Project Details
Play Shaper (2009 -
2011)
Introduction and Purpose
Play Shaper was is partnership project between Play England, as
part of the National Children's Bureau, the Sector Skills Council
for Playwork, SkillsActive and the major play training provider,
Playwork Partnerships, part of the University of Gloucestershire.
The project was funded by the Department of Children, Schools and
Families (now Department for Education) and the Department of
Culture, Media and Sport.
The Project aims were to design, develop, pilot and roll out a
training programme that will bring together professionals who are
involved in planning, designing, building, managing and maintaining
public space and those who deliver children's services, including
play provision.
The Play Shaper programme focused on the particular needs of
children in the design, planning and management of public space.
The aim is that participants will better understand the nature and
importance of children's play and the characteristics of good
quality play space; and the tenets of good practice in delivering
it.
The training promoted a greater appreciation of the
responsibility of different professional roles in enabling
children's safe access to, enjoyment of and mobility around the
public realm, as well as the importance of cross-professional
collaboration in achieving these ends.
The programme supported the aims of the national play strategy,
reinforcing a top-tier strategic approach to play and delivering a
long-term change to the built environment and the management of
open space. It will also aimed to demonstrate to key audiences how
improved play provision can support the delivery of other local
priorities, including in particular the promotion of physical
activity, as set out in Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives and promoting
local place shaping to support sustainable community development.
As such the programme would draw extensively from these policies,
their underpinning evidence and the various guidance documents
being produced to support them.
The programme was delivered by a partnership of Play England,
SkillsActive and Playwork Partnerships, working with skilled and
specialist training providers from both playwork and other
professional disciplines across England. It was coordinated through
the regional activities of Play England and SkillsActive to support
local authority play partnerships, play pathfinders and
playbuilders.
Playwork Partnerships Role in Play Shaper
Playwork Partnerships, under the guidance of the steering group
and the other partners, designed and developed the programme and
its materials, managed and delivered the pilot programme to
Pathfinder authorities in the first year and established a
selection process and 'training the trainer' programme for regional
training partners for the national roll out in years 2-3. Playwork
Partnerships also project managed the national rollout, working
closely with both SkillsActive's and Play England's regional
centre's.
The delivery of the programme's first phase of development and
delivery of training to play pathfinders and training for trainers
was by the playwork team at the University of Gloucestershire,
drawing on expertise from HE Lecturers in playwork, NVQ Centre
staff and the Playwork Partnerships training team.
In years 2-3 the programme was delivered by a range of training
providers in the different English regions who were contracted
after an open application and selection process and their mandatory
participation in a specialist training for trainers programme.
These were selected for their access to and understanding of local
networks and their influence with the professional networks to be
trained, as well as for their understanding of play and issues
relating to children and young people in public space.
Visit the Playshaper website
here for further information.
Playwork Leadership and Management in Integrated Services (2009
- 2011)
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Outdoor Learning Environment (OLE) (2007 - 2009)
Visit our OLE
page
CWLWM (2004 - 2007)
Childcare Wales Learning and Working
Mutually
Running to December 2007 the CWLWM Partnership worked towards
supporting the people of Wales to develop a dynamic, responsive and
sustainable childcare sector.
CWLWM is a partnership between the Welsh Assembly Government,
Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids' Clubs, Play Wales, Mudiad Ysgolion
Meithrin, Wales Pre-school Playgroups Association, Communities that
Care, Cardiff County Council CYPPF (Children and Young People's
Partnership Framework) and the University of Gloucestershire.
The aims of the partnership are to:
- Support childcare providers to become better businesses;
- Support Welsh-language childcare provision;
- Support the development of dynamic and innovative training in
childcare and playwork;
- Support local communities to have their say in what they want
from childcare.
CWLWM is part-funded by the European Social Fund
For more information visit the CWLWM website
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Wild about Play (2003-2004)
Visit our Outdoor Play page for information on this
project and more.
EQUIPE Project (2001 - 2005)
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Pilot Project (2000 - 2001)
PILOT, Playwork Industry Learning Opportunity and Training, was
an 18 month project that aimed to develop accessible learning
materials for playworkers at a range of levels. Outcomes from this
project include:
production of Playwork Take 1 the video;
development and SPRITO endorsement of the Take 5 for Play
course, student induction pack and tutor resource pack;
- further development and SPRITO endorsement of the Everyone Can
Play course;
- development of interactive CD Roms to support the Take Ten More
for Play course,
- development and validation of the Certificate of Higher
Education in Playwork via distance learning.
Palm I & II Projects (1998 - 2000)
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Pleiad Project (1997 - 2000)
PLEIAD (Playwork Education and Information through ADapt) was
initially a 2 year project funded by the European Social Fund,
ADAPT. The project's aim was to "professionalise" playwork by
increasing the training opportunities for playworkers. This was
achieved by offering playworkers in the south west of England the
chance to access recognised playwork training courses and
qualifications free of charge. For further information about the
PLEIAD project you can:
- view the PLEIAD Final Evaluation Report - this is an Adobe
Acrobat file
- view the PLEIAD Final Report, The End of the Beginning! - this
is an Adobe Acrobat file.
Eurochild Project (1995 - 1997)
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