policies and procedures and to advocate with and influence others to consider reviewing their policies and procedures to uphold the rights of disabled children to have equality of access to our setting.

Consider:

Playworkers

• Knowing and understanding legislation that supports the argument for inclusion throughout the organisation.

It is important that the whole team believes in and supports the inclusion and participation of disabled children. In quality staffed inclusive play provision, playworkers have undertaken training and professional qualifications and professional development that supports inclusive play. They regularly monitor and evaluate their effectiveness in meeting the play needs of all the children. As part of good practice, playworkers share knowledge and skills.

• Undertaking awareness raising and training for management, staff and volunteers in adopting an inclusive ethos and creating inclusive policies and procedures that underpin inclusive practice.

• Developing and implementing a strategic plan to ensure inclusion remains central to the operation of the setting for the future.

• Regularly monitoring and evaluating workplace practice in relation to inclusion and reviewing policies and procedures that underpin inclusive practice.

• Working in partnership with others to share good inclusive practice.

• Influencing others to adopt an inclusive ethos and gain their support for inclusive practice.

Case study In the summer of 2010 John who has autism and behaviour problems was referred to Torfaen Play Service. He also finds it very difficult to communicate; he uses gestures and touch and a small amount of sign. John finds it difficult to mix with other children and young people and in some settings his behaviour can be seen as difficult.

Following the referral John started to attend a playscheme and was introduced to a support worker who had been trained by Torfaen Play Service to work with children and young people needing additional support. The worker’s role was to manage behaviour and respond to the specific needs of the young person.

John was responding well to the support worker by using gestures to communicate. Lewis began to join in with sports such as basketball,

Some playworkers have received additional training so that they may be better able to meet the specific requirements of an individual disabled child such as meeting intimate care requirements. However, it is good practice that the whole playwork team is able and willing to work inclusively and to recognise that some children may require assistance at specific times to truly access their play need.

All playworkers and managers of settings should undertake inclusive playwork training in order to develop an inclusive ethos; inclusive policies and procedures; inclusive attitudes and a shared clear understanding of the Social Model of Disability. which is something his parents wanted him to experience.

John used painting sessions as a way to relax and would paint separate A4 sheets of paper with every colour of paint that was made available and then line them up precisely on the floor. John had to go through this process form start to finish without any interruptions or any contact with others. Within a busy playscheme this was quite a task for John’s support worker.

John’s family didn’t think that he could ever attend an integrated playscheme due to the level of his needs. One of the biggest achievements for John and his family was that he was able to attend the cinema for the first time, something that was totally out of his comfort zone prior to this. The support worker further supported John to access leisure and recreational activities in the community, in addition to the playscheme.

Conclusion We can make inclusion work. It is a journey and no one day will be the same as the next.It takes an holistic approach with everyone pulling together with determination, imagination and creative thinking to ensure that disabled children and young people can play and take part in things others may take for granted.

As play providers, if we are to turn policies and legal requirements into workable reality, we require open-mindedness, honesty, determination, hard work and creativity. Every child in Wales is entitled to quality play experiences and it is our role and a child’s right to ensure that no child is excluded.

References Victoria Winckler (2011) Fair play for disabled children and young people in Wales. Ebbw Vale: The Bevan Foundation

1

Lester, S. and Russell, W. (2008) Play for a Change – Play, Policy and Practice: A review of contemporary perspectives. National Children’s Bureau for Play England: London

2

Resources Children and Families (Wales) Measure 2010: www.wales.gov.uk

The Equality Act (2010): www.legislation.gov.uk

Disability Discrimiation Act (2005): www.legislation.gov.uk

The Playwork Principles: www.playwales.org.uk/eng/playworkprinciples

Disablism – SCOPE: www.scope.org.uk

United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Disability/Pages/ DisabilityIndex.aspx

Social model of disability – SCOPE: www.scope.org.uk The Children Act (2004): www.legislation.gov.uk

United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child: www.uncrcletsgetitright.co.uk

March 2013 © Play Wales

This information has been produced in partnership with Di Murray, Playworks UK and is funded by the Welsh Government.

www.playwales.org.uk

Play Wales is the national organisation for children’s play, an independent charity supported by the Welsh Government to uphold children’s right to play and to provide advice and guidance on play-related matters.

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