Childrens play policy forum


Mission, participation, operation and origin


1.0 Mission statement

“To work with all sectors of devolved, national, regional and local government; the voluntary, public and private sectors to improve the understanding of, and commitment to, the importance of high quality play opportunities for all children and young people of the United Kingdom and Ireland.”


1.1 Under-pinning this mission are the following aims:

-  Contributing to and advising national, devolved, regional and local government on play matters within the broader scope of national policy, especially that which is relevant to children and young people.

- Acting as an advocacy body to promote and communicate the scope of diverse views that exist, what consensus might be achieved and who the relevant specialists are.

- Encouraging national, devolved, regional and local government to strengthen their commitment to play and its development through the development of relevant play policy and strategy, the identification of appropriate research and the dissemination and highlighting of good practice between home nations and Ireland.

- Working with and lobbying government to achieve full implementation of Article 31 and any successor articles of the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child.

- Providing a discussion base for those connected with play to contribute to the development and formulation of co-ordinated policy responses to government and other bodies.

2.0  Forum participation

Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) Observers Government department with lead responsibility for play
Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) Observers Links to statutory education issues connected to play
Home Nation Government Departments Links to relevant Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish governmental structures with lead responsibility and interest in play
Play Wales Lead body for play development in Wales addressing National Assembly issues connected to play
Play Scotland Lead body for play development in Scotland addressing Scottish Parliament issues connected to play
PlayBoard (Northern Ireland) Lead body for play development in Northern Ireland addressing Northern Ireland Assembly issues connected to play
National play resource centre (Southern Ireland) Lead body for play development in Southern Ireland addressing national and local issues relating to play.
Play England  Lead body for play development in England addressing national and regional issues connected to play
Home Nation Local Government
Associations (LGA and relevant bodies in Scotland, Wales and Northern and Southern Ireland) Link via officers/elected members to Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish Local Government Executive structures
Association of Play Industries (API) Link to API membership
Institute of Sports and Leisure Management (ISPAL)  National professional body for those involved in providing, managing and developing sports and recreation in the UK.
Institute of Sport & Recreation Management (ISRM) Link to ISRM membership — leisure, recreation, sports facility management
SkillsActive Sector Skills Council (SSC) covering playwork training
Joint National Committee for Training in Playwork Link to JNCTP members — play work training and advocacy
International Play Association (IPA) International non-governmental organisation who's aim is to protect, preserve and promote the child's right to play.
Kids  National charity promoting play for disabled children
Fields in Trust  National body concerned with protecting and improving playing fields and play provision
Audit Commission (AC) Occasional Links to local government and industry inspection mechanisms
Association of British Insurers (ABI) Occasional Links to insurance issues — liability etc issues connected to play
 
 
3.0 Operation of the Forum

3.1 Administration arrangements

3.1.1 Currently the forum is administered through the offices of the Play England who undertake to record minutes of meetings, and, in conjunction with the chair and forum participants, circulate agendas.

3.2 Financial arrangements

3.2.1 The forum operates on a small budget to cover administrative costs. This fund comes from resources allocated to CPPF from Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS). These resources are managed by Play England on behalf of the Forum. There is no subscription from participants and the CPPF has no ability to generate its own funding. Costs incurred by forum participants, such as travel and subsistence, are covered by the organisation represented by the participant.

3.3 Five Nations

3.3.1 Representatives from England, Northern and South Ireland, Scotland and Wales attend CPPF meetings as national lead bodies and to provide alternative contexts in which play is being developed according to the different government structures in those areas. This broader perspective on the progress of play development in the five nations provides useful clues on how to work effectively with government.

3.4 Government departments

3.4.1 Government departments, primarily Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS), Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) and Communities and Local Government (CLG) in England all contribute to the work of the forum either through sending officer representatives to meetings or through correspondence. This link is seen as vital in ensuring that, when the Forum wishes to communicate its views to government, such officers can advise on how best such communication can be most effective. Linkages with relevant home nation devolved government departments are also being created.

3.5 Chair and vice chairs

3.5.1 Currently the Forum has a Chair and two Vice Chairs. These are:

Chair: Howard Simmons — London Borough of Hounslow/LGA
Vice -
Chairs: Marguerite Hunter Blair – Play Scotland 
 Mike Greenaway — Play Wales

Post holders will be reviewed in October 2008
 
3.6 Information circulation


3.6.1 Agendas, minutes and supporting papers are circulated to participants electronically via Play England.

3.7 Responses to government

3.7.1 As a loosely constituted body, the Forum retains the flexibility to determine its preferred course of action in relation to any given development in the play sector. The absence of a formal constitution and work programme allow the Forum to consider a range of interventions according to the issue in question.

3.7.2 Occasionally more formal processes are required in order to send a strong and consistent message to central and/or devolved government. This is decided on an issue by issue basis. A further opportunity exists to engage departmental officials within devolved administrations so that they too can benefit from the views of the play sector when developing national policy on play.


4.0 Origins

4.1 The Children’s Play Policy Forum (CPPF) was initiated in 1994. A multi¬-agency organisation working group convened by the then National Playing Fields Association (NPFA) and comprising representatives of:
 
 
• Association of
 Metropolitan Authorities (AMA)


• Association of Play
   Industries. (API)


• Association of District
 Councils. (ADC)


• Association of County
 Councils. (ACC)

• Children’s Play
 Council (CPC)

• Institute of Leisure &
 Amenity Management.
 (ILAM)

• National Association
 of Local Councils
 (NALC)

• National Children’s
 Bureau. (NCB)

• National Voluntary
 Council for Children’s
 Play. (NVCCP)

Enquiries or requests for further information concerning the Children’s Play Policy Forum should be directed to:

Pat Thomas
Play England
National Children’s Bureau
8 Wakley Street
London
EC1V 7QE
pthomas@ncb.org.uk


Approved by CPPF:  14 October 2008
Review:   October 2009