Playboard

PlayBoard

PlayBoard is a voluntary organisation with over 21 year’s experience of supporting access to and provision of children’s play. The agency has grown and expanded with a regional membership including playworkers, after schools clubs, child minders, parents, colleges, schools, councils, social workers and individuals.

PlayBoard exists to promote, create and develop quality play opportunities, through three strategic key functions:

• Tackling Play Deprivation in the Community
• Supporting Quality Out of School PlayCare provision
• Workforce Development of the Playwork sector

PlayBoard has worked in partnership with SkillsActive for a number of years both informally and most recently in the formal partnership which resulted in the joint funding of a workforce development officer post.

Over the years we have worked together on a number of different projects including consultations on occupations standards, playwork principles and most recently the first UK Strategy for Playwork Education, Training and Qualifications.

PlayBoard are now tasked with taking the strategy forward in the form of Northern Ireland's Implementation Plan. The aim of the plan is to ensure that the playwork sector is a highly skilled workforce with increased opportunities to participate in appropriate education and training.

The partnership between PlayBoard and SkillsActive is a natural fit as our objectives for the development of the playwork sector are consistent and follow on from the UK Strategy including:

• Address the increased demand for quality playwork
• Professionalise and up-skill the workforce
• Gain recognition for the value of playworkers in the children’s workforce
• Increase the supply of skilled playworkers
• Support the development of playwork
• Promote collaboration across agencies and allied sectors
• Attract resources to provide long-term support.