New Organisation Introduced to Tackle Issues of Playwork Qualifications

New Organisation Introduced to Tackle Issues of Playwork Qualifications  

Many people believe that the UK’s playwork infrastructure has been in decline for numerous years. A variety of factors, such as changes in government policies, funding sources, and regulations for the children's workforce, have contributed to this decline. This has resulted in a scarcity of opportunities for playwork education and training. 

In order to address these issues, a consortium has recently been established with the goal of enhancing the quality of playwork education and training in England. This new organisation, named Playwork England, will focus on promoting collaboration among individuals involved in playwork education and training in the country.  

Playwork England aims to develop a strategy to ensure that playwork retains its distinct identity within the regulatory qualifications framework of England. It will also strive to collaborate with the other three UK nations in establishing a coordinated approach to playwork education and training, as well as conducting an annual review of the playwork workforce in England.  

Playwork England is a partnership between founding members and SkillsActive, the organization responsible for setting standards in playwork, and it also has support from academics. There is a clear message of collaboration and support for playwork trainers, training providers and trainees, with these being their main strategy to tackle the challenges the sector faces. 

The consortium acknowledges that development of playwork training and education must reflect the modern playwork landscape and the needs of the diverse playwork workforce. They go on to state that any playwork training and qualifications should be built on rigorous data collection to ensure full representation and quality assurance. 

The first member meeting of the consortium will take place on February 29th, with 3 more meetings expected in 2024. To become a member of Playwork England and learn more, please visit www.playworkengland.org