Play Sufficiency Assessment Toolkit – Part 2

Play Sufficiency Assessment Toolkit – Part 2 Play Sufficiency Assessment Form Name of Local Authority: DRAFT Cardiff City Council Name of responsible officer: Malcolm Stammers Job title: Operational Manager, Leisure & Play Date of completion: 31st March 2016 st Please note that the Play Sufficiency Assessment must be received by the Welsh Government by 31 March 2016 Play Sufficiency Assessment Toolkit – Part 2 Assessment Toolkit Contents Page Title Page Number Conducting the Assessment – Play Sufficiency Assessment 4 Context 7 Partnership working 8 Consultation and participation 14 Maximising resources 16 The Play Sufficiency Assessment and the Single Integrated Plan 17 Monitoring Play Sufficiency 18 Criteria 21 Matter A: Population 22 Matter B: Providing for diverse Needs 26 Matter C: Space available for children to play: Open Spaces and Outdoor unstaffed designated play spaces 56 Matter D: Supervised Provision 67 Matter E: Charges for play provision 107 Matter F: Access to space/provision 113 Matter G: Securing and developing the play workforce 132 Matter H: Community engagement and participation 141 Matter I: 150 - Play within all relevant policy and implementation agendas - Education and schools 151 - Town and Country Planning 159 - Traffic and Transport 162 - Health and Wellbeing 164 - Child Poverty 168 - Early Years/Childcare 172 - Family policy and initiatives 174 2 Play Sufficiency Assessment Toolkit – Part 2 Assessment Toolkit - Inter-generational policy and initiatives 176 - Community Development 177 - Community Safety 182 - Health and Safety 185 Conclusion 193 Way Forward 195 Action Plan 198 References 225 Appendix A 228 3 Play Sufficiency Assessment Toolkit – Part 2 Assessment Toolkit Conducting the Assessment – Play Sufficiency Assessment As well as establishing a baseline of provision, the Play Sufficiency Assessment will enable the following: Identification of gaps in information, provision, service delivery and policy implementation Support the establishment of evidence to give an indication of distance travelled in relation to play sufficiency Highlight potential ways of addressing issues relating to partnership working The input and involvement of all partners increasing levels of knowledge and understanding A monitoring system which will involve and improve communication between professionals The identification of good practice examples Increased levels of partnerships in assessing sufficient play opportunities The identification of actions for the Securing Play Sufficiency Action Plan which accompanies the Play Sufficiency Assessment A template has been produced to support a corporate appraisal of the matters that need to be taken into account as set out in the Statutory Guidance. The indicators listed within each matter are provided as sample indicators which should be amended to meet local issues as appropriate. 4 Play Sufficiency Assessment Toolkit – Part 2 Assessment Toolkit The Play Sufficiency Assessment must demonstrate that the Local Authority has taken into account and assessed the matters set out in The Play Sufficiency Assessment (Wales) Regulations 2012 and Statutory Guidance. As well as providing baseline information, the Assessment can include examples of current practice that the Local Authority wishes to highlight. Local Authorities might consider structuring the Play Sufficiency Assessment in the following way and as a minimum address all the identified sections. Principle Statement This section should be used to articulate the Local Authority’s acknowledgement of the value and importance of play in the lives of children. The aim for the ‘New Play Delivery Model’ is to deliver high quality play opportunities to children and young people across Cardiff. Focusing on play deprived areas that have been highlighted through the development of the PSA. The ‘New Play Delivery Model’ should use the basis of a multi-agency approach to service provision in order to capture best interests of the children. A multi-agency approach allows risk to be reduced because information can be shared effectively across the services in a respectful and confidential way. Risk to children is reduced through effective multi-agency and multi-disciplinary work. Children Play Services are part of the Joint Working Protocol which applies to all statutory and non statutory organisations who deliver services to Cardiff’s children. This Protocol has been developed to ensure that all Adult and Children’s Services collaborate and work in partnership with each other to promote the health and wellbeing of children, young people and their parents/carers. Play Implementation Plan There is evidence that a large proportion of funded playwork is physical activity and often outdoor based. The Play Policy Implementation Plan - Play in Wales backed up evidence, which supports children needing regular opportunities for outdoor play in order to maintain healthy levels of physical activity. Best Practice To help assist and develop ensuring play needs and opportunities are achieved which support WAG Statutory Guidelines. 5 Play Sufficiency Assessment Toolkit – Part 2 Assessment Toolkit Address poverty and inequality among children and young people Ensure that Children’s Play Services work within the most deprived communities, and is intrinsic in the approach to community play. Core 4 of the Welsh Governments 7Core Aims, states that every child and young person should have access to play, leisure, sporting and cultural activities. Children Play Services aim to make play a priority in all of our joint planning and partnership work to identify and break down barriers to play, especially focusing on hard to reach groups of children and young people. “Play is a fundamental right and is enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. This means that every child living in Cardiff is entitled to and has a right "to engage in play and recreational activities" (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 31). A popular definition of play within the profession is that play is "freely chosen, personally directed, intrinsically motivated behaviour that actively engages the child" (Hughes and King 1982). The key implication is that children choose WHAT they do, HOW they do it, and WHY they do it. “Play cuts across and has an important role in many different professions. It has a place in the work of many different service areas, organisations and groups. The provision and development of play opportunities in Cardiff is not the responsibility of one organisation or group, but of a wide range of different organisations, groups, individuals and communities who have a variety of reasons for being involved.” (Play Strategy for Children & Young People in Cardiff) “The starting point of the Playground Strategy should be the outcome of whether children can “play out” within sight and sound of their own homes rather than on the output of the number and type of specific facilities” (Rob Wheway; Cardiff Playground Strategy (Draft) 2013-2018) 6 Play Sufficiency Assessment Toolkit – Part 2 Assessment Toolkit Context This section should describe the methodology used to undertake and approve the Play Sufficiency Assessment and Action Plan and any consultation with partners on the Assessment/Action Plan. It should also list the key partners that engaged with the process and identify any challenges in undertaking the Assessment. It should describe the mechanism that the Local Authority proposes to use to take forward the identified actions for the action plan. Under ‘The Children and Families (Wales) Measure 2010’, Section 11, Local Authorities have a duty to assess the sufficiency of play opportunities in its area for children and young people. Play encompasses children’s behaviour which is freely chosen, personally directed and intrinsically motivated. It is performed for no external goal or reward and is fundamental and an integral part of healthy development - not only for individual children but also for the society they live in. Play is defined for the purpose of the Play Sufficiency Assessment as including but not limited to any recreational activity. The Welsh Government statutory guidance sees the range of play opportunities for children as being either freely chosen play or structured recreational activities. These opportunities can be available in a range of play spaces and settings. Section 11 of ‘The Children and Families Measure 2010’ sets out that ‘sufficient in relation to play opportunities means’ should be determined locally in accordance with the matters covered in the regulations and statutory guidance. The Welsh Government acknowledges what play opportunities is to be considered sufficient and achievable. This acknowledgement has sometimes proved to be difficult to establish in the PSA because either key Cardiff Council members were unavailable or their departments/schemes were going through restructure at the time of the development of the PSA. Thus determining the quantity and standard of play opportunities available was hard to establish. Consequently this has encouraged the Local Authority to set up a strong monitoring group with an Action Plan that meet quarterly in order to ensure further development and to guarantee that work on the Action Plan is consistent. A table of the internal and external contacts that have had input and helped to formulate the PSA are listed in the below section: ‘Partnership Working’. 7 Play Sufficiency Assessment Toolkit – Part 2 Assessment Toolkit Partnership

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