A New Play Strategy For Wrexham - working in partnership to uphold children’s right to play Mike Barclay – WCBC Play Development Coordinator

Its all about Values! How we value childhood How we value PLAY If we value children we must also value play! Professional and personal values How we value children

The Issue – what is play? Freely Chosen Personally Directed Intrinsically Motivated Spontaneous, illogical and without purpose What children do when left to their own devices Children have a right to play

The Facts - benefits to children? Physical development and fitness Emotion regulation and social skills New experiences and experiments Resilience and coping skills Critical to brain development Therapy and stress release Fun, friendship and happiness

“play is so critically important to all children in the development of their physical, social, mental, emotional and creative skills that society should seek every opportunity to support it and create an environment that fosters it” WAG Play Policy 2002

Communities which look healthier The Facts – benefits to wider society Happier children who feel valued Supports children to become competent adults Communities which feel safer Greater community cohesion

“The right to play is a child’s first claim on the community. Play is nature’s training for life. No community can infringe that right without doing deep and enduring harm to the minds and bodies of its citizens” David Lloyd George (1925)

The Problem – Play Deprivation Children have less freedom to play Children play outside less often Children have less space to play Children have less time to play Children deprived of essential experiences

The Causes of Play Deprivation Re-development of playable space Increase anxieties about children’s safety The fear of litigation Result: less tolerance for children’s play Result: reduced value placed on play Huge increases in traffic on our roads

The aim Or… more children playing more often “to increase the number of children and young people having regular access to a wide range of play opportunities within their own community” Wrexham Play Strategy 2009 to 2013

The Solution Shorter term: Compensate children for experiences lost Longer term: Change the way society values play New Play Strategy addresses both of these

MORE PLAY Financial resources :1.5 Communities placing a greater value on play Spaces which offer greater play value Ensure quality :1.4 Participation :1.2 Inclusion :1.3 Managed Risks : : Staffed provision 4.1: Playwork qualifications 4.2: Playwork CPD 4.3 Playwork approach 2.2: School playgrounds 2.1: Play & Education 2.3: Access school grounds 3.3: Protect playable space 3.3: Improved access 3.4 Reclaim streets Infrastructure for play :1.1 Plan for impacts :6.1 CYP Strategic Planning :6.2 Raise profile of play :3.1 Parental concerns :5.2 Compensatory Play Provision More freedom to play understanding Quality design time space independence tolerance

Conclusion Where can you have an impact? How can play support aspects of your work? We are facing some big challenges We will have to make some big changes A partnership approach will be needed We can make a real and lasting difference