The new Level 2 and 3 Diplomas in Playwork (NVQ) meet the full and relevant criteria for holders to work in settings on the early years register.
The qualifications are based on the playwork national occupational standards, and reflect the principles of playwork and a play-centred approach.
Lesli Godfrey, senior programme manager for playwork qualifications at SkillsActive, said the Level 2 and 3 diplomas were developed following feedback from employers and playworkers, because it was felt that some of the core units in the Diploma for the Children and Young People's Workforce were not appropriate for playwork. 'For example, playworkers don't assess children's development, whereas early years workers do, but we're sharing some common units.'
Candidates for the Level 3 Diploma in Playwork must complete 46 credits from the mandatory units and a minimum of 19 credits from any of the 11 optional units.
The two mandatory credits from the new Level 3 Diploma for the Children and Young People's Workforce are 'understand how to safeguard the well-being of children and young people' and 'understand how to support positive outcomes for children and young people'.
When asked whether playworkers would be able to supervise a toddler room, Ms Godfrey said, 'There's no reason why not. The vast majority of playwork settings take under-fives. It would be difficult to get a playwork qualification without working with under-fives.'
But Ross Midgley, a director of training provider PBD, which specialises in both playwork and early years qualifications, and which has just extended its eQual Learning platform to include a unique suite of e-courses aimed specifically at the new playwork diploma, told Nursery World, 'I have to say I'm surprised. SkillsActive says that this recognition will mainly benefit play settings with children under and over five, who will no longer need to operate with two sets of qualifications. However, this is precisely why many people argued for a playwork pathway within the Diploma for the Children and Young People's Workforce. Instead, SkillsActive decided to create a separate qualification based on the Playwork Principles. That's fine - but the question is whether this should be an acceptable qualification for working in a nursery.
'It's difficult to see how a qualification which contains nothing about child development and is silent on the EYFS can be a sufficient basis for working with toddlers.'
Chief executive of CACHE Dr Richard Dorrance said, 'The inclusion of the new QCF playwork qualification in addition to the NQF playwork qualification already on the list of acceptable qualifications is a welcome addition, allowing playworkers to continue to work across sectors, without the need to acquire new qualifications and repeat parts of their learning.'
He added, 'Playworkers who want to work in EYFS settings may find it beneficial to undertake individual units in the EYFS and, depending on their previous experience with the nought to five age group, units on child development from nought to five. There is a specific qualification available - the Level 3 Award in Early Years and Child Care for Playworkers.'
A spokesperson for the Children's Workforce Development Council said, 'The principles of the EYFS are embedded across all full and relevant qualifications on the Early Years Qualifications List. The new SkillsActive QCF Diplomas in Playwork (NVQ) at Level 2 and 3 have been independently mapped and meet the criteria for being full and relevant qualifications. As with all qualifications on the list, these new play qualifications are not mapped to specific roles and it is for settings to determine the most appropriate qualification for specific roles.
'The inclusion of playwork qualifications on the list is not new; for example, previous NQF play qualifications are already on the list and remain full and relevant.'
Further information
Use the qualifications finder on the CWDC werbsite to search for full and relevant qualifications for working in early years settings.
