Stephen Studd - 29/07/10

On Saturday I was delighted to be invited to the opening of Sycamore Adventure, a new and innovative outdoor and indoor children’s adventure playground in Dudley.

The centre is special in that it's the first of it’s kind to have staff trained in both social care to support children with complex health needs, but also playwork training to ensure quality play opportunities are available. We have worked closely in supporting those at the playground in developing their staff to attain the right level of skills and training, and the day represented a triple celebration – a celebration of play, a celebration of playwork and a celebration of training.

The investment in this fantastic new facility is great but what comes over is the way the centre has been planned and developed. The engagement of the community and particularly local groups of children, including those with special needs, in the planning and design embodies the philosophy of play.

It shows how this playground values the spirit of play and recognise the value of giving all children the opportunity to play in an environment that is stimulating and allows them to be both active and creative, to test themselves and to build relationships with each other – but perhaps above all to have fun!

It was also an opportunity to pay testament to the role of the playworker – the adults who will be there to work rather than to play! Their skills are too often undervalued but they are the ones that can make this facility come alive and be a haven for the young people for whom it has been designed.

They create the right atmosphere and environment where children can feel free, interact, enjoy and express themselves. They can provide the stimulation and support children need, allowing them to fell secure but independent.

Striking that balance is key – to an extent staying in the background but being there to create the boundaries where behaviour can endanger or upset others. To help children solve their own problems, and live and play happily together.

It is skill that is too often overlooked but on Saturday we celebrated the success of 12 playworkers who achieved their level 3 playwork qualification, a certificate of professional recognition. These 12 are in the vanguard of the Government supported programme, run through SkillsActive, to train and qualify 4,000 playworkers at level 3 across England.

We hope as well that will become the founder qualified professionals in our new Academy for Play and Playworkers, as we move to develop a professional home for playworkers as a central part of our National Skills Academy. We want to provide the professional recognition, support and resources to help playworkers develop themselves in a sector that is so important to the lives of our children, and indeed the future of our society and its communities.

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