Organisation name: Play Wales
Submitted: 29/07/2009 by mike@playwales.org.uk
- Organisation core business: Play Wales is the national organisation for children's play. Freely chosen play is critically important to all children and young people as part of their every day lives and within their own communities. We work to raise awareness of children and young peoples need and right to play and to promote good practice at every level of decision making and in every place where children might play. We provide advice and guidance to support all those who have an interest in, or responsibility for providing for children's play so that one day Wales will be a place where we recognise and provide well for every child's play needs. Play Wales is a membership organisation and is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee.
- What will the project do?: The Play Wales objective is to develop, pilot, mainstream and deliver a comprehensive programme of innovative learning, training and qualifications in order to help play workers to gain the additional skills and qualifications needed to sustain their employment, improve productivity and increase earnings via career progression. It will inspire participants to reflect on, and radically develop and improve their playwork practice in all staffed play settings, including out of school childcare. It will have a profound impact on playwork and the quality of play opportunities available to children. It will provide participants with qualifications that enable them to most effectively undertake the role of facilitating children's play in any setting encompassed by childcare. Drawing upon its considerable experience in the development of similar innovative training materials and qualifications, Play Wales will develop, pilot and deliver a training programme that provides: Award, Certificate, and Diploma Playwork qualifications at Level 3; Mentoring Skills at Level 2; additional modules to compliment the Level 2 and 3 Playwork courses; transitional modules, for example between childcare and playwork, and youth work and playwork, to Induction Standard, Level 2 and Level 3 of the qualification framework. All training will be predicated upon the Playwork Principles and progress from and build on existing qualifications developed by Play Wales. Play Wales will also deliver established Award, Certificate, and Diploma Playwork qualifications at Level 2. It is anticipated that beneficiaries, both in work and out of work, will include those from hard to reach groups for whom existing training is, if actually available, delivered at times and places that are inaccessible to them. This project will satisfy the currently unmet need through flexible training and learning provision. Training will be co-ordinated through the recently established National Centre for Playwork Education and Training, delivered through a range of methodology including an interactive web based platform that will compliment face to face teaching and utilise a range of multimedia materials including film, podcasts and realtime discussions and tutor support. It is anticipated that the project will also facilitate the development of training providers throughout Wales who, co-ordinated by the NTC will ensure the future sustainable delivery of training and qualifications to meet the needs of prospective learners. The project will include research to monitor and evaluate each aspect of training development and delivery and to the ascertain the relative effectiveness of training.
- Regional area(s) to be covered by the project: All Competitiveness
- Who will be the end beneficiaries?: Participants will be those employed in the playwork and childcare sector.
- Who will be involved in delivering the project?: Play Wales
- What might be the outputs (activity measures) of the project?: The project aims to work with a total number of participants per annum, estimated by year 4 at approximately 1,100
- What might be the results of the project?: Qualification levels to be gained: level 2 85%; level 3 13%; level 4 and above 2%
- What would the project's impact be?: A significant rise in the qualification levels in a sector that historically has had low levels of training and qualifications. Participants gaining qualifications will have an increased opportunity to be employed. This will contribute to the professionalisation of the sector and a concomitant increase in salary levels.
- What is the project estimated cost?: £6,750,000