Shelly Newstead, director of Common Threads, told CYP Now that Ofstedshould devise an inspection process based more on professional playworkstandards. She claims the requirements of the existing framework areputting off play-workers from gaining basic qualifications.
"Playwork is different to early years provision. Playworkers have adifferent way of working with children, and have different intentionsand outcomes for children, so they cannot be expected to meet the samecriteria as early years workers," she said.
Following a meeting with the Department for Children, Schools andFamilies, Newstead has compiled a 12-page document for officials settingout her concerns about the situation and the impact on playwork.
It states: "Current evidence shows that playwork settings are takingmeasures to avoid compulsory registration by excluding children fromtheir settings."
It added: "If this regression is to continue, not only will the futureof playwork as a profession be at stake, but the opportunities forchildren to play in the unique way that playwork affords is also likelyto disappear."
But an Ofsted spokeswoman said: "We have no proposals to develop adifferent type of inspection for any provision that operates to aparticular philosophy. This does not mean we expect everyone to deliverthe EYFS in the same way. We believe that our framework is broad enoughto encompass many different types of setting and differentphilosophies."
