My Torfaen – A Happy and Healthy Place to Play Torfaen Play Sufficiency Assessment - Summary of Findings 2019 1 Principle Statement … ............................................. ……..3 Context .............................................................................. 3 Matter A: Population .......................................................... 4 Matter B: Providing for Diverse Needs ……………..…….16 Matter C: Open Space Available to Play…………………. 20 Matter D: Supervised Provision…………………………… 22 Matter E: Charges for Provision…………………………… 24 Matter F: Access to Space and Provision ……………… 29 Matter G: Securing and Developing the Workforce…….. 31 Matter H: Community Engagement and Participation ….. 35 Matter I: Play within all Relevant Policy and Implementation Agendas……. ........................................... ……..37 Summary of Consultation Findings ………………………….39 2 Principle Statement Torfaen County Borough Council continues to commit to increasing, developing and sustaining quality play opportunities and ensuring that the play habits of all children and young people are understood and supported. Torfaen believes that it is essential to promote and enhance children and young people’s opportunity to play both freely and safely within the community. Great emphasis is placed on addressing a wide spectrum of play related issues. Measures have been implemented to limit the restriction or barriers to children’s play. Regular positive play experiences are essential to enable children and young people to develop and thrive. Torfaen also believes that play provides a wealth of benefits to children and young people’s health and wellbeing. Torfaen is committed in supporting every child’s right to play within every aspect of their lives. Torfaen is now in the position of being able to review for the third time how it delivers, supports and safeguards the concept of play for all children including the most vulnerable and hard to reach groups. Context This is the third time that Torfaen Council has been requested by Welsh Government to complete an assessment of sufficiency linked to children’s play and recreation. The previous two assessments were carried out in 2013 and 2016. A similar methodology was implemented to carry out the assessment for the 2018/2019. By working with a wide scope of partners we have been able to collate the required information and address any issues or barriers which have arisen since the previous assessment. We started to set the scene and gage interest in the assessment process in early 2018. In April 2018 we started the first round of consultation with children, young people and the general public. In May 2018 we held a Play Priority Conference. The event was extremely successful and enabled us to demonstrate the importance of play to professionals and partners. Attendees at the conference included representatives from the key areas within the assessment as well as Elected Members, Town and Community Councils and Local Government. We utilised the conference to put across some of the key issues linked to play and some of the common themes emerging from the public consultation. Due to their knowledge and experience, like in previous years, officers within the Local Authorities Play Service took the lead on the assessment. The Policy Officer from the Play Service was appointed to lead on the research, consultation, coordination of meetings and collation of all data. In total, over 120 partners contributed to the assessment. The assessment looks at over 100 different measures linked to play and play provision. The local authority is required to provide evidence to support each measure. After the assessment is complete an action plan is collated. The action plan is then sent back to Welsh Government and is monitored quarterly by the Play Sufficiency Action Plan Monitoring group. There is representation on this group from all areas of the assessment. 3 The assessment looked at the following 9 key themes:- Matter Population Population data broken down into specific Age Range / A Disabilities / Welsh Language / Looked After Children/ Cultural Factors Matter Providing for a Isolated Rural Areas, Disabilities, Different Cultural B Diverse Need Backgrounds, Inclusion Resources, Gypsy Traveller Community, Young Carers, Lesbian, Gay and Bi Sexual Children and Young People. Mater Space Available Open Space Assessment, Parks, Brownfield Sites, Fixed Play C for Children’s Play Standards, Smoke-Free Playgrounds, No Ball Game Signs, Play Priority Signs, Consultation on the Disposal of Playing Fields. Matter Supervised Providing Rich and Varied Staffed Play Provision, Keeping D Provision Records Up To date, National Minimum Standards, Quality Assurance, Sport Provision, Youth Provision, Art and Cultural Provision. Matter Charges for Play Population Records of children living in low oncome families/ E Provision Areas of Deprivation. Low Cost Venue Hire, Grants and Subsidies available for Providers, Subsided Transport. Matter Access to Space Traffic and Transport Initiatives, Cycling Access, Road Safety F and Provision Grants, Temporary Road Closures, Family Information Service, Parent Tips and Support Matter Securing and Training Audit Kept up to Date of the Play Workforce, Workforce G Developing the Development, Training Volunteers, Budgets Ring fenced for Play Workforce Playwork, Continual Professional Development and Play Awareness Training for Professionals. Matter Community Youth Forums, School Councils , Community Engagement, Play H Engagement and Events, Play Training for Community Members Participation Matter Play within all Local Service Board, Well Being Plan, Play within Schools, I Relevant Policy & School Playing Fields, Local Development Plan, Local Implementation Transport Plan, Anti-Poverty Agenda, Early Years, Flying Start, Agendas Childcare Strategy, Family Support Initiatives, Intergenerational Approaches, Families First, Adverse Childhood experiences, Community Safety, Health and Safety Policies, Insurance 4 MATTER A: POPULATION Community Play Clubs ACTION To continue to ensure that data linked to population is held and kept up to date and to utilise the data as an active resource for Play and Recreational providers. 5 Population and Demographic Trends Ages of children The last Play Sufficiency Assessment in 2016 used NHS births and schools data for estimating the population age cohorts. However, whilst reviewing this, these estimates did not take into account deaths or migration and were not officially recognised datasets of the population. In addition, the boundary commission have issued changes to the electoral ward boundaries in Torfaen, effective from April 2017, and as such, it is difficult to compare the new with the old wards. Therefore, it was advised that the population estimates are gained from the official ONS mid-year population estimates, which account for births, deaths and migration. Also, ONS have revised the previous ward level population estimates in line with the ward boundary changes so comparisons can be made. The following population estimates tables are derived from the latest ONS mid-year estimates. Age Ward Name 0-3 4-7 8-12 13-15 16-17 Total Blaenavon 298 320 421 200 129 1,368 Brynwern 106 92 103 50 30 381 Coed Eva 120 126 140 107 70 563 Croesyceiliog South 45 69 80 48 47 289 Cwmyniscoy 69 56 84 47 28 284 Fairwater 227 264 295 164 107 1,057 Llantarnam 259 289 323 145 128 1,144 Panteg 317 353 462 247 172 1,551 Pontnewynydd 70 96 66 39 26 297 Pontypool 69 95 93 42 31 330 St. Cadocs and Penygarn 76 102 117 58 44 397 Trevethin 229 224 262 138 80 933 Two Locks 260 279 349 206 148 1,242 Wainfelin 101 105 141 72 66 485 Abersychan 345 415 491 231 138 1,620 Croesyceiliog North 136 146 177 119 72 650 Greenmeadow 131 173 230 132 81 747 Llanyrafon East and Ponthir 54 71 89 46 63 323 Llanyrafon West 124 118 146 56 61 505 New Inn 201 225 292 142 116 976 Pontnewydd 283 269 349 191 135 1,227 Snatchwood 131 117 129 56 42 475 St. Dials 202 225 232 116 78 853 Upper Cwmbran 290 317 415 206 163 1,391 Torfaen 4,143 4,546 5,486 2,858 2,055 19,088 Mid-2015 population estimates by electoral ward, ONS (Revised) 6 Age Ward Name 0-3 4-7 8-12 13-15 16-17 Total Blaenavon 285 326 367 187 139 1,304 Brynwern 102 81 102 36 38 359 Coed Eva 131 124 151 93 72 571 Croesyceiliog South 56 74 81 48 54 313 Cwmyniscoy 66 57 71 42 34 270 Fairwater 237 262 277 164 135 1,075 Llantarnam 263 281 278 163 142 1,127 Panteg 323 376 443 247 164 1,553 Pontnewynydd 74 84 64 30 39 291 Pontypool 71 71 83 55 40 320 St. Cadocs and Penygarn 73 96 98 60 50 377 Trevethin 245 235 249 143 113 985 Two Locks 260 282 351 221 172 1,286 Wainfelin 102 101 121 83 53 460 Abersychan 342 393 462 231 179 1,607 Croesyceiliog North 118 145 185 112 67 627 Greenmeadow 156 171 239 132 96 794 Llanyrafon East and Ponthir 64 51 85 83 55 338 Llanyrafon West 113 107 131 87 53 491 New Inn 217 211 290 174 132 1,024 Pontnewydd 311 297 334 208 142 1,292 Snatchwood 128 118 109 60 57 472 St. Dials 169 212 185 116 86 768 Upper Cwmbran 314 302 394 229 165 1,404 Torfaen 4,220 4,457 5,150 3,004 2,277 19,108 Mid-2015 population estimates by electoral ward, ONS (Revised) 7 Age Ward Name 0-3 4-7 8-12 13-15 16-17 Total Blaenavon 13 -6 54 13 -10 64 Brynwern 4 11 1 14 -8 22 Coed Eva -11 2 -11 14 -2 -8 Croesyceiliog South -11 -5 -1 0 -7 -24 Cwmyniscoy 3 -1 13 5 -6 14 Fairwater -10 2 18 0 -28 -18 Llantarnam -4 8 45 -18 -14 17 Panteg -6 -23 19 0 8 -2 Pontnewynydd -4 12 2 9 -13 6 Pontypool -2 24 10 -13 -9 10 St. Cadocs and Penygarn 3 6 19 -2 -6 20 Trevethin -16 -11 13 -5 -33 -52 Two Locks 0 -3 -2 -15 -24 -44 Wainfelin -1 4 20 -11 13 25 Abersychan 3 22 29 0 -41 13 Croesyceiliog North 18 1 -8 7 5 23 Greenmeadow -25 2 -9 0 -15 -47 Llanyrafon East and Ponthir -10 20 4 -37 8 -15 Llanyrafon West 11 11 15 -31 8 14 New Inn -16 14 2 -32 -16 -48 Pontnewydd -28 -28 15 -17 -7 -65 Snatchwood 3 -1 20 -4 -15 3 St.