DR93 04 (CCLD 318) Plan for and support self-directed play
Elements of competence
CCLD 318.1 Collect and analyse information on play needs and preferences
CCLD 318.2 Plan and prepare play spaces
CCLD 318.3 Support self-directed play
CCLD 318.4 Help children and young people to manage risk during play
About this Unit
This Unit is about identifying the play needs and preferences of children and young people, developing play spaces that will meet these needs and supporting children and young people during play.
The Unit is for you if you work directly with children on a day-to-day basis and have a responsibility for developing and maintaining play spaces.
Keywords
What we mean by some of the words used in this UnitChildren and young people / The children and young people with whom you work, except where otherwise stated
Resources / Equipment and materials for play
Evidence Requirements for the Unit
It is essential that you adhere to the Evidence Requirements for this Unit
GENERAL GUIDANCE· Evidence must be provided for ALL of the performance criteria and ALL of the knowledge.
· Work with children and families does not lend itself to a series of fragmented activities. When assessment planning it is essential that assessors and candidates identify opportunities to integrate a number of activities for assessment on any particular occasion.
· Assessment of knowledge and understanding should wherever possible be carried out during performance to ensure that theory and practice are linked.
· The evidence must reflect, at all times, the policies and procedures of your workplace as linked to current legislation and the values and the principles for good practice in children’s care, learning and development.
· All evidence must relate to your own work practice.
SPECIFIC Evidence Requirements for this unit
Simulation:
· Simulation is not permitted for this unit.
The following forms of evidence ARE mandatory:
· Direct Observation: Your assessor or expert witness must observe you in real work activities which will provide evidence of some part of each element in this unit.
· Reflective Accounts: You should describe your actions in a particular situation and explain why you did things. You may be able to use a reflective account to provide some of the performance evidence for this unit. e.g your levels of supervision and intervention in play, how you adapted play opportunities according to the age, needs and abilities of the children and young people you work with.
Issues for consideration:
· The following performance criteria may be difficult to evidence by observation.
Element 1 – PCs 1, 3 and 5.
Competence of performance and knowledge could also be demonstrated using a variety of evidence from the following:
· Questioning/Professional Discussion: Questions may be oral or written. In each case the question and your answer will need to be recorded. Professional discussion should be in the form of a structured review of your practice with the outcomes captured by means of audiotape or a written summary. These are particularly useful to provide evidence that you know and understand principles which support practice, policies, procedures and legislation, and that you can critically evaluate their application e.g. health and safety legislation affecting the play space, your knowledge, understanding and recognition of the behavioural modes and mood descriptors associated with play, the range of play types and how these are included within your play setting, the play cycle. In addition the assessor/expert witness may also ask questions to clarify aspects of your practice.
· Products: These are non-confidential records made, or contributed to, by you, e.g. play plans, risk assessments, information on children and young people's play, budgets and resources to which you have contributed, personal diary records of your practice
· Confidential Records: These may be used as evidence but must not be placed in your portfolio, they must remain in their usual location and be referred to in the assessor records in your portfolio e.g. individual child records, commercially sensitive material.
· Original Certificates and other evidence of prior experience and learning: Where you have relevant prior experience it must match the requirements of the standards. Certificates of training, awards and records of attendance must be authentic, current and valid. Your assessor will also want to check the content of such training so that this can be matched to the standards and check that you have retained and can apply learning to practice, e.g. previous vocationally related qualifications, courses on play types, courses on play theory.
· Case Studies, projects, assignments: These methods are most appropriately used to cover any outstanding areas in the knowledge requirement of your award.
· Witness Testimony: Colleagues, allied professionals, children, young people, families and carers may be able to provide testimony of your performance. Your assessor will help you to identify the appropriate use of witnesses.
Knowledge specification for this unit
Assessment of knowledge and understanding should wherever possible be carried out during performance to ensure theory and practice are linked.
You need to provide evidence for ALL knowledge points listed below:
To be competent in this Unit, you must know and understand the following: / Enter Evidence Numbers1 The short and long-term benefits of play
2 The worker’s role in supporting play
3 Indicators/objectives you can use to evaluate play provision
4 How you adapt play opportunities according to the age, needs and abilities of the children and young people you work with
5 Behavioural modes associated with play
a) personally directed
b) intrinsically motivated
c) in secure context
d) spontaneous
e) goalless
f) where the content and intent is under the control of the children and young people
6 The range of play types and how to provide for these:
a) Communication play
b) Creative play
c) Deep play
d) Dramatic play
e) Exploratory play
f) Fantasy play
g) Imaginative play
h) Locomotor play
i) Mastery play
j) Object play
k) Role play
l) Rough and tumble
m) Social play
n) Socio-dramatic play
o) Symbolic play
7 The mood descriptors associated with play and how to recognise these:
a) Happy
b) Independent
c) Confident
d) Altruistic
e) Trusting
f) Balanced
g) Active or immersed
h) At ease
8 The main stages of child development and how these affect children’s play needs and behaviours
9 Why it is important to identify children and young people’s play needs and preferences
10 The types of information you can use to identify play needs and preferences and how to access these
To be competent in this Unit, you must know and understand the following: / Enter Evidence Numbers
11 The barriers to access that some children and young people may experience and how to address these
12 Why it is important to consult with children and young people on play needs and preferences, using methods appropriate for their age, needs and abilities
13 Effective methods of consulting with children and young people
14 The range of different types of play spaces that can meet children and young people’s needs and preferences
15 How to plan play spaces that meet children and young people’s play needs
16 Why it is important to create spaces that children and young people can adapt to their own needs, according to their age, needs and abilities
17 How to obtain and/or create resources needed for a range of play spaces
18 How to involve children and young people in the creation of play spaces
19 The importance of access for all children and how to ensure this happens
20 The health and safety requirements that are relevant to play spaces and how to ensure you take account of these
21 Why it is important for children and young people to choose and explore play spaces for themselves, according to their age, needs and abilities
22 The types of support you may need to provide and how to decide when it is appropriate to provide support
23 Why it is important to leave the content and intent of play to children and young people
24 Why it is important to allow play to continue uninterrupted
25 Why it is important to allow children to develop in their own ways and not to show them ‘better’ ways of doing things when they are playing, unless they ask
26 The main stages of the play cycle
27 How to define a play frame
28 How to identify play cues
29 How to identify when and how to respond to a play cue
30 Why risk is important in play and how to encourage and support acceptable risk taking
31 Levels of risk acceptable according to setting policies and procedures
32 The range of hazards that may occur during children’s play and how to recognise these
33 The basic stages of child development and the implications these have for levels of risk
34 How to assess risk according to age and stage of development
35 The importance of balancing risk with the benefits of challenge and stimulation
CCLD 318.1 Collect and analyse information on play needs and preferences
Enter Evidence Numbers /
DO / RA / EW / Q / P / WT /
1 Collect information on children and young people’s play using a range of methods
2 Make sure you take account of children and young people who may experience barriers to access
3 Analyse information to identify play needs
4 Consult with children and young people and take account of their ideas on play needs and preferences
5 Research and identify a range of play spaces and resources that will meet the play needs of children and young people
Notes on Element
From your work you must show that you have collected information using the following:
1. Methods
a. Researching playwork theory and practice
b. Observing children and young people at play
c. Interacting with children and young people
CCLD 318.2 Plan and prepare play spaces
Performance criteria /Enter Evidence Numbers /
DO / RA / EW / Q / P / WT /
1 Plan play spaces that will meet the needs of children and young people and can be adapted by them to meet new needs
2 Make sure the play spaces provide for a range of different play types
3 Obtain the resources needed for these play spaces
4 Work within the available budget or find other creative ways of obtaining or making resources
5 Create the planned play spaces involving children and young people wherever possible
6 Make sure that the range of play environments will be accessible for all children and young people
7 Make sure the play spaces take account of health and safety requirements
Notes on Element
From your work you must show that you have supported self-directed play using the following types of:
1. Play spaces
a. For physical play
b. For affective play
c. Transient
d. Permanent
CCLD 318.3 Support self-directed play
Performance criteria /Enter Evidence Numbers /
DO / RA / EW / Q / P / WT /
1 Encourage children and young people to choose and explore the range of play spaces for themselves, providing support when necessary
2 Leave the content and intent of play to the children and young people
3 Enable play to occur uninterrupted
4 Enable children and young people to explore their own values
5 Allow children and young people to develop in their own ways
6 Hold children and young people’s play frames when necessary
7 Observe play and respond to play cues according to the stage in the play cycle
Notes on Element
From your work you must show that you have supported self-directed play using the following types of:
1. Play spaces
e. For physical play
f. For affective play
g. Transient
h. Permanent
CCLD 318.4 Help children and young people manage risk during play
Performance criteria /Enter Evidence Numbers /
DO / RA / EW / Q / P / WT /
1 Allow children and young people to experience and explore risk during play
2 Identify hazards when they occur
3 Assess the risks that these hazards pose in a way that is sensitive to the nature of the children and young people involved
4 Raise children and young people’s awareness of hazards and how to manage risk themselves
5 Balance the risks involved with the benefits of challenge and stimulation
6 Only intervene if the level of risk becomes unacceptable
Notes on Element
From your work you must show that you managed risk for the following types of:
1. Hazard
a. Physical
b. Emotional
c. Behavioural
d. Environmental
DO = Direct Observation RA = Reflective Account Q = Questions
EW = Expert Witness P = Product (Work) WT = Witness Testimony
To be completed by the CandidateI SUBMIT THIS AS A COMPLETE UNIT
Candidate’s name: ……………………………………………
Candidate’s signature: ………………………………………..
Date: …………………………………………………………..
To be completed by the Assessor
It is a shared responsibility of both the candidate and assessor to claim evidence, however, it is the responsibility of the assessor to ensure the accuracy/validity of each evidence claim and make the final decision.
I certify that sufficient evidence has been produced to meet all the elements, pcS AND KNOWLEDGE OF THIS UNIT and that the candidate has demonstrated the application of the principles and values.
Assessor’s name: …………………………………………….
Assessor’s signature: ………………………………………....
Date: …………………………………………………………..
Assessor/Internal Verifier Feedback
To be completed by the Internal Verifier if applicable
This section only needs to be completed if the Unit is sampled by the Internal Verifier
Internal Verifier’s name: ……………………………………………
Internal Verifier’s signature: ………………………………………..
Date: ……………………………………..…………………………..
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