practical tips for - play england · practical tips . for play rangers to facilitate risk in play....
TRANSCRIPT
Practical tips for play rangers to facilitate risk in playInside:• Overview• Riskinplay• Formalriskassessment
• Dynamicriskassessment
• Fires• Playingwithtrees• Looseparts• Resources
Practical tips for
This series was compiled by Dan Rees-Jones; a practising play ranger and author of Playing on the Range. The briefings have been developed in response to FAQs to the Play Ranger Support Service e-group. The e-group was set up by Dan in 2008 with support from Playwork Partnerships and Play England to provide play rangers and playworkers with an access point to share experiences, information, advice and good practice.
About these briefings:About these briefings:
Play rangers in parks actively listen, encourage and support children, make them feel comfortable about playing in their neighbourhoods, and extend the range of play opportunities available.
Themonitoringofprojectshasshownthatmanychildrencometoparksbecausethey,andtheirparents,feelreassuredthatsomeoneisthere.
Manyolderchildrenalsochoosetocometothepublicspaceswhereplayrangersarepresent,notalwaysto joinin,butmainlytofeelbetterabouthangingoutinamorevibrantandloosely-supervisedspace.
Whenconsultingwithchildrenabouttheirsessions,playrangershavefoundthatchildrenwilloftenrequestchallengingplayactivitiesthatinvolveelementsofrisk.
Key points • Playrangersneedtoeffectively
communicatewhattheserviceistoallitskeyclients
• Establishthebaselineofcurrentparkoropenspaceusage.
• Makecontactwithlocalagenciesthatimpactonplayrangerprovision.
• Establishagoodmarketingcampaignwithstrongpublicitytoprofessionaliseimageofservice
Don’tletthisstopyou-challengingplayhasitsbenefits.Ithelpschildrentodeveloptheirownskillsinregardtoassessinghazards,risksandsafetyandisakeyapproachtoreducinginjuries.
• Playrangersneedtoeffectively
communicatewhattheserviceistoalltheirkeyclients
• Establishthebaselineofcurrentparkoropenspaceusage
• Makecontactwithlocalagenciesthatimpactonplayrangerprovision
• Establishagoodmarketingcampaignwithstrongpublicitytoensureaprofessionalimageoftheservice.
Play rangersPlay rangers
Key points Key points
Risk, or perceived risk, is different for each individual so will need to be considered as a dynamic process.
Forexample,toonechild,playinginthedarkonaswingmightseemveryexcitingandrisky.Foranotherchild,theriskmightbepluckingupthecouragetogodowntotheparkforthefirsttimebythemselves.
Throughplayrangerprovision,childrenmaytakepartinplayactivitieswhichincludemakingandcookingonfires,makingandusingoutdoorovens,usingknivesforwhittlingandstonecarving,playingwithlargecatapults,buildinggo-kartsandusingarangeoftools.
Playrangersareresponsiblefortheplayactivitiestheyorganiseandthereforeneedgoodrisk-assessmentskills.Theyneedtoclearlyidentifythedifferencebetweenrisksandhazardsinordertomakeassessmentsandcompleteformalriskassessmentforms.
• Ahazardissomethingthatcancauseanaccidentorharmtosomeone.
• Ariskisthechanceofthehazardcausinganaccidentorharm.
Note:theOctober2010reviewbyLordYoung:CommonSense-CommonSafetycanbefoundinthereferencesectionattheendofthisdocument.
Play England published guidance which helps play providers strike a balance between the risks and benefits of offering children challenging play opportunities.
Theguidance,whichisendorsedbytheHealthandSafetyExecutive,showshowcurrentrisk-assessmentpracticecanbereplacedwithanapproachthattakesintoaccountthebenefitstochildrenandyoungpeopleofchallengingplayexperiences,includingtherisks.
TheguidebuildsonthePlaySafetyForum’soriginalpositionstatementManagingriskinplayprovision(PlaySafetyForum,2002).
Itstartsfromthepositionthat,whileoutsideexpertiseandadvicearevaluable,theultimateresponsibilityformakingdecisionsrestswiththeprovider.
Thefullimplementationguideiswrittenforthoseresponsibleformanagingplayprovision,andforthoseinvolvedindesigningandmaintainingsuchprovision.
Thegeneralapproachshouldalsobeusefulforthosewhomanageotherspacesandsettingswherechildrenplay.
Managing risk in play provision: implementation guideManaging risk in play provision: implementation guide
Risk in play Risk in play
TodownloadManagingriskinplayprovision:ImplementationGuide,visit
www.playengland.org.uk/managingrisk
Formal risk assessmentFormal risk assessmentRisk-assessment forms should detail the activity, potential hazards, possible risks and precautions that need to be considered.
Agenericformalrisk-assessmenttemplateisavailableonlinefromthePlayworkPartnershipswebsite:www.playwork.co.uk
UsetheRiskAssessmentAideMemoironpagestwoandthreeofthatPDFforhelpincompletingformalriskassessments.
Externalhazardsateachsettingsuchasloosegravel,brokenglassordogfaecesshouldbedetailedonaseparateassessment.Activityrisk-assessmentformsshouldthereforebequickandeasytocompleteandregardedasguidanceandsupporttostaffratherthan justmorecumbersomepaperwork.
Note:Itisextremelyimportantthatplayrangersattendarisk-assessmenttrainingcourserunbytheirrespectivelocalauthority.
Itisimportantforchildrentotakeresponsibilityforthemselveswhenplayingoutdoors.Gettingchildrentocreatetheirownrulesinplayisagoodwayofdevelopingriskmanagementskillsandindependence.
Theopenaccessnatureofplayrangerprovisionmeansthatthenumbersofchildrencanfluctuate,sometimesdramaticallyinashortspaceoftime.
Thismaymeanthatsomeactivities,suchasmakingsmallfires,mightbecometoodifficulttomanagesafelyandwillneedtobediscontinued.This judgementwillbebasedontheobservationsoftheplayrangersatthesetting.
BeingsensitivetothePlayworkPrinciplesandinterventionstyles,whilealsomakingsurethatchildrendon’tseriouslyhurtthemselvesisadifficultskilltomaster,butimproveswithconfidence.
Formoreinformationoninterventionstyles,pleaserefertoBobHughes’FirstClaim:aframeworkforplayworkqualityassessment.Thisprovidesadescriptionofappropriatewaystointerveneintheplayprocess.
Ultimately,talkingopenlyabouthazardsandpotentialriskshelpschildrenmanagetheirownsafetywhilestillenjoyingfreelychosenoutdoorplay.
‘Dynamic risk-benefit assessment refers to the minute-by-minute observations and potential interventions by adults who have oversight of children in staffed provision…’
(Ball D, Gill T, and Spiegal B, 2008)
Playrangersneedtobeproficientinmakingdynamicandinformalriskassessments.Theseassessmentshappenonsiteandarebasedonobservationsofwhatishappeningatanyonetime.
Playrangersessionsareofanopenaccessandfreeplaynature,whichmeansthatsituationscanescalateveryquickly.Thereforeplayrangersneedtomakefrequentdynamicriskassessmentsassessionsprogress.
Accurateassessmentswillhelpplayrangerstobeawareof,andsensitiveto,differentplaybehavioursastheyarise.This,inturn,willhelpthemworkwithchildrenandyoungpeopletosupportthemthroughsituationsofdangerorconflict.
Dynamic risk assessmentDynamic risk assessment
Inmanycases,youngpeoplewillneedtomakedecisionsforthemselvesabouthowtomoveforwardorwhatcollectiveactiontheyshouldtake.
Becomingaperceptiveobserverwillenableplayrangerstoremaincalminstressfulsituations,unprejudicedandobjectiveatalltimes,andfocusedonmaintainingapositiveandexcitingplayenvironment.
Adynamicrisk-assessmenttemplateisavailableonlinefromthePlayworkPartnershipswebsite:
www.playwork.co.uk
Itisimportanttostressthatalthoughthistemplateisonpaper-drawnasaflowdiagram-theactualassessmentplayrangerswillmakeusingthismodelshouldnotbeinwrittenform.Crucialtothemodelarethethoughtprocessesadopted,whichshouldbemeasuredveryquicklyandthencommunicatedwithcolleagues,toestablishasuitablewayforward.
Below are some useful guidelines and advice on facilitating children to encounter and manage risk in play activities.
Fires‘Anyonethathassataroundacampfireknows,thattheyhavethecapacitytobringpeopletogetherwhilemakingusfeelclosertothenaturalworld;andchildrenarecaptivatedbythemagicofacampfire.’
(Danks,FandSchofield,J2005)
Ifplayrangersareplanningtousefireinasessiontheywillneedtofirstrequestpermissionfromthelandowner.Oncepermissionhasbeengranteditisalsoadvisablefororganisationstohaveafirepolicyand/orsafetyguidelinessothatallstaffareawareoftheprinciplesandprocedures.
Thefollowingwebsiteswillprovehelpfulinthisarea:
• AgenericfireguidecanbefoundatthePlayworkPartnershipswebsite:www.playwork.co.uk
• Tipsonhowtomakefireswithchildren:http://bit.ly/cookingfires
• Cookingonacampfire:http://bit.ly/cookingandcampfires
• Makingandusingcardboardboxovens:http://bit.ly/cardboardboxoven
Playing with treesChildrenandadultsalikearenaturallyattractedtotrees;theyareplacesforallsortsofadventures,places justtositquietly,andplacesthatprovideshelterfromtheelements.
Notallplayrangersettingswillhaveaccesstotreesbutiftherearesomenearby,notsurprisingly,children’splaymayeventuallygravitatetowardstheminsomeway.
Tree safety tips
• Childrenshouldonlyattempttoclimbreasonablymaturetreeswithsturdybranches
• Donotletchildrenclimbalongdeadbranches
• Limitthenumberofchildrenclimbinganyonetree
• Encourageclimberstostayclosetothetrunkofatree
(Danks,FandSchofield,J,2005)
TheForestryCommissionhaspublicationsonlinethatcanhelpyouunderstandandmanagetherisksofchildrenplayinginandaroundtrees.
‘TheForestryCommission...iscommittedtoprovidingopportunitiesforoutdoorplayandgrowingadventureforchildrenandyoungpeople...
...Woodlandsaregreatplacesforchildrentomaketheirownchoicesaboutplayandtocreatetheirownplayenvironmenments...Provisionof...[these]...spaces...helpstodeepentheirengagementwith,andunderstandingandappreciationof,thosesettings.’
(Harrop,P,2006)
Useful information and signpostingUseful information and signposting
Loose partsLoosepartsrepresentanythingthatcouldbeplayedwithbyachild.Thismeansthattheskyisprettymuchthelimit.
Recycledloosepartsareagreatsolutionforplayrangersastheresourcesusedarecheap,varied,unusualandalsohelptoreducewastegoingtolandfill.Onceyoustartlookingatwasteaspotentialplaythings,it’samazinghowmuchofitthereisandhowmuchchildrenenjoyplayingwithit!SimonNicholsonwroteaboutthetheoryofloosepartsbackin1971.Henotedthat:
‘Inanyenvironmentboththedegreeofinventivenessandcreativity,andthepossibilityofdiscovery,aredirectlyproportionaltothenumberandkindofvariablesinit.’
Soaccordingtothetheory,agreatervarietyofobjectsandmaterialstohandwillmultiplythepossibilitiesforplaypotential-withthechildbeingstimulatedinavarietyandcombinationofways.
Rope swings, dens, tree houses and fires Arisk-basedapproachformanagersfacilitatingself-builtplaystructuresandactivitiesinwoodlandsettingsisavailableonline:http://bit.ly/ropeswingsMoredetailsandsafetyguidancefortreeclimbingandrelatedinformationcanbefoundinthepublicationNaturePlay:simpleandfunideasforall,availableonline:www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-7LSEHWChildren’streeswings:Aguidetogoodpractice,supportsplayworkersinasafesetting,installationanduseofchildren’sropeswingsintrees(Murray,LandSutton,A2010):www.londonplay.org.uk/file/1542.pdf
Childrenplaywithfarmoreimaginationandflexibilitywithloosepartsthatarelyingaroundcomparedtospeciallydesignedplayequipment.
Loosepartsalsoleadtochildrendevelopinggreaterflexibilityintheirplayandbeingmoreflexibleandadaptableintheirthinking.
Itisadvisabletohavesomesafetyguidelinesforusinglooseparts.AgenericexampleisprovidedonthePlayworkPartnershipswebsite.
Scrapstoresareavaluableresourceforsourcingloosepartsofalldescriptions:www.scrapstoresuk.org
• Ball,D.Gill,T.andSpiegal,B(2008)ManagingRiskinPlayProvision:Implementationguide,London:DCSFandDCMS.Online:http://www.playengland.org.uk/managingrisk
• Conway,M(2008),QualityinPlay:Standards,assessmentindicatorsandevidence–amanual,London:NCB.Online:http://www.playengland.org.uk/quality
• Danks,FandSchofield,J(2005)NaturesPlayground,London:FrancisLincoln.
• Harrop,P(2006)Ropeswings,dens,treehousesandfires,Bristol:ForestryCommission.Online:http://bit.ly/ropeswings
• Hughes,B(2001)TheFirstClaim:aframeworkforplayworkqualityassessment,Cardiff:PlayWales.Online:http://www.playwales.org.uk/page.asp?id=51
• Murray,LandSutton,A(2010)Children’streeswings:AguidetogoodpracticeLondon:LondonPlay.Online:http://www.londonplay.org.uk/file/1542.pdf
• Nicholson,S(1971)‘HowNotToCheatChildren:TheTheoryofLooseParts’,LandscapeArchitecture,v62,p30-35,1971.
ResourcesResources• NPFA,CPCandPlaylink(2000),Best
Play:whatplayprovisionshoulddoforchildren,London:NPFA.Online:http://www.playengland.org.uk/bestplay
• PlayworkPrinciplesScrutinyGroup(2005),PlayworkPrinciples.Online:http://www.skillsactive.com/playwork/principles
• PlayEngland(2008)CharterforChildren’sPlay.Online:http://www.playengland.org.uk/charter
• Rees-Jones,D(2008),PlayingontheRange,Gloucester:PlayworkPartnerships,UniversityofGloucestershire.Online:www.playwork.co.uk
• Rees-Jones,D(2007)ThePlayRangerGuide.Radstock,WansdykePlayAssociation.Availablefromhttp://bit.ly/vKQwmB
• ThePlaySafetyForum(2008),ManagingRiskinPlayProvision:Apositionstatement,London:NCB.Online:http://www.playengland.org.uk/managingriskstatement
Play rangers build positive relationships with children and young people within their communities, by listening and responding to their play needs.
Play England is part of NCB and is supported by the Big Lottery Fund.
Published by NCB, for Play England, January 2011.
Play England8 Wakley Street, London EC1V 7QE Tel: 0207 843 6300 Email: [email protected] Web: www.playengland.org.uk
Pleasealsonotetherecentreview(October2010)ofhealthandsafetybyLordYoung,CommonSense-CommonSafety.
CommissionedbythePrimeMinister,thereviewmakesrecommendationsforimprovingthewayhealthandsafetyisappliedandtacklingthecompensationculture.
‘Shiftfromasystemofriskassessmenttoasystemofrisk–benefitassessmentandconsiderreviewingtheHealthandSafetyatWorketcAct1974toseparateoutplayandleisurefromworkplacecontexts.’
LordYoung’sreviewisavailableonline:
http://bit.ly/commonsensecommonsafety
Resources