Play Sufficiency Assessment Summary Report - Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council 2016 2019 - Neath Port ...
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Play Sufficiency Assessment Summary Report Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council 2016 - 2019
Contents
1.0 Introduction and Background 1
2.0 Context 2
3.0 Matter A: Population 10
4.0 Matter B: Providing for diverse needs 11
5.0 Matter C: Space available for children to play 18
6.0 Matter D: Supervised provision 20
7.0 Matter E: Charges for play provision 22
8.0 Matter F: Access to space / provision 23
9.0 Matter G: Securing and developing the play workforce 24
10.0 Matter H: Community engagement and participation 26
11.0 Matter I: Play within all relevant policy and implementation agendas 28
12.0 Conclusion and Recommendations 29
Appendices
1. Population Summary
2. Provision Summary
3. Provision for Children and Families with Diverse Needs
4. Provision Audit
5. Play Space Audit
6. Consultation Summary
7. Income and Deprivation
8. Accessibility of Play
9. Play Policy Matrix
10. Funding Opportunities
1.0 Introduction and Background
1.1 The Welsh Government Play Policy states:
“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. Decision making at all levels of government should include a consideration
of the impact of those decisions, on children’s opportunities to play”.
1.2 To support the vision, aims and objectives of its Play Policy and supporting Play Policy
Implementation Plan the Welsh Government included a section on “Play Opportunities” within its
Children and Families (Wales) Measure, which received Royal Assent in 2012.
1.3 As a result of this Local Authorities, including Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council, are
required to assess the sufficiency of play opportunities in its area in accordance with the Children
and Families (Wales) Measure 2010. As well as establishing a baseline of provision, the Play
Sufficiency Assessment will enable the following for children between 0 and 17 years of age:
• “Identification of gaps in information, provision, service delivery and policy implementation
• Support the establishment of evidence to give an indication of distance travelled in relation
to play sufficiency
• Highlight potential ways of addressing issues relating to partnership working
• The input and involvement of all partners increasing levels of knowledge and understanding
• A monitoring system which will involve and improve communication between professionals
• The identification of good practice examples
• Increased levels of partnerships in assessing sufficient play opportunities
• The identification of actions for the Securing Play Sufficiency Action Plan which
accompanies the Play Sufficiency Assessment.”
1.4 This report summarises Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council’s approach to the Play
Sufficiency Assessment and the findings of the assessment in relation to:
A. Population
B. Providing for diverse needs
C. Space available for children to play
D. Supervised provision
E. Charges for play provision
F. Access to space / provision
G. Securing and developing the play workforce
H. Community engagement and participation
I. Play within all relevant policy and implementation agendas
1.5 This report has been developed to support the Play Sufficiency Assessment and Action Plan, and
seeks to assess the current provision of play across Neath Port Talbot and outline considerations
for the future.
Page 1
2.0 CONTEXT
2.1 Methodology
Our approach to the assessment sought to combine` quantitative data in relation to the type of
provision and availability of play provision with meaningful consultation with children, young
people, parents, carers, residents and stakeholders.
Baseline Review
The baseline review was the foundation phase of the Play Sufficiency Assessment and is
critical to ensuring the process is based on the Welsh Assembly Government requirements for
a comprehensive understanding of existing provision alongside current and future need. This
process commenced with a review of the previous Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council
Play Sufficiency Assessment in order to identify gaps in data and develop a plan for obtaining the
required data from a range of sources. The previous assessment was also reviewed against the
Toolkit and feedback from the Welsh Assembly Government / Play Wales to highlight areas for
improvement and development. In addition the baseline review process was also used to research
and identify all relevant national, regional and local policies and strategies which will form the
basis of the policy review to support Matter I: Play Within All Relevant Policy and Implementation.
Stakeholder Workshop
The success of the Play Sufficiency Assessment process and the ultimate implementation and
delivery of the Action Plan will be dependent on a number of Council Departments, organisations
and stakeholders working together. To that end we held a stakeholder workshop session during
the baseline review phase of the process.
The aim of this session was to communicate with all available existing and potential stakeholders
the overall process and aims of the Play Sufficiency Assessment, raising awareness of the process
among stakeholders and clarifying suitable levels of future involvement in the undertaking of the
assessment and the development and delivering of the action plan. Building on the guidance in
the Welsh Assembly Government, Play Sufficiency Assessment Toolkit this session was designed
to encourage attendees to discuss:
• The strengths and weaknesses of the previous assessment
• Changes to provision, resources and delivery since the last assessment
• A SWOT analysis of current play provision
• The contribution of stakeholders to the assessment process
• The challenges facing the provision of play in Neath Port Talbot
Page 2
Consultation and Engagement
Meaningful consultation and engagement with children, young people, parents, residents and
stakeholders is a fundamental part of the Play Sufficiency Assessment. Alongside the baseline
review phase of the project we undertook a programme of consultation and engagement. In
summary our approach was as follows:
Focus Groups
Focus groups are a tool for obtaining qualitative data and drilling into the issues and opportunities
highlighted through desktop research and quantitative data. To support the Play Sufficiency
Assessment we undertook a programme of focus groups.
Children and Young People
Children are a hard audience to reach and consult with and through working in partnerships with
nurseries, primary schools, secondary schools, youth clubs, organisations and the youth council
we spoke with 145 children aged between 4 and 17 years of age from across Neath Port Talbot.
Focus groups sessions were built around understanding:
• Current level of use;
• Public perception of quality, range and availability of play opportunities;
• Most preferred type of play opportunities;
• Access and barriers to provision;
• Issues and attitude towards leisure/ free time;
• Positive and negative play experiences;
• Aspirations.
Playworkers
Matter G: Securing and Developing the Play Workforce is concerned with ensuring the play
workforce is able to “undertake or secure the managerial and delivery functions necessary to
achieve sufficient play opportunities.” In addition to the desktop research during the baseline
review phase we undertook a focus group with 3 playworkers to explore and understand their
experiences of training, the barriers to training and how playworkers can be engaged to support
workforce development in the future. This was further enhanced by a range of short telephone
interviews with play provision providers.
Questionnaires
The children and young people and parent, carers and residents questionnaires were a key tool in
collation of quantitative data to support the Play Sufficiency Assessment and were based on the
toolkit questionnaire framework.
Page 3
Children and Young People’s Questionnaire
The consultation carried out through the focus groups was supported by an online questionnaire,
which was open to all children aged 8-17 years of age within Neath Port Talbot.
Parents & Residents Questionnaire
An online questionnaire for parents and residents was developed to provide quantitative data in
relation to parents and residents perception of play provision, barriers to use and aspirations for
the future.
Consulting Children and Young People with Disabilities
This phase of the project was concerned with understanding the needs of children with disabilities
to ensure that they are met within the play provision of Neath Port Talbot.
Desktop Research
We commenced this phase with a desktop study of relevant policy and legislation. This will also
included the identification of organisations including council officers, child minders, playgroups
and nurseries that work with and / or provide services for disabled children.
Focus Group
Working with the identified stakeholders we held two focus groups:
Focus Group 1 5Nº disabled children aged 7 – 12 year of age and their parent/s or career.
Focus Group 2 7Nº disabled children aged 14 – 17 years of age.
Play Shapers Drop in Session
“The Play Sufficiency Assessment should take into account the extent to which the following
groups are engaged in initiatives to enhance play opportunities:
• Youth groups.
• School Councils.
• School governing bodies.
• Community Groups.
• Any other relevant groups.”
To support this process and ensure a clear understanding of how the above do, and can in the
future, contribute to the provision of play, we held a play shapers drop in session.
Page 4Matter A: Population
“Creating a Play Friendly Wales: Statutory Guidance to Local Authorities on assessing for sufficient
play opportunities for children in their areas” states “the assessment should present data about
the number of children living in the Local Authority area at the present time with a projection of
5 years forward, to enable an assessment of their potential play requirements. The data should
provide information about the numbers of children in different categories that may affect their
play requirements.”
Understanding the population is critical to making informed decisions about the provision of
play in the future. During our work on the previous assessment we developed a mapping and
database system for understanding the population which we updated with current and projected
populations. In accordance with the guidance the data was broken down into Lower Super Output
Areas by:
• Age groups for 0-3 year olds; 4–7 year olds; 8–12 year olds; 13-15 year olds; 16–17 year
olds.
• Recorded number of disabled children in each age group.
• Welsh as a first language and those educated through the medium of Welsh.
• Children for whom English or Welsh is not their first language.
• Other recorded cultural factors including ethnicity (including gypsy traveller children,
refugees and asylum seekers).
Mapping this data against available play provision enabled us to understand gaps and
duplications in provision in a meaningful way to support an approach that will “secure sufficient
play opportunities, so far as reasonably praticable.”
Matter B: Providing for Diverse Needs
In our work on the previous assessment we developed a database and mapping system, which
formed an audit of play provision including spaces for play and supervised provision. The
information was updated to enable us to audit and assess:
• Play opportunities are appropriate to the requirements of children from diverse
communities and cultures, including those in isolated rural areas.
• Play opportunities are appropriate to the requirements of Welsh language speaking
children.
• Play opportunities are accessible to and inclusive of disabled children and may include
support to access play opportunities.
• Specialised provision is available for disabled children if there is a clearly identified
need for this.
• Community planning; traffic and transport initiatives cover the requirements of
disabled children to access play opportunities.
Page 5Once we understood the available existing provision that enables children with diverse needs
to play, we brought this together with population data, quantitative and qualitative data from
consultation with children, parents, carers, residents and stakeholders to undertake a needs
analysis to highlight areas in which play opportunities need to be improved and enhanced to
provide for children and families with diverse needs.
Matter C: Space Available for Children to Play
In consultation with relevant Council Officers including representatives from the Parks and Play
Teams we reviewed and updated the previous audit of spaces available for children to play.
During this process we identified sites mapped and not mapped during the March 2015 update
and undertook the required assessments the complete the dataset. This process used the criteria
we developed during the previous Play Sufficiency Assessment, the sites were evaluated on the
basis of there:
• Play value.
• Distance to travel from where children live without any significant physical barriers.
• Accessibility.
• Freedom from inappropriate hazards.
• Acceptable levels of opportunities for beneficial risk taking.
• Existing use for play.
• Potential for play use.
The updated mapping system and audit provided a comprehensive understanding of space
available to play, enabling us to consider and analyse provision against demand.
Matter D: Supervised Provision
We updated the existing audit and mapping of supervised play provision including:
• Holiday play schemes (Registered and unregistered).
• Adventure playgrounds.
• Play opportunities supported by peripatetic playworkers (play rangers).
• Mobile provision, such as play buses.
• Clubs and youth groups.
• Organisations which provide resources for these settings (such as toy libraries or scrap
stores).
Page 6Then using quantitative and qualitative data from a range of sources and our programme of
consultation and engagement, we assessed provision to understand the extent to which:
• There is sufficient provision to meet the needs of children and their families.
• The provision meets the regulatory requirements and National Minimum Standards for
that setting, as set out by the Welsh Government; Care and Social Services Inspectorate
Wales (CSSIW) or other inspection body.
• The provision works to achieve high standards in offering play opportunities for
children as developed by the Sector Skills Council for Play (SkillsActive) and the play
sector.
Matter E: Charges for Play Provision
The toolkit stipulates “the Play Sufficiency Assessment should show which play opportunities
involve a charge and the amount of that charge. It should take into account the extent to which
any charges affect the sufficiency of play opportunities for:-
• Children living in low income families.
• Children living in areas of deprivation.
• Children living in rural areas.
• Disabled children or children with particular needs.
During the audit of play provision we identified spaces / services which have an associated cost.
Using data sets which highlight the number and distribution of children in low income families,
areas of deprivation, living in rural areas, disabled children and those with particular needs we
were able to make an informed analysis of the impact of cost on participation and engagement
with play within this key groups.
Matter F: Access to Space / Provision
The previous assessment identified and mapped factors which can impact on children and young
people’s ability to access play provision including traffic calming, parking and opening hours of
play provision. This system has been revised and updated enable us to understand and evaluate
the barriers to play and the ways in which these could be addressed.
In addition, in accordance with the toolkit we will also assessed and evaluated the way in which
information, publicity and events impact on children, young people, families and stakeholders
awareness of play and play provision and to ascertain any areas for improvement to encourage
improved in engagement.
Page 7Matter G: Securing and Developing the Play Workforce
Using desktop research we undertook a summary workforce analysis to understand:
• The structure and size of the Play workforce (policy and delivery) is able to achieve
sufficient play opportunities for children in the area.
• The level of qualifications of the play workforce is sufficient and appropriate for their
roles.
• Training is available for the play workforce to achieve the necessary qualifications.
• Training is available for volunteers and parents to develop their knowledge and skills
in play work.
• Training is available for professionals working in the children’s workforce in relation to
play.
• Training or awareness sessions are available for professionals and decisions makers
whose work impacts on children’s opportunities to play, for instance town planners.
Matter H: Community Engagement and Participation
The toolkit states “the Local Authority should consult widely on children’s; their families’ and other
stakeholder’s views on play and recreational provision as set out in Section 5. It should also aim to
promote wide community engagement in providing play friendly communities.”
The implementation and delivery of the consultation and engagement programme enabled us to
have clear understanding of children, young people, parents, carers, residents and stakeholders
aspirations in relation to play. Using this quantitative and qualitative data we have made
recommendations for future consultation and engagement with communities to support the
provision of play friendly environments.
Matter I: Play within all Relevant Policy and Implementation
In accordance with the Play Sufficiency Assessment requirements we undertook a comprehensive
policy review to understand the impact of national, regional and local policy on the provision of
play across Neath Port Talbot. Policy areas to be reviewed included:
• Education / Schools
• Planning
• Traffic and Transport
• Health and Well Being
• Child Poverty
• Early Years / Childcare and Family Policy and Initiatives
• Inter-generational policy and initiatives
• Community Development
• Community Safety
• Health and Safety
Page 8SWOT Analysis
Having completed the programme of consultation and updated Matters A to I of the assessment,
in accordance with the brief we undertook a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and
threats) analysis for each matter. This process will enabled us to identify and target a range of
gaps in provision including:
Type of Gap Example
Geographical Gaps Where a geographical area has a general shortage of
supply
Diverse Needs Gaps Where there is a shortage of suitable places for disabled
children, or children with other specific needs or
requirements, including those from particular faiths or
community groups
Access Gaps Where there is a shortage of accessible play provision
Age Gaps Where there is a shortage of play provision suitable to
the needs and requirements of a certain age group (for
example, school-aged children up to 18 years, if they are
disabled).
Type Gaps Where there is a shortage in the type of play for which
children, young people and parents may be expressing
a preference
Workforce Gaps Where there are gaps / shortages in the play workforce
Page 93.0 MATTER A: POPULATION
3.1 Understanding the Population
In order to assess sufficiency of play provision it is important to understand the population. As
part of the Play Sufficiency Assessment process we updated the existing demographic mapping
system to compare the provision of play facilities with the distribution of the population under the
age of 18. We have compiled a range of data sets and demographics analysis that breakdowns:
• The distribution of children by LSOA by the following age groups for 0-3 year olds; 4–7
year olds; 8–12 year olds; 13-15 year olds; 16–17 year olds.
• The number of disabled children in each age group.
• The number of the children and young people with Welsh as a first language and those
educated through the medium of Welsh.
• The number of children for whom English or Welsh is not their first language.
• Other recorded cultural factors including ethnicity (including gypsy traveller children,
refugees and asylum seekers).
Appendix 1 provides an over arching summary of the population of children and young people in
Neath Port Talbot.
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Since the previous Play Sufficiency Assessment the population analysis and play provision
assessments have been used as a tool to support the development and enhancement of play
provision. We would recommend that this approach is continued as a means of moving towards
addressing the gaps in provision outlined in the analysis contained in section 12.3. It should also
be remembered that data only tells part of the story in relation to understanding sufficiency of
provision. Perception of provision and accessibility also needs to be considered and understood.
For example 22% of children and young people who responded to the questionnaire said “there
is nothing to do in my neighbourhood” and in focus groups sessions lack of things “to do” was
consistently raised as a barrier to play. This increased in prevalence among older children
particularly teenagers and was a more consistent complaint amongst children and young people
living in rural areas. The mapping of provision summary, appendix 2 shows that the distribution
of play provision reflects the distribution of the population of children and young people across
Neath Port Talbot, however 35% of parents believe lack of provision is a barrier to children playing
in their community. In addition it is important to consider variation in provision by age group, for
example there 5 times more outdoor play provision for children aged 4-7 years of age (population
5,999) than for young people aged 16 – 17 years (population 3,599). This differential highlights
limited provision for older children and the likelihood that they will have to travel further for play.
Page 104.0 MATTER B: PROVIDING FOR DIVERSE NEEDS
4.1 Introduction
Children and families with diverse needs experiences and perceptions of play may be affected by
a range of issues. Appendix 3 of the report summarises provision which can be accessed by those
with diverse needs and this section of the report summarises the findings of the consultation
process with key groups.
&KLOGUHQDQG4.4 Children and Young People from Different Cultural Backgrounds
2% of pupils aged over 5 have a national identity other than British, Welsh or Irish. There is a
proportion of children within Neath Port Talbot for whom English or Welsh is not their first
language. The Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council Pupil Level Annual School Census
found that 2% of students did not use English or Welsh as the main language, whilst this is a small
proportion it is a significant increase (21% rise) since 2011/12. The Pupil Level Annual School
Census (PLASC) shows that across the 63 LSOA’s 12 have no students for whom English or Welsh
is not a first language. Aberavon 4 is the LSOA with the highest proportion of students for whom
English or Welsh is not their first language.
Stat Wales data projects that net overseas migrant in Neath Port Talbot will remain steady at -10
per year between now and 2036, compared to an annual predicted change of 4,588 across Wales.
This suggests that demand for provision in other languages is likely to remain relatively low,
however it is recommended that the potential changes in population continue to be monitored
and specific consultation and engagement with children and young people from migrant families
should be considered in the future.
4.5 Children and Young People with Disabilities
Table 1 below is taken from StatWales and shows the number recorded numbers of children in
need within Neath Port Talbot in 2012 and table 2 shows the breakdown of disabled children by
age group. It should be noted that currently the Local Authority only has data on the number
of people with limited activity within the Borough, and that this is not broken down by age or
geographical area.
Table 1. Children in Need in Neath Port Talbot
Children with a Children with no Not applicable Children with no
disability disability disability
Wales 5125 15040 70 20240
Neath Port Talbot 445 1000 - 1450
Table2: Children with a Disability by Age Group
All Ages All Ages
Unborn Under 1 year 1 to 4 years 5 to 9 years 10 to 15 16 to 17
years years
Wales * 35 620 1280 2090 770 4795
Neath Port * 10 85 110 185 50 440
Talbot
Page 12Table 3 shows the breakdown of the disabilities of children in need living in Neath Port Talbot by
need and measure.
Table 3: Disabilities of Children in Need by Measure and Year
2010 2011 2012
Percentage of children with a disability (1) 22 35 31
Children with a Disablity
Percentage of children with a mobility disability (1) 6 14 11
Percentage of children with a manual dexterity disability (1) 8 16 12
Percentage of children with a physical co-ordination disability (1) 8 17 12
Percentage of children with a continence disability (1) 8 15 11
Percentage of children unable to lift, carry or otherwise move everyday 7 12 10
objects (1)
Percentage of children with a speech, hearing and eye sight disability (1) 12 22 19
Percentage of children with a memory disability (1) 11 17 15
Percentage of children unable to perceive the risk of physical danger (1) 16 26 21
The provision audits and maps in appendices 3 – 5 show the availability of play for children and
young people with disabilities, for example it shows that 12% of outdoor play spaces have access
issues that would make them challenging for children and young people with disabilities.
• Consultation and engagement with children and young people with disabilities
showed:
• They associate play with having fun.
• The benefits of play including making new friends, learning new skills and exercise.
• Not feeling safe and / or welcome were the key barriers to them engaging play.
• It is important the feel confident in a play space.
• They were more concerned about older children / bullies than about lack of provision
/ activities specifically for children with disabilities.
• They didn’t perceive a lack of provision for them, but tended towards sticking to play
areas and provision that they know and visit regularly.
• They are reliant on their parents / careers to access play.
• Inclusive play provides them with an opportunity to learn new things and make
friends.
Page 134.6 Looked After Children
Table 4 summarises the Children in Need Census 2014.
Table 4: Number of children in need by whether on the Child Protection Register
(CPR) or looked after in Neath Port Talbot
Number Percentage
Total Children on Children who Children in Children on Children who Children in
Children in the CPR, but were looked need, but not the CPR, but were looked need, but not
Need not looked after looked after not looked after looked after
after and not on after and not on
the CPR the CPR
1,305 170 500 635 13 38 49
As part of the consultation and engagement programme we attended a looked after children
session to meet with children and their carers and talked to them about their experiences and
perceptions of play. This session highlighted the following key issues:
• Both children and carers expressed a preference for play provision with other children
and young people who are also looked after children.
• Children and young people included socialising, exercise and learning to share in the
benefits of play.
• On further discussion this preference was because of feeling more confident, welcome
and comfortable in these groups.
• Accessibility, both in terms of finding provision and getting to it were the biggest
barriers to play. Parents talked of taking round trips of 30 miles and over and travelling
to provision outside of Neath Port Talbot to meet their needs.
• One of the benefits of attending sessions specifically for looked after children for
carers were the opportunity to meet and talk with other carers.
• Carers also saw play as a key means of improving the children’s social and engagement
skills.
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Neath Port Talbot contains 56 authorised pitches across 3 authorised public sites, 2 sites are
located in Wharf Road Briton Ferry with the third at Caegraw Farm near Margarm, the Local
Authority Count recorded 56 caravans in January 2010. The 2011/12 Pupil Level Annual School
Census (PLASC) recorded 51 pupils in schools across Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council
who classified themselves as being of gypsy / traveller origin. This data does not appear to have
been collated and / or made available for the 2012/13 or 2014/15 PLASC. More recent data is not
currently available and the Local Authority current uses census data, which provides the number
of people (125) who classified themselves as White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller at the time of the last
census.
Page 14Table 5: Pupils of Gypsy / Traveller Origin
LSOA School British Gypsy Traveller of Other Gypsy Other Total
/ Roma Irish Heritage Roma
Sandfields 0 2 0 0 2
Primary
Aberavon 2 St Joesph's RC 0 1 0 0 1
and 6th Form
Centre
St Joesph's 0 1 0 0 1
Aberavon 3 Catholic Junior
School
St Joesph's 0 3 0 0 3
Aberavon 4 Catholic Infant
School
Cilffriw Primary 0 0 0 0 0
Aberdulais
School
Alltern Primary 0 3 0 0 3
Allt-wen
School
Cwrt Sart 1 0 0 0 1
Briton Ferry C o m m u n i t y
East 1 Comprehensive
School
Briton Ferry L l a n s a w e l 4 0 18 1 23
West 2 Primary School
Llangatwg 0 0 0 0 0
Cadoxton Community
School
G w a u n - C a e - YGG Gwaun Cae 0 0 0 0 0
Gurwen 1 Gurwen
Groes Primary 5 0 0 1 6
Margam 1
School
Coed Hirwaun 0 1 4 0 5
Margam 2 Primary School
Dyffryn School 4 0 2 0 6
Blaendulais 0 0 0 0 0
Seven Sisters
Primary School
TOTAL 14 11 24 2 51
In addition to the above, and the Census data, the most recent Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation
Assessment (GTAA) for Neath Port Talbot was undertaken in February 2016. Based on 59 household
interviews the survey found that were 21 children aged between 0- 4 years, 53 children 5-11 years
and 24 children 12-16, out of a total population of 190 people.
Page 15During the Play Sufficiency Assessment project we undertook a small focus group with gypsy
traveller young people aged 15 years of age. In summary:
• The young people explained that play provision would need to be in their community
/ site in order to be accessible by children and young people.
• There doesn’t necessarily need to be defined play provision, just safe space that can
be used for play – “we use our imaginations and make use of the space” (age 9, Eastern
Primary).
• Benefits of play included socialising, trying new friends and exercise.
• Children and young people in gypsy and traveller communities have to adhere to a
stricter set of rules, which is seen as a barrier to play “mum wouldn’t let me off site to
go and play, we had to wait until we were older to go shopping and usually I had to
take my older brother.”
• They would prefer the provision of wi-fi on their site to play facilities.
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There are other groups, including young carers and lesbian, gay and bisexual children and young
people, who may have specific needs in relation to play. There is currently no data available to
understand the numbers and distribution of these groups and we would recommend further
consultation and engagement as a means of better understanding and exploring the needs of
these groups.
4.9 Supporting Inclusion
Neath Port Talbot has an inclusive approach to play as illustrated by aim 8 of the Neath Port Talbot
Play Strategy Action Plan 2013 – 2016:
Participation and Involvement
Aim: Providing a range of play opportunities for all children and young people, by:
1. Clearly understanding the needs of specific groups of children and young people.
2. Developing a coordinated approach to the delivery of play provision for these groups.
3. Supporting provision to be inclusive of all children and young people.
This approach is supported by projects and initiatives such as those provided by Interplay, but
recent cuts in funding support have had an impact on availability and accessibility. In addition in
2014 Childcare Sufficiency Assessment providers ranked provision for children with disabilities as
poor to satisfactory. However, 32% of providers did have plans in place to provision and a further
59% had no plans but were interested in making improvements. Consultation and engagement
with stakeholders, parents and carers suggests a preference for an inclusive approach but that the
framework, such as training, isn’t in place to achieve this aim.
Page 164.10 Funding
Play as a whole is reliant on grant and public funding and this is the case in relation to provision
for children with diverse needs and any loss of funding could result is a significant impact. In
light of this significant risk, in the process of carrying out the Play Sufficiency Assessment we have
explored opportunities for securing and maximising existing funding streams, but there is also
potential for bringing in further funds .
Consideration should also be given to broadening the funding mix, to reduce reliance on grants.
Possibilities such as play areas improvement projects sponsored by local businesses and carried
out by volunteer groups should be considered, exploring potential partnerships with a range of
organisations and working with the Council’s business development team. Appendix 10 presents
a breakdown of potential funding opportunities for consideration in the future.
Page 175.0 MATTER C: SPACE AVAILABLE FOR CHILDREN TO PLAY
5.1 Where can children play outdoors?
Appendix 2 summarises the provision of both defined outdoor spaces for play and the outdoor
space which could potentially be used for play such as amenity greenspace. Appendix 5 providers
a summary audit of designated outdoor play provision.
&KLOGUHQDQG“Older children are always hanging about there, which makes me feel uncomfortable they need
somewhere to go for them.” “We can’t use the astro-turf because they are just sitting there.” Age 9,
Glyncorrwg Primary School Play Heroes
One of the issues consistently raised by children, aged 12 and under, was the presence of older
children in parks and play spaces making them feeling uncomfortable and unconfident, which
affected their enjoyment of the play space. Children within this group, understood that older
children / young people needed somewhere to go, but felt that they should have their own space.
5.3 Parents and Carers
72% of parents and carers, who completed the questionnaire, believe “a play area with swings,
slides and other stuff to play on” is a place where children in their community like to play and hang
out, this was the most popular response. However, 90% of parents felt “having more interesting
place for children and young people to hang out” would be one way to help children and young
people go outside to play and hang out more. In addition parents and carers also cited the
following barriers to children and young people hanging out in their community:
• It is not safe for children and young people to play out in my community (34%);
• Stranger danger (57%);
• They don’t go out to play if it’s raining or cold (49%);
• They don’t go out to play and hang out as it’s too dark (46%);
• The community don’t want children and young people playing out (23%).
The above issues are considerable, for example Met Office data suggests it rains 6 out of every
10 days in Neath Port Talbot which would suggest based on the above data a considerable
barrier to outdoor play. The above responses also show that parents, carers and the communities
perceptions are arguable the key barrier, for example 41% of parents think there is a need “to help
parents to understand that it is ok for children and young people to hang out”. These perception
issues will in many ways be more challenging to respond to than issues in relation to accessibility
and quality of provision.
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Collaboration between the Council’s Play and Planning teams has continued to improve since the
previous Play Sufficiency Assessment and is a conduit for improving spaces for play. The Open
Space Assessment and Play Sufficiency Assessment are seen as complementary pieces of work and
they share data sets and information. The previous Play Sufficiency Assessment highlighted gaps
in relation to provision in terms of age, type, quality and value of provision. Sharing information
between Council Officers, means that provision resulting from planning allocations and funding
(such as Section 106) is well placed to respond to these needs and support improvements to the
provision of play.
Page 196.0 MATTER D: SUPERVISED PROVISION
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Appendix 4 of this report provides a detailed breakdown of supervised play provision in Neath
Port Talbot.
6.2 Children and Young People
“There was no play scheme this summer, which made it harder to find things to do.” Age 12, Cimla
Youth Club
“Youth club is more than something to do other than watch tv, we get to hang out with friends and try
something different every week.” Age 12, Cimla Youth Club
During a number of focus groups session’s children and young people specifically reference the
end of the play schemes and the impact it had on them in relation to having access to play and
specifically having things to do during school holidays. Young people who attending after school
clubs and / or youth clubs highlighted the value of this provision and its role in giving them
something worthwhile to do also explain that “bored children are more likely to get in trouble, it
is important we have something to do.”
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97% of parents and carers who completed the questionnaire agreed or strongly agreed with the
statement “every child should have to access to a variety of quality play provision”. Provision of
quality play is a key part of the Play Strategy as illustrated by the following:
Encouraging More Play Provision
Aim: Ensuring that all children and young people can access a range of quality play provision,
by:
1. Improving partnership working between services to maximise resources.
2. Ensuring that all relevant policies and strategies consider children’s play.
3. Ensuring that decision makers have the right knowledge and information to support their
decisions.
The above aims summarise Neath Port Talbot’s overall approach to ensuring quality play provision.
This is further supported by a range of programmes and initiatives including playful communities
and play heroes which help and enable children and young people to understand what is quality
play provision. In addition play workers and providers are support and encouraged to provide
high quality play provision through the provision of training opportunities including courses and
workshops.
Page 206.4 Children and Young People’s Verdict
“Good play is fun play!” Age 8, Eastern Primary
“It’s just good to have something to do, if I wasn’t at youth club I’d just be sat at home.” Age 13, Severn
Sisters Youth Club
Children and young people consider a range of factors when deciding the value of a play
opportunity these include:
• Having fun;
• Feeling safe;
• Feeling welcome;
• Feeling confident to try new things;
• That there is no rubbish / mess / graffiti;
• That other children and young people being nice to each other;
• Opportunities for learning new things / skills;
• Being challenged.
“Play should be a little bit risky, that’s the best part.” Age 9, Glyncorrwg Primary School Play Heroes
It should also be noted that children and young people value and enjoy opportunities to take
managed risks in play environments. They see learning about risk and learning how to look after
themselves and the people around them as one the key benefits of play.
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Quality play “is a varied inspirational and interesting physical environment that maximises the
potential for socialising, creativity, resourcefulness and challenge. It is a place where children feel
free to play in their own way, on their own terms. ” As previously discussed ensuring quality
play provision is one of the aims of the Play Strategy, it goes onto illustrate the role of a range
of stakeholders in achieve this aim including schools, providers and parents. Although decline
funding, resources and capacity has impacted on the level of support the Local Authority can
provide to improve quality provision, it is still at the core of their approach. It should also be
acknowledged that one of the key barriers to this objective is the limited participation among key
play providers, including schools and childcare providers, in training and development (please
see Matter G: Workforce Development).
Page 217.0 MATTER E: CHARGES FOR PLAY PROVISION
7.1 Introduction
Appendix 7 of this report summarises the population of children and young people living in low
income and / or deprived households. Appendix 4 and 5 provides details of play and if they have
any costs associated with them. The audit shows that all outdoor play spaces are free of charge to
access, however some destination play spaces such as Margam Country Park and Afan Park have
additional charges for activities such as Go Ape. In addition a small number of play spaces have
parking charges, which would be a cost associated with visiting.
Supervised play provision such as out of school clubs and sessional day car does have an associated
cost and the results of the Childcare Sufficiency Assessment 2014, found that 63% of parents felt
that childcare was too expensive. Facilities such as leisure centres, cinemas and bowling are also
considered to be expensive and this impacts on their perceptions in relation to the cost of play.
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“Youth club is good because it’s cheap and it gives us something to do.” Age 13, Cimla Youth Club
Children, young people and parents didn’t cite cost specifically as a barrier to play provision and
there are a range of low and no costs opportunities available to children and young people in Neath
Port Talbot. Youth Clubs in particular were valued for their combination of low cost provision and
somewhere safe and dry to hang out with friends and have fun. In addition children, in nursery
and primary schools, valued the play opportunities and provision they accessed free of charge at
school.
“You have to travel to go anywhere decent and that costs money.” Age 13, Blaengwynfi Youth Club
However, the main cost implication that is a barrier to play is transport and this has a significantly
increased impact on children and young people in rural areas. Travel by car and / or public
transport was seen to add a considerable cost to accessing play provision, which impacts on the
amount of time children and young people can spend accessing play outside of their home and /
or school.
Continued provision of parks and open spaces is a key part of providing free or low cost provision
to play. In addition continued support for supervised provision both directly, such as youth clubs,
and support training for providers is fundamental to ensuring children, young people and families
are able to afford and access provision.
Page 228.0 MATTER F: ACCESS TO SPACE / PROVISION
8.1 Introduction
There is arguably no value to play provision if it can’t be accessed by children and young people.
53% of parents stated “creating safer routes for children and young people to cross the roads, to
go out and get around” would “help children and young people to go outside to play and hang
out more often.” 24% of children aged 12 and under, said “it’s hard to get across the road to get
there” was something that stopped them from going out to play.
“I’m not allowed to go to the common because of the traffic; it isn’t safe for me to walk.” Age 10,
Glyncorrwg Primary School Play Heroes
Often children under 12 are reliant on being taken to play facilities, which mean they need their
parents or carers to be free to take them. This necessity for parental supervision is down to a
range of factors including stranger danger and the risks associated with road traffic. Across Neath
Port Talbot play provision is located in relatively accessibly areas, such as near schools and / or in
20mph zones. However, there is clearly a perception that play spaces are hard to access. This is
particularly prevalent in rural areas where there is a belief among young people that they need to
travel to urban areas or out of Neath Port Talbot to access better play provision.
8.2 Infrastructure to Support Access to Play
Appendix 8 summarises the accessibility of play provision across Neath Port Talbot. As previously
discussed this suggests thought has been given to how infrastructure can support access to play
for example a considerable proportion of parks and supervised play provision are near schools and
/ or in 20mph zones. However, in addition to road and traffic safety, other issues such as street and
/ or play provision lighting, and the lack of, was consistently raised as a barrier to play. In addition
public transport was seen as barrier both in terms of cost and provision, times / availability was
considered poor by children and young people.
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72% of parents and carers said “making it easier for parents to find out about fun places where
children and young people can play and hang out” would help children and young people to go
outside to play and hang out more.
Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council providers information and publicises play in a range
of ways, specifically the Family Information Service and Play Works websites and social media.
In addition partners such as Inter Play and Play Right are also working to raise awareness of
play provision and opportunities for play across Neath Port Talbot. There is a wide variety of
information out there, however the responses to the questionnaire (which was available through
the above) suggests that information is not reaching parents and carers. Working with partners
and stakeholders, and talking to parents, is an important means of addressing this issue moving
forward.
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Since the last Play Sufficiency Assessment considerable work has been done with Planning to
ensure that, where possible, opportunities can be taken to develop and enhance play provision.
The consultation and engagement process suggests the same level of consultation and partnership
working is required in relation to factors that impact on access such as roads, crossings, street
lighting and public transport.
Page 239.0 MATTER G: SECURING AND DEVELOPING THE PLAY
WORKFORCE
9.1 The Play Work Force
There are a number of people that make up the play work force including childcare providers,
teachers, dinner ladies and play workers. All of these people contribute to the quality, value and
accessibility of play provision in Neath Port Talbot.
The Play Strategy includes a specific aim in relation to Workforce Development
Aim: “To develop a workforce that support children and young people to play.
Clearly understanding the scope and training needs of the play workforce.
Ensuring that appropriate training and continuing professional development (CPD)
opportunities are available to the play workforce, including volunteers.”
The Welsh Assembly Government’s Draft 10 Year Plan for the Early Years, Childcare and Play
Workforce in Wales sets out an aspirational framework for achieving the following vision: “for early
years, childcare and play to be a career of choice, for potential entrants to feel informed about the
range of opportunities available to them within the sector and in the wider children’s workforce.
We want to attract entrants with the appropriate knowledge, skills and behaviours to provide
high-quality care, education and play opportunities for children .” The plan based around three
key elements:
1. Leadership
2. Attracting High Quality Entrants
3. Raising Skills and Standards Across the Existing Workforce
The target outlined in the plan is that in 10 years’ time the sector will benefit from “highly skilled
early education, childcare and play workforce that:
• Is highly regarded (a career of choice);
• Understands how children learn and develop;
• Structures activities and time to support all children to develop to their full potential;
• Are proactive learners in their own right;
• Is bilingual.”
Page 249.2 What the Play Workforce Thinks
“I want to do my level 5 in Playwork, I want to progress but finding somewhere to take the course and
the funding to pay for it is taking a long time. They’ll reach a point when I just give up.” Assistant
Manager, Childcare Setting
As part of our consultation and engagement programme we undertook two focus group sessions
with playworkers and a number of short telephone interviews with childcare providers. A more
detailed analysis of this process can be found in appendix 6, but in summary:
• “People think play is easy” ¬– there is a lack of understanding of what play work is and
the training / skills required to work in the sector.
• “All settings should understand the benefits of play, but not all of them do” – there is a
variation between providers in relation to their understanding of play.
• “Perceptions matter” – parents and carers perceptions of play, public safety and their
community have as much impact as the number, type and accessibility of facilities.
• “Addressing the culture of risk” – people who making decision about play including
parents and stakeholders need to have a better understanding of the benefits of play
and that play includes an element of risk.
• “Schools are a key play provider” – schools have a significant role to play in how children
and young people perceive and experience play. School staff, including dinner ladies,
are a key part of the play workforce and can be a barrier to play.
• “Rain is used as an excuse to prevent play” – need to work to address the perception
that rain should stop play.
• “It’s challenging to progress in this sector” – a significant number of roles in the sector
are seasonal or part time. This and reliance on funding can impact on retention and
progression. For example placing age limits on funding for certain programmes has
had an impact on take up.
• “The changes in CSSIW requirements could result in settings closing”- the changes
in requirements to registration, specifically in relation to the perception of staff with
required levels of qualification. There was considerable concern about the time
timescales which would be available for this transition.
• “Whether or not you go on training can be down to the setting and your manager”
– the majority of the workforce is seeking to engage in training and professional
development. It can be challenge for some workers, specifically sessional workers,
to fit training in around work and other issues such as caring for their families. In
addition some settings expressed concern about investing in staff, who may take that
training to obtain a job elsewhere.
9.3 The Future of the Play Workforce
The play workforce is a key element in providing sufficient play opportunities, not just because
supervised provision requires staffing but because the workforce shapes and influences children,
young people, parents and carers experiences of play. However, consultation and attempts to
engage with providers and other key partners alongside previous research such as the Childcare
Sufficiency Assessment show limited understanding and demand for the need for play training
outside of the direct play (e.g. play workers) workforce. Moving forward more work needs to
be done in relation to understanding the wider play workforce and preparing for forthcoming
changes such as those laid out in the Government’s 10 year plan.
Page 2510.0 MATTER H: COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND
PARTICIPATION
10.1 Working with Key Groups
Stakeholder consultation and engagement to support the Play Sufficiency Assessment is detailed
in appendix 6 of this report, and we have sought to consult and engage with the following groups:
• Youth Groups
• School Councils
• School Governing Bodies
• Community Councils
• Community Groups
The consultation process has highlighted the need to ensure play and the value of play is
understood and appreciated by decision makers, so that the recommendations of the Play
Sufficiency Assessment are supported by the wider Local Authority.
10.2 How Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council Promotes and Encourages
Community Engagement
The current Play Strategy includes the following:
Participation and Involvement
Aim: To ensure that children and young people and have a variety of opportunities to be involved
in any decision that affects the opportunities to play, by:
1. Promoting the value of involving children and young people and families in decisions
that affect them.
2. Encouraging and supporting others to carry out meaningful engagement with children,
young people and families in the course of their work.
This aim forms the basis of the Council’s approach to community engagement, and initiatives and
projects such as the Youth Council and Play Heroes provide a range of opportunities for children,
young people and families to have their say. However, discussions with children and young people
suggests that they don’t feel listen to in a meaningful way. The Youth Council has seen positive
results, specifically in relation to the development of a skate park, but was critical of the process
and the amount of time it took. Children and young people, raised issues in relation to the lack of
consultation in relation to changes to play schemes and community buildings.
Page 2610.3 How children, young people, parents and carers want to be consulted and engaged
with
“Just come and talk to us.” Age 13, Severn Sisters Youth Club
“Don’t just come and talk to us once and then not tell us what’s happening.” Age 14, Youth Council
“If something can’t happen then please tell us why.” Age 14, Cimla Youth Club
All the participants who engaged in the consultation expressed a preference for face to face
consultation and engagement, valuing the chance to have a dialogue. There was an appreciation
that this was a more time and resources intensive approach, but it was the preferred option.
In addition there was a desire for consultation to be more than a “tick box exercise” but to see
how consultation and engagement has shaped decisions, and for an explanation as to why an
approach has been taken. Illustrating the impact of the consultation process, will also help to
increase participation and engagement.
Page 2711.0 MATTER I: PLAY WITHIN ALL RELEVANT POLICY AND
IMPLEMENTATION AGENDAS
11.1 Policy and Implementation Matrix
The current Play Strategy is part of the Single Integrated Plan Outcome 3: Neath Port Talbot’s
communities and environment are sustainable. The Single Integrated Plan sets out our vision for
Neath Port Talbot and the steps we will take together to protect and improve local services and
support our communities. The inclusion of this play strategy within this context shows the value
and appreciation of play provision, but also it is important to highlight that the Single Integrated
Plan acknowledges “we live in turbulent economic times. We must be clear as to where we should
concentrate our collective efforts at a time when our budgets are reducing and there are many
challenges facing people in our communities. This is why having listened to your views we are
going to prioritise action in connection with children and young people, anti-poverty, health
inequities and transport.”
Play is shaped by a range of policies and strategies, appendix 9 of this report is a matrix summarising
these policies and the impact they have on play.
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The current Play Strategy includes an objective to ensure that all relevant policies and strategies
consider children’s play. The matrix in appendix 9 shows there is still work to be done in relation to
achieving this aim. Continued dialogue with a wider range of stakeholders will be key to achieving
this aim as well as finding a way to articulate the value of play to decision makers outside the
sector.
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