Children's Workforce Guide to Qualifications and Training: Play

The staff side of the JNC, representing youth work employees, is calling for the JNC as a whole to include the monitoring and validation of playwork qualifications alongside its remit with youth work qualifications.

The number of playwork qualifications available has fallen, driven by cuts to local authority play services, and the removal of the requirement for Ofsted-registered out-of-school and holiday clubs to employ staff with childcare or playwork qualifications. However, qualifications body Cache has decided not to withdraw its Level 3 Certificate in Playwork and Level 5 Diploma in Playwork as it had previously planned, instead extending its suite of playwork qualifications indefinitely.

Leeds Beckett University offers a BA (Hons) in Childhood Development and Playwork.

Cache is currently supporting a Trailblazer Group of play employers to write an apprenticeship standard for play workers.

While council-run services have been slashed, there are some job opportunities in the private and third sector, prisons, women's refuges, hospitals, schools and soft play centres. Some specialised roles such as hospital playworkers require specific training. For example, a hospital play specialist will usually need to take a qualification such as the Foundation Degree in Healthcare Play Specialism as well as holding a Level 3 professional childcare qualification.