My working life ... Playworker

Carmen de Silva is a senior playworker for Play Torbay - a charity providing free play sessions in Devon.

'Play Torbay delivers sessions from three playgrounds at weekends, after school and in school holidays, for children and young people aged up to 25. The number of sessions we provide depends on funding, as we're almost entirely grant-funded. At the moment, we run every weekend and twice a week after school,' she says.

'Weekend sessions usually start at 10am. I meet the team at the playground an hour earlier to set up activities we've planned in advance. The team includes playworkers as well as a senior playworker, and an inclusion playworker who will look after children needing one-to-one support. Some playgrounds have enclosed areas where we store our materials, otherwise we drive everything over. We check the equipment is clean and in good working order before the kids arrive.

'We can have up to 70 children. They can come alone, but if they're under eight we ask an adult to accompany them until they're confident. Many of the parents volunteer as playworkers, to whom we provide free training. This means we're always over required ratios. The playgrounds are located in residential areas of areas of high disadvantage, so children can come and go. However, we require parents to register them for safety reasons.

'We plan about five activities a session, but the kids choose what to do. On a windy day we might make kites. We had a pirate-themed weekend recently. We often do den-making and face-painting, and play games such as sack races. Then the kids might decide to turn the sacks into ghost costumes. Playworkers are there to support, rather than lead. If the kids don't want to do activities, they can play on the existing equipment, including slides, ropes and swings.

'Another resource we often use is scrap stores. These are organisations that collect leftover items from companies that the children can play with, such as big roles of fabric or cardboard. One of our playgrounds contains a play pod, which is a big metal container full of scrap-like old tyres. The kids go in there and rummage - the things they make as a result are amazing!

'If it's cold or raining, the children stay at home at first. But once they see us there regardless of the weather, they come. It's great fun to play in the mud.

'They can stay all day or go home after lunch at 2pm. We cook a proper meal over a fire with the kids. Either we make big pot meals, or at one site we built a clay oven where the children can bake bread or pizza.

'Usually, all ages play together - 15-year-olds totally engage with five-year-olds. We are careful of the little ones if older kids who like rough and tumble play are running around and run a session just for under-fives. That's held in a giant bell tent decorated with fairy lights, where we do storytelling and treasure hunts.

'Once they've left, the staff tidy up and debrief. We discuss what went well and what could have gone better, and learn from the experiences for the next session.

'Because I'm a senior playwor- ker, I also have office work, such as planning rotas, organising holiday programmes and arranging equipment repairs. I meet with local community members to discuss events or deliver talks.

'I fell into playwork after a friend took my fourth child and I to a playwork session. I was out of work at the time, took one look, and fell in love with it. Playwork has a huge social impact, because it helps children play outdoors rather than sit in front of a TV or computer. Playing is good for health and happiness - which brings improvements to families and communities.'

CV

Employment history

• 1990-1998 Principal, law practice, Portugal
• 1998-2000 Principal, law practice, Exeter
• 2000-2005 Career break
• 2005-2007 Volunteer playworker, Play Torbay
• 2007-2008 Part-time playworker, Play Torbay
• 2008-present Senior playworker, volunteer co-ordinator and communications officer, Play Torbay
• 2014-present Part-time marketing manager, TT Training and Consultancy Company
• 2015-present Part-time communications and campaigns officer, Play England

Qualifications

• 1987-1990 BA, MA and PhD in law, Catholic Law University of Lisbon
• 2006 CACHE Level 2 Award in playwork
• 2007 CACHE Level 3 Award in playwork

Training

Playwork is the work of creating and maintaining spaces for children to play, and qualifications are particularly appropriate for staff at after-school or holiday clubs. Some enable staff to work with children up to the age of 16.

Awarding bodies such as CACHE, City & Guilds and Pearson offer playwork courses at various levels. It's important to have experience of working with children and young people, so volunteering as a playworker is a good way to start. Level 3 qualified childcare professionals can take a transitional qualification into playwork. No playwork qualifications at Level 3 carry the Early Years Educator stamp, meaning they will not enable a candidate to count in the Level 3 ratios alone.

Useful websites

Play England

National Careers Service