Play Sufficiency Assessment

Conclusion

This section should identify the key priorities for the Local Authorities in accordance with the regulations and described in the Statutory Guidance.

Way forward

This section should briefly introduce the Action Plan which sets out what steps need to be taken to improve the opportunities

for children to play within the Local Authority area, including what mechanism and criteria were used to agree and prioritise actions. It should also describe the actions the Local Authority will take with regards to change in infrastructure, partnership working or mechanisms to ensure that it is well placed to deliver on the duty to secure sufficient play opportunities.

The Pembrokeshire Action Plan has identified the priority themes for the next three years. This has been informed using feedback from services and partners who have contributed to the PSA. We have used the shortfalls highlighted to identify specific areas for development and further work.

Whilst completing the assessment, there were a number of recurring themes, including:

•  A reduction in the amount of after school club provision and holiday provision available
• Lack of sufficient public or subsidised transport to support CYP to reach play destinations
• Engaging with communities to value and invest in our CYP, including greater engagement with parents/carers around the importance of play
• Need for continued incentives for playwork training and to encourage voluntary training
• The need for COVID-19 recovery support for staff as well as families
• The need for continued, regular funding in order to implement successful play events

The actions outlined in the tables above take into account these emerging gaps.

Changes and reorganisation within the LA in terms of structures, services and personnel, such as the appointment of a Children’s Champion, as well as increased funding from Welsh Government over the past couple of years has invoked an increased awareness and acknowledgement of the play agenda. Provided that careful monitoring and sufficient funding continues, this will allow the profile of play to be raised throughout Pembrokeshire in order to deliver sufficient play opportunities for future generations and the health and well-being of communities. The LA should ensure that priorities are realigned to help families recover from the pandemic through accessing community-based play, out of school care, recreational and leisure opportunities and youth services as appropriate. 

Matter A: Population

Priorities

• Review findings of the PSA, including ward-level data, alongside other existing demographic, public open space and service provision data to create community profiles that provide an indication of the sufficiency of the children’s opportunities for play

Targets

• Further consultation will take place with Gypsy Traveller children and consultation should take place with LGBT+ youth to look at their play needs.

Resources including costs

• Officer time 

Funding source (new or existing funding streams)

• No current funding streams in place to support SOPO

 

Matter B: Providing for diverse needs

Priorities

• Play Strategy Group will use the 2021 Census data when released to plan future play opportunities.
• SOPO to organise consultation to take place with travelling community.
• Ascertain the play needs of LGBT+ youth and GT children through further consultation to ensure these are being met.

Targets

• Utilise the Census data to plan future play opportunities within the Local Authority.
• Consultation to take place within the travelling community to assess their needs in terms of play. SOPO to build trust within this community group.
• SOPO to seek alternative funding if WG play grants cease.
• SOPO to carry out further consultation to assess this communities needs in terms of play.
• SOPO to develop working relationship with youth to support LBG to ensure their needs are understood and catered for

Links to other matters

A

Resources including costs

• Officer time

Funding source (new or existing funding streams)

• No current funding streams in place to enhance play opportunities within Pembrokeshire other than Welsh Government Grants.
• No current funding streams in place to enhance play opportunities within Pembrokeshire

 

Matter C: Space available for children to play

Priorities

• Funding has been allocated to develop a number of play parks within the county utilising WG funding.
• Local Development Plan to be redrafted.
• Review the State of Play report and the LDP when ready and align with the priorities of the PSA
• Allocate funding to enhance play provision across the county
• Brownfield sites should also be assessed for their appropriateness for play provision
• Complete play priority sign audit.
• Raise further awareness of street play opportunities.

Targets

• Further funding is needed to ensure all play parks are kept up to standard and are useable.
• Shared with relevant parties once complete.
• Ensure SoP report & LDP is aligned with the priorities of the PSA.
• The importance of play needs to be promoted by all PCC staff members – Play is Everybody’s business.
• Survey to be conducted to assess brownfield sites.
• Allocate funding to purchase signage

Resources including costs

• Officer time

Funding source (new or existing funding streams)

• No current funding streams in place to enhance play opportunities within Pembrokeshire or to maintain what we already have in terms of play parks.
• No current funding streams in place to enhance play opportunities within Pembrokeshire.
• No current funding streams in place within Pembrokeshire to purchase signage.

 

Matter D: Supervised provision

Priorities

• Disseminate messages as to the importance of leisure and cultural opportunities, to access free activities through key partners.
• Childcare Development Officers & Family Information Officer to work in partnership with settings to gather information and store findings to address the changes in sufficiency.
• Ensure Pembrokeshire has high quality play providers and practitioners
• Childcare Officers to review process of NMS checklist and to identify if any gaps in provision
• Continue to promote free initiatives to ensure families are taking advantage of sport and recreational activities available to them
• Raise awareness of the importance of keeping active not just to CYP but to parents too.

Targets

• Raise awareness of keeping active through continuing to promote activities to families.
• Continue to reach out to community groups to promote leisure and consider subsidising or funding premises for playwork, particularly in disadvantaged areas.
• Conduct surveys/audit to address any changes/needs in terms of sufficiency.
• Childcare Development Officers will carry out improvement SACERS to raise rich play environments.
• Childcare Development Officers will carry out SACERS audits will all OOSC settings
• Childcare Development Officers will carry out SACERS audits will all OOSC settings
• Allocate funding to enhance play provision across the county
• Continue to promote play with partnership agencies such as Sport Pembrokeshire.

Resources including costs

• Officer time

Funding source (new or existing funding streams)

• No current funding streams in place to enhance play opportunities within Pembrokeshire.

 

Matter E: Charges for play provision

Priorities

• The LA should consider how it can provide long-term funding for subsidised transport to settings, especially those in rural areas or for groups of children with protected characteristics.
• Use further information once available from the 2021 Census to plan the delivery of recreational activities for children in low-income families. 
• Establish mechanisms for record no cost/low cost provision and premises for play

Targets

• SOPO to seek alternative funding if WG play grants cease.
• Utilise the Census data once available to plan a way forward to support low-income families to attend play initiatives.
• Look into how subsidised transport may be able to be provided to increase the range of play available to children, particularly those in rural areas.
• CDO’s to develop mechanisms to record low cost play provision on offer within the LA.

Resources including costs

• Officer time

Funding source (new or existing funding streams)

• No current funding streams in place to enhance play opportunities within Pembrokeshire.

 

Matter F: Access to space/provision

Priorities

• Continue to use free channels of advertising and undertake community outreach to ensure families are kept informed. Work closely with schools to deliver messaging around play
• Apply to CCG strategic group for assistance with funding for a trainee PSO.

Targets

• Ensure dedicated play website and social media platforms are kept up to date with any new play initiatives and that parents are easily signposted to information on play and the importance of play, as well as the services available. Ensure the LA publicises information to support parents/carers to help them to encourage play with their children.
• Consider how to promote opportunities to families who may not have regular access to the internet, e.g. through posters, flyers in the local community
• Application submitted to CCG panel – awaiting outcome

Resources including costs

• Officer time
• Apply to CCG strategic group for assistance with funding for a trainee PSO - £19,264 - £20,043 plus on costs

Funding source (new or existing funding streams)

• No current funding streams in place to enhance play opportunities within Pembrokeshire.
• Apply to CCG strategic group for assistance with funding for a trainee PSO - CCG Funding stream

 

Matter G: Securing and developing the workforce

Priorities

• The LA should consider ways to encourage workforce development that are not reliant on incentive grants e.g. by raising the profile of play worker as a profession. Parents should also be engaged and encouraged to take up voluntary play work.
• Link in with recruitment strategy carried out by the Early Years Team in relation to the National Minimum Standards

Targets

• Deploy additional capacity into creating bespoke packages of training that fill needs gaps.
• Work with stakeholders to identify how the importance of play and raising the profile of play work can be undertaken through training
• Identify long term funding streams to ensure play workers and parents can continue to be incentivised to undertake training.
• Childcare Development Officers, wider colleagues and partners to plan, develop and implement a recruitment process to assist in the promotion of careers in childcare and to reduce vacancies across the sector.
• Source new training package for providers to carry out Play Work training.
• To reinstate and schedule dates through annum for play work training.
• Offer regular training sessions on the benefits of play

Resources including costs

• Offcier time

Funding source (new or existing funding streams)

• No current funding streams in place to enhance play work opportunities within Pembrokeshire.
• No current funding streams in place to enhance play work  opportunities within Pembrokeshire and to increase qualification base.

 

Matter H: Community engagement and participation

Priorities

• Create an agenda to push the value of play regularly.
• SOPO to offer further training on the benefits of play to community groups and volunteers.
• SOPO to use social media as a regular communication vehicle for play

Targets

• Play Strategy Group is in place who will look to work with the wider community and other partners to ensure Play is at the forefront.
• Reinstate and schedule dates through annual to link in with partners such as FIS.
• SOPO to update Play web pages

Links to other matters

• Officer time

 

Matter I: Play within all relevant policy and implementation agendas

Priorities

• Implement new play strategy and ensure it is embedded within wider policies.
• Formulate audit of findings of play opportunities within schools into a report.
• The Local Development Plan is currently being redrafted.
• Integration of the Early Years and Childcare Team has taken place in 2020/21
• Apply to CCG strategic group for assistance with funding for a trainee PSO.
• No detailed actions within the Wellbeing plan currently relating to play.
• Wellbeing Plan is currently in development due to be published in May 2023

Targets

• Share the play policy with all Head Teachers and Governing Bodies.
• Share this report with Head Teachers and governing bodies.
• Ensure that the LDP include reference to play explicitly and review aligned with PSA actions.
• Early Years and Childcare Lead and Flying Start and Families First Manager to work in partnership with Health colleagues to plan, identify and implement the expansion of Flying Start to all 2-year-olds,
• Application submitted to CCG panel – awaiting outcome.
• Departments need to work more cohesively to ensure play is featured in the Wellbeing plan

Links to other matters

F

Resources including costs

• Officer time

Funding source (new or existing funding streams)

• No current funding streams in place to enhance play work opportunities within Pembrokeshire