Advocacy and communication

This information sheet aims to provide an introduction to advocating for play and playwork. Aimed at everyone who has an interest in or responsibility for children’s play it offers examples of situations where we might act as advocates and suggestions of methods we can use to advocate for play and playwork.

AdvocacyAn advocate is a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy. It is also someone who pleads a case on behalf of someone else. As playworkers, professionals and parents we have a responsibility to publicly support play and playwork, and also to speak up on behalf of children and their play needs in circumstances where they need our representation.

Situations where we can act as advocates for play and playworkHere are a few examples:

• When explaining to parents the consequences of providing quality play experiences, for instance the likelihood of children getting wet or dirty when they play.

• When supporting the child’s right to play if adults perceive that play behaviour is causing a nuisance and complain about it.

• When competing with other groups in relation to the use of a building, or for funding.

• When going about our day to day role, if working as a playworker – the Playwork Principles say that this is part of the job.

• When explaining playwork and the role of the playworker to others.

• When acting as a professional – demonstrating respect for other professional agendas whilst remaining true to your own.

• When representatives of other professions try to interfere in play or playwork. For instance, if they are asking playworkers to keep children quiet, or expecting children to behave in ways that may be appropriate within school or other places but not within a play setting.

• When representatives of other professionsexpectplayworkerstofulfilltheir agenda, for instance in promoting healthy eating, when the playwork agenda is play.

• When explaining to others why playworkers have intervened (or not) in children’s play the way that they have.

When advocating for play or playwork there are three very important things that help us to advocate effectively:

• A good knowledge of play and playwork theory: knowing why it is important for children to play freely; why children play; what children gain from playing freely; different styles of intervention and when and why to use them; how playwork differs from other ways of working with children and why.

• The ability to communicate this knowledge about play and playwork in a professional, convincing manner so that people will take it seriously and may be persuaded of its importance for the wellbeing of children.

• To be familiar with legislation upholding children’s right to play, for instance, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), the UN General

Comment on Article 31 of the UNCRC and in Wales, the Welsh Government Play Policy and the Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure 2011.

Methods we can use to advocate for play and playworkHow we act as advocates will vary from one situation to another. It is always useful to have some printed materials that we can use to help us remember important facts that support the playwork approach and that we can also give to other professionals and parents or carers to help make our point. This might be in the form of:

• Aleafletaboutlocalplaysettingsthatgives information about the importance of providing play provision.

• Aleafletorinformationsheetthatexplainsthe importance of play and provides current and relevant quotes, particularly ones from politicians or well known

supporters of children, for instance a quote from the Welsh Government Play Policy or the guidance that supports the PlaySufficiencyDuty(Wales – a Play Friendly Country: Statutory Guidance). Play Wales’ What is play and why is it important? information sheet may also be useful.

• The Play Safety Forum and the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE) high-level statement to promote a balanced approach to managing risk in children’s play; and Play Wales’ Play and risk information sheet written by Tim Gill.

• It is also useful to have the titles of books, filmclipsorotherresourcesthatwecouldpoint people to, so that we can suggest howtheymightbeabletofindoutmoreabout play and playwork.

• If we are advocating on behalf of a specificplaysettingorservicewecanprovide policies, such as a play policy or behaviour policy, that explain the procedures that are followed and why this approach is used.

Communication It is important that we are able to talk in an informed, professional way about the importance of play and playwork. If we don’t stand up for our beliefs nobody else will and the playwork philosophy will become diluted.

Verbal and non-verbal communicationCommunication is a two-way thing; in all communication there is the giving and receiving of information, and it is important that we are aware of how we give and receive messages.

There are three general ways of communicating with others. These are:

• passive (not sticking up for our views)

• aggressive (dominant)

• assertive(confident).

We can demonstrate these methods in both our verbal (spoken) and non-verbal (unspoken) behaviour. When we are advocating for play and playwork we will sound and look as if what we have to say is important if we speak and behave in a confident,assertivemanner.

We will also show that we are interested in what other people have to say, their knowledge and their opinions, if we listen carefully, with an open enquiring mind. We cannot be responsible for how other people communicate but we can think about our own behaviour, what we say and how we listen.

Resources

Health and Safety Executive (2012) Children’s play and leisure – promoting a balanced approach. Bootle: Health and Safety Executive. Available at: www.playwales.org.uk/eng/playandchallenge

Play Wales (2014) What is play and why is it important? Cardiff: Play Wales. Available at: www.playwales.org.uk/eng/informationsheets

Tim Gill (2013) Play and risk. Cardiff: Play Wales. Available at: www.playwales.org.uk/eng/informationsheets

UNICEF (1989) United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Svenska: UNICEF Kommitten.

UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (2013) General Comment No. 17 (2013)

on the right of the child to rest, leisure, play, recreational activities, cultural life and the arts (article 31). CRC/C/GC/17: United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child. Available at: www.playwales.org.uk/eng/generalcomment

Welsh Government (2002) Play Policy. Cardiff: Welsh Government. Available at: www.playwales.org.uk/eng/walesplaypolicy

Welsh Government (2011) Rights of Children and Young Persons (Wales) Measure 2011. Cardiff: Welsh Government.

Welsh Government (2014) Wales – a Play Friendly Country: Statutory Guidance. Cardiff: Welsh Government. Available at: www.playwales.org.uk/eng/sufficiency

Play Wales is the national organisation for children’s play, an independent charity supportedby the Welsh Government to uphold children’s right to play and to provide advice and guidanceon play-related matters.

January 2015

© Play Wales

Cover image: © New Model Army Photography

www.playwales.org.uk

Registered charity, no. 1068926A company limited by guarantee, no 3507258Registered in Wales