Agenda Item 5.2.1

PLAY DEVELOPMENT

BUSINESS CASE

PLAYSCHEMEand INCLUSION CO-ORDINATION

Proposal

To provide Cymorth funding for the next two years to recruit a Play-scheme Co-ordinator to develop and oversee holiday play provision and to provide line management support to holiday scheme play workers.

BACKGROUND

In 2005, Wrexham Framework Partnership established a Play Review Team to carry out a review of the Play Grant. The evaluation of the team’s findings identified both positive aspects and areas of concern and subsequently made recommendations with regard to the future structure.

The Framework Partnership commissioned Haki Kapasi, from INSPIRE, a play specialist agency, to test and further develop the option recommended by the Review Team. A number of consultations were carried outwith deliverers of play and related activities and in January 2006, Inspire issued its final report with key recommendations in respect of play development in Wrexham.

One of the recommendations was a proposed model for play with a Play Development Co-ordinator, employed by the local authority who would have management responsibility for 3 Play Development Workers, employed within a voluntary sector organisation. This posed a number of difficulties and following consultation with the Strategic Play Forum, a revised model of play was proposed and agreed.

The revised model was that all staff in the Play Development Team beemployed by the local authority. Wrexham Play Associationagreed to secure funding to employ a Play Scheme Co-ordinator to work in partnership with the Play Development Team and Community Councils to ensure appropriate and high quality playscheme provision was delivered across the County. WPA agreed to provide a payroll system, insurance and resources for the play schemes with WASP providing management support for the play workers.

Unfortunately due to current financial difficulties WPA is no longer in a position to provide this service to Community Councils. WASP has also ceased to operate. Consequently, unless someone else takes on the roles previously provided by these two organisationssome holiday play schemes will no longer be able to operate and it will be increasing difficult to set up new play schemes.

Current Situation

The Play Development Team have been undertaking presentations to local community councils to request that they consider part-funding play provision within their communities; in return they will receive a contribution from the Cymorth Play Grant. This model has been used successfully during the last 2 years with Rhos/Johnstown and Penycae Community Councils and ensures that the playgrant funding is maximised across the County Borough.

These presentations have been extremely successful, with many Community Councils expressing interest in funding holiday play schemes. However, all have raised concerns about the management and support of the schemes, as theyare not in a position, nor do they have the expertise to successfully run these schemes.

In approximately two years, it is envisaged that the North East Wales Play Forum (NEWPF) will be in a position to provide the management of community play schemes in Wrexham, as they have been funded by the Big Lottery Fund to provide regional play infrastructure across North East Wales. However, until they are established and become a constituted group they will not be in a position to assume this responsibility.

Proposal

As an interim arrangement, the local authority could provide and manage the payroll and insurance for play-scheme provision. However, to enable the play scheme to operate, a Play-scheme Co-ordinator would need to be employedto provide resources and line management for upwards of 20 play workers. It is proposed that this worker be employed as part of the Play Development Teamto ensure high quality consistent provision across the County Borough. This worker would also be responsible for advertising and monitoring of the play schemes.

This model would also support the development of playschemes run by voluntary organisations within the child’s community. Instead of the Play Development Workers having to identify community residents to set up a new voluntary organisation prior to a new playscheme being run the Play Development Team could provide initial management of the scheme and then encourage residents to be involved by demonstrating good practice.

The Play Development Team would then have the following structure:

Play Development Coordinator

Play Development Worker x 2Playscheme Coordinator

Responsible for:Responsible for:

Community DevelopmentLine management of Playworkers

Delivering Playwork TrainingPlay Scheme Resources

Quality AssuranceMonitoring & Evaluation

Promotion of Children’s Right to PlayPromoting inclusive play practice

Development of the Play NetworkIncreasing no. of children with

impairments accessing settings

In addition, the authority has again received funding from WAG to promote inclusion. The administration of this funding, including organising various activities during 2007/8, ie playday, inclusion pilot, inclusion training was provided by the Play Development Team. However, thistook a significant amount of time to deliver.

and detracted the play workers from their main duties.

To enable the Play Team to concentrate on their primary duties it is proposed that the play-scheme co-ordinator also take responsibility for the inclusion agenda, promoting inclusive play opportunities across the county borough.

As Wrexham Play Association and WASP previously received funding from Cymorth to provide the services outlined above, it is proposed that Cymorth Funding earmarked for this purpose be used to make a contribution to the funding of a Co-ordinator post.

Achieved Outcomes / Potential Outcomes

The Play Development Team, as a whole, has now been working for a total of five months. In that time the following outcomes have been achieved:

  • Number of confirmed open access playschemes running in the summer (not including adventure playgrounds) increased from 6 in 2007 to 8in 2008 with the possibility of an additional 4 if a Play Scheme Coordinator is employed.
  • The two development workers have become qualified playwork trainers.
  • Playwork training delivered to 25 playworkers.
  • Inclusive play training delivered to 40 play professionals.
  • A total of ten consultation sessions have been facilitated to inform the development of a new play strategy including a session with disabled children and young people.
  • An Easter Play event for approximately500 children & young people.
  • Membership of the Play Network has significantly increased to 80 members and the Strategic Play Forum has extended to include membership from the Youth Service, Early Years Education, Leisure Services, Clybiau Plant Cymru, Kids Club, CountrysideParks and Rights of Way, and North Wales Police.
  • An inclusion pilot introducing 7 children with impairments into their local open

access playscheme. A report on the success of this inclusion pilot will be available in the near future and includes a recommendation that the Play Development Team does not currently have the capacity to develop this project further due to the high level of input required.

Likely consequences if a Play Scheme & Inclusion Coordinator is not employed:

  • Four play schemes unable to run including two that ran last year in Rhos and Penycae. Last year a total of 287 different children attended the playschemes in Rhos and Penycae. Based on this figure 500+ children could miss out on attending a playscheme if these four projects do not run this year.
  • The community councils covering these four areas have already agreed to contribute the following funding to playschemes in their areas: Rhos £2000, Offa £2000, Penycae £700 and Gwersyllt £500. Not running these projects would have a negative impact on partnership working and there would be a potential increase in anti-social behaviour and other related problems with a reduction of holiday scheme provision.
  • The inclusive play agenda would be seriously hampered if a Play Scheme Coordinator is not recruited

Funding

Playscheme & Inclusion Co-ordinator Scale 5 SCP 22-25(inc on costs£24913

Essential Car User Allowance 849

Mileage Allowance (150 miles per month x 0.369p) 665

Total £26,427

Inclusive Play Fund Contribution £6,000

Cymorth Funding required£20,427

These costings are based at SCP 23 maximum costs as the post holder

would not progress beyond this point due to the 2 year fixed contract.

NB: Should the inclusion funding cease this contribution would need to be met by the Playgrant, therefore, contributory funding from Community Councils would need to be increased.

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