More than 60 delegates attended a conference entitled 'Making a Difference'
last month to launch the development plan for the region, which contains proposals for the centre. The conference, which was held in Cambridge, was organised by SPRITO, the Government funded training organisation that covers the playwork sector.
The centre is part of the Foundations for the Future Project (F4tF) based at SPRITO and funded by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES). The project aims to set up centres for playwork in the five regions that do not already benefit from one, making a total of nine centres. There are currently four established regional playwork centres in the North East, West Midlands, South West and Greater London regions of England, which were set up under a different scheme with funding from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
Delegates at the conference identified the following requirements as the most pressing for a new centre: advocacy for playwork; training assessors in NVQ Playwork; advice and information; quality in training; inclusion for children with special needs; an audit of need; and talking to children themselves. It should avoid any cross-over with EYDCPs.
The centre, which is likely to be virtual rather than somewhere people can visit, should also be based in higher education.
