The role of the playworker is at the forefront of Government moves to step up universal childcare. Creative and multi-tasking, this breed of practitioner must be capable of contributing to a strategic framework while ensuring that children benefit from free play.
To achieve this, updated Level 3 and new Level 4 qualifications in playwork will be launched this summer. These reflect the national occupational standards approved by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) in November last year.
Drawn up by SkillsActive, the playwork sector's Skills Council for Active Leisure and Learning, the occupational standards respond to a new need to lay down stepping stones for career development.
Sue Hook, cross-sector programme manager at SkillsActive, is keen to point out that the updated Level 3 Scottish/National Vocational Qualification (S/NVQ) will not invalidate existing awards. 'If people already have the Level 3 in playwork or are in the middle of getting it, they need not worry. Their qualification will still be recognised. However, in time, for their own continuing professional development, they might want to take a couple of units.'
She says the new Level 4 S/NVQ is an important step on the career ladder.
'It is important to have progression routes for people. We have a lot of people in playwork who are not qualified but want to be, and we have people working as managers who want to have their status and professionalism recognised.'
'The Level 3 occupational standards have been reviewed, revised and updated,' says Paul Bonel, playwork unit director at SkillsActive. 'It was a routine review and they have been updated in line with legislation and the national day care standards.'
The revised occupational standards reflect the commonality of approach with the childcare sector, and key units are identified as being in common with early years' awards. In this way progression routes can be horizontal across the childcare and early years sectors as well as vertical.
'The Level 4 standards are a reference point for our foundation degree, which we will be starting to pilot in the coming academic year,' says Mr Bonel.
Awarding bodies are already working on new awards. 'We are hoping to offer the revised NVQ 3 and brand new Level 4 later this year,' says Sue Parr of Edexcel. 'There has been a steady growth in the numbers of people looking to gain playwork qualifications; the numbers taking NVQ 3 are up by 30% over the past five years.'
Cache is assessing demand for a Level 4 award, says communications and development manager Alison Mitchell. 'To do an NVQ you need to be in situ at that level. We have to see whether there is demand for that particular level of qualification. If there is, we will be looking to put forward a submission to the QCA to offer it.'
The childcare awarding body will be looking to offer updated Level 3 qualifications signposting the revised standards. 'There is an increasing demand for people to have playwork qualifications because of the Government's drive to provide out-of-school provision,' says Ms Mitchell.
'The management (Level 4) standards are very important,' says Anne Longfield, chief executive of 4Children. 'People who are working in any kind of children's provision need to be very clear about what their roles and responsibilities are.
'The out-of-school sector has grown enormously and is set to rocket over the next five years because the Government is committed to enabling all schools to become extended schools. We are not talking about this being provided by teachers, or a few people providing a few extra activities. We are talking about the sort of integrated work we see at Children's Centres.'
According to Sue Hook, the new occupational standards will not only be used to frame awards. 'People may use them to write job descriptions, make appraisals and produce training manuals because they are based on the roles and competencies of someone working at Level 4,' she says.
MANDATORY UNITS
S/NVQ Level 3 in playwork: National Occupational Standards Consists of five mandatory and four optional units. The mandatory units cover:
* Contributing to an organisational framework that reflects the needs and protects the rights of children and young people;
* Developing and maintaining a healthy and safe environment for children - a common unit with early years;
* Developing and promoting positive relationships - a common unit with early years;
* Planning and supporting self-directed play;
* Reflecting on and developing practice - a common unit with early years.
S/NVQ Level 4 in playwork: National Occupational Standards Has four mandatory and five optional units. The mandatory units cover:
* Working with colleagues and other partners to develop an organisational framework for play;
* Developing, managing and reviewing operational plans for play provision;
* Establishing and developing working relationships - a common unit with early years;
* Reflecting on and developing practice - a common unit with early years.
CASE STUDY: ALLISON STEWART
When Allison Stewart joined the Cambridge University holiday play scheme in 1998 she was drawn to an administrative job because it fitted in with her family commitments.
Over the years what was a convenient job has evolved into an absorbing career as she has become more involved in the management and operation of the scheme, which caters for 150 to 200 children at several venues in the city during all school half-terms and holidays, apart from Christmas.
'I started working for them because it was a term-time school-hours job for three days a week, which I could fit in around my family. I was inputting data and doing the bookings.
'My children are now 12 and 14. Although I am still office-based during term-time, my job has completely changed. Nowadays I am also out and about co-ordinating at the play scheme's sites, liaising between the sites and managing them. I love working with the children. It is really good fun.
'I am doing the Level 3 playwork qualification because I am hoping to get promotion later this year. So if all goes well there is every chance that I will want to take the Level 4 qualification. It has come along at the right time for me.
'The Level 3 is very interesting. I find myself listening to the theory and relating it to how my own children play and realising why they do this or that. We have been looking at the play tags children display. It is quite theoretical, but that is important because you need to have the underpinning knowledge.
'When I am co-ordinating at a site I am acting as line manager for seven or eight playworkers so I can see that in time a Level 4 qualification is something I might need to do for the management training.'
