Police officers to go back to school in play service pilots

By Tristan Donovan Wednesday, 23 January 2008

Police officers are to learn about play and school playgrounds will open outside normal hours as part of the government's 85m pound play pathfinders initiative, CYP Now has learned.

Child on rope swing. Credit: Alex Deverill

The initiative, announced in the Children's Plan, will see 30 local authorities in England test out new approaches to play services. Each authority taking part will also build a large adventure playground or play park.

Paul Bonel, director of the playwork unit at skills body SkillsActive, was in favour of the idea of training up police officers and other non-play workers, such as teachers.

"It's a good idea in principle and can help underpin the work of police officers and teachers," he said. "It will primarily be about raising awareness of playwork but will also help these professionals to communicate better and build more positive relationships with children. There are introduction to playwork courses, such as our Making Choices course, that could be adapted for this purpose."

Other approaches to improving services to be tested by the pathfinders include traffic calming near playgrounds, using play workers as a 'gateway' to other services and the use of volunteers to supervise sites. The government is keen for pathfinders to build on work funded by the Big Lottery Fund's Children's Play initiative.

Alan Sutton, policy and development officer at London Play, said the pathfinders should also link up with youth work programmes such as Positive Activities for Young People. "It would make sense for these programmes to work together to enhance what they offer for young people," he said.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) will start selecting pathfinders shortly and expects to name the local authorities that will run the pilots by 14 March. Work on the projects is due to start in April.

Local authorities that become pathfinders will be expected to have good links with district councils where appropriate. The DCSF wants pathfinder projects to give a "sufficient focus" to poorer areas.