SkillsActive Playwork South East ~ June 2008

Dear Play colleagues

Here it is!  Our new look bi-monthly SkillsActive Playwork South East Ezine! 

In this edition, you will find news of FREE Level 3 playwork training, FREE activepassports, and details of a newly launched Skills for Life Toolkit from SkillsActive!

Please email information about your events, training, publications, conferences or other items of interest to the play community for the August ezine by Friday 15 August 2008.  And bookmark our brand new webpages so you can check easily for news updates and events in the South East.

The South East Employers Network:  The first meeting on the Network will take place on Thursday 11 September (revised date) - if you would like to come along and meet other employers and hear about key projects around workforce development, send us your details so that we can add you to our database.

Foundation Degree South East:  Brighton University has recruited 15 students to start their Foundation Degree in September, with 15 students proceeding to their final year.  This summer sees the graduation of the first cohort of playwork students, and Deborah Price, course leader, says: "I will be there to cheer them on - it is an amazing achievement as they have worked, studied and fitted some kind of life in-between - I am so proud of them!".  If you would like information about the Foundation Degree in Playwork, contact Deborah.

Article Update:  Following our article in January of the success of Sue Clark and Lis Cook in achieving their Foundation Degree in Playwork, Sue has contacted us to let us know that they have just finished their BA Hons Education Studies (their progression route at University of Hertfordshire)!  The topic of Sue's Dissertation was The Decline of Children's Free Range Play; in hers, Lis asked Is There a Need for Structured Play as well as Free Play in After School Clubs.  Congratulations to them both!

Partnership Development Working in Hampshire:  Hampshire County Council are working wih Partnership Development Managers in the region, nurturing a Play Ranger young volunteers group.  See the attachment below for more details.

New Site for Challengers:  Disability Challengers is a charity providing play and leisure opportunities for disabled children and young people in Surrey, and opened a new site in Farnham at Easter which is going to be a National Model for Inclusion in the UK.  See the attachment below for full details.

Holiday Training:  Rushmoor Borough Council has organised training for 22 out of school providers in July for 'Skills for Supervising a Holiday Playscheme'. This training course is mapped to the Playwork Induction Standard Level 3 and is recognised by Ofsted as adequate briefing to work as a playworker supervisor for 18 months. Students may progress to a full Level 3 qualification. Crechendo Training, a holder of SkillsActive Code of Practice, will deliver this SkillsActive endorsed course.

New Vetting Checks:  From 12 Oct 2009, anyone employed or volunteering to work with children or vulnerable people must apply to be registered with the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA), in addition to the existing CRB checks.  More information on their website here.

FREE activepassport!:  SkillsActive is launching a UK wide activepassport Bursary scheme for playworkers. 70 one-year activepassports are available to CYWU members, and 40 five-year activepassports are available subject to eligibility criteria.  Full information here, closing dates for applications 18 July.

FREE Level 3 Training!:  As part of the Children's Plan target of 4,000 new playworkers, SkillsActive in partnership with CWDC and the LSC is co-ordinating the offer of free Level 3 NVQs in Playwork, plus the Transitional Award for those with Level 3 in Early Years.  Full details and information on how to apply here - deadline 18 July.

Praise from APPG: Janet Dean MP, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Play, praised the work of SkillsActive in a speech to a high profile London seminar on the importance of play last week.  More here.

The Latest on the Early Years Foundation Stage: SkillsActive is working hard to ensure that playwork is given a fair deal for when the EYFS gets underway in September.  More here.

SHD Diploma Magazine:   A recent poll at a School’s Science Conference found that 86% of 14-18 year-olds would like to know more about the new Diploma in Society, Health and Development (SHD) being launched in September this year, so SkillsActive has published a diploma magazine for young people. More information about the Diploma here or email for a copy of the magazine.

Get SkillsActive! Get involved! Build your organisation with a skilled and motivated workforce.  SkillsActive Membership starts from £25*.  Be part of the organisation that is leading the way in raising skills standards, ensuring a highly skilled and motivated workforce.  Visit our website or call 0207 632 2000. *All prices are plus VAT and capped at £250 plus VAT.

Children's Plan:  Play England has been awarded a key government contract to support and challenge local authorities to develop more and better play spaces through the Pathfinder and Playbuilder schemes.  Pathfinders in the south east, awarded £2.5m to develop adventure playgrounds and play parks, are Portsmouth City Council and East Sussex County Council; Playbuilders, awarded £1m for new or substantially redeveloped play parks, are Reading, Slough, Oxford, Hampshire and Southampton councils.   More information here. 

Wendy Brookfield has moved on from her post as Programme Manager for the south east, and whilst a replacement is being recruited the region is in the capable hands of Mick Conway, Programme Manager for the London region.  We look forward to working with Mick, and meeting Wendy's successor when appointed. 

Re:Play Update:  Following the consultancy work carried out earlier in the year, the VCS Infrastructure Directory and Guide offering details of resources, training and services for those involved in play in the south east is going though its last stages before being available from our website.  The steering group is also in the process of formalising itself into a fully constituted body, and seeking core funding. 

Any Contributions?? Despite all the lengthy research we have carried out into what is out there for play people, there is always the chance that we might have missed that fantastic resource or service that YOU use in your play life - if you want to make sure we have included it, please email us the details so that we can check!

Join Us!  If you would like to join our group and help guide Re:Play towards its vision of a robust and sustainable infrastructure for play in the region, visit our website for full details or email us for a chat.

Skills for Life:   SkillsActive, in partnership with Move On Up, has developed a toolkit for playwork employers called Play On. The toolkit offers practical and useful information to help playwork employers think about how they can support their staff to develop their English and maths skills.  More here.

Guide to Funding Sources: The National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS) in conjunction with National Council for Voluntary Child Care Organisations (NCVCCO) has launched a free guide outlining sources of funding to support the development of the voluntary and community sector children and young people’s workforce. Download a free copy here or email nichola@ncvys.org.uk.

www.instructables.com: Once you registered for free as a user this site gives you access to all manner of stange and wacky activites for kids, and adults too!

Breakfast Club Plus: Set up by ContinYou, this website resource is now FREE - training, resources, nutrition, sustainability and activities for your breakfast club, all in one place.

The Good Guide to Employment: This free NCVO booklet makes it as easy for you to be a good employer in the voluntary sector. From finding the right person, to salaries and contracts and diversity, this guide gives you the confidence to apply good practice principles to your organisation.

Common Threads: The summer Playwords newsletter is now available to download free.

Fair Play for Children:  The fifth edition of the Online PlayAction has now been uploaded to their website.

KIDS NDD Training:  KIDS' inclusive play course, Let's All Play, is available for staff working on summer playschemes, and teaches the basics of inclusive play and a variety of inclusive games.  For more information contact Robin Smith or call 020 7359 3073.

Pick & Mix - new 3rd Edition:  This KIDS publication by Di Murray on inclusive games and activities is being updated and has a new Foreword by Sandra Melville, NCB Ambassador for Play and Chair of the Play England Council, and will be available at the end of July.  SPECIAL OFFER: the complete set of publications The PIP Guidelines Series with a FREE DVD of our Hayward Inclusive Adventure Playground (worth £5) for £50 (statutory sector) or £25 (voluntary sector). Email for further details.   

Fair Play:  SkillsActive believes that Fair Play shows the government has a real understanding of play issues and a commitment to improving play opportunities for children.  We are encouraging all of our stakeholders to submit their own response to the strategy before the deadline of 18 July, as well as offering the opportunity to contribute to the SkillsActive corporate response.  Click here to visit the DFES website or see guidance notes from SkillsActive in the attachment below -  for more information on SkillsActive's reponse email Chris.Martin@skillsactive.com. 

DIUS Consultation:  looking at the right for employees to ask their employers for time to train. The deadline is 10 September - full details here.

Children's Views on Play:  A special interactive website has been launched by Children and Young People’s minister, Kevin Brennan, to enable children aged 8 to 13 to give their views on play and play areas.

Full events listing can be found on SkillsActive Playwork South East webpages.

12 July - Playing in the Great Outdoors (Oxford): Celebrating and promoting outdoor play, this day is open to anyone working with children or young people who wants to gain a greater understanding of how children play and the role of the adult in promoting it. Download the flyer here.

14 July - Participation Matters (London):  Summer term PIP regional network seminar. Contact pip@kids.org.uk for details.

18-20 July – Wild and Away 2008: The 3^rd National Environmental Playwork Conference, Green and Away Outdoor Conference Centre, Worcestershire organised by Playwork Partnerships, University of Gloucestershire.  For more information call 01242 71 4601, email, or visit their website.

6 August – Playday 2008:  The theme this year is around risk & play and the campaign title is ‘Give us a Go’.  Further info from www.playday.org.uk.