Why a balanced approach is needed and what it looks like

Wales: Play Wales published a new information sheet about weighing up risks and benefits in children’s play, giving a guide to a “balanced approach”

About the information sheet:

  • Written by Tim Gill, a writer and advocate for children’s play and mobility
    • In his latest book Urban Playground (2021), Gill identified the need for cities “to be sustainable, equitable, healthy places for children to live, play and grow up”.
  • Guide written for Play Wales, an independent charity funded by the Welsh government

Aim of report:

  • To raise awareness of children and young people’s need and right to play
  • to set out why a balanced, thoughtful approach to managing risks in children’s play is needed
  • to give an overview of risk-benefit assessment (RBA)
  • written a broad audience, including playworkers, providers and managers of play settings, educations, health and safety professionals etc.

Summary:

  • Overview of why risk is important to children’s play and what the law requires from play spaces
  • Calls for organizations to use a balanced approach
    •  “In play environments it is crucial to allow for a degree of risk”, with a “regard for wellbeing”
    • To provide children with opportunities for independence and risk management
  • RBA approach advertised to help organizations to take a balanced, thoughtful approach to risk management
  • Unexpected risks encountered with professional competence and confidence through RBA

Conclusions drawn:

  • Improving play opportunities for children of all ages and abilities is a key objective for Welsh government
  • Exposing children to an acceptable, managed risks when they play is a challenge but necessary for healthy growth and development

 

 

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Play and risk 2021.pdf893.96 KB 893.96 KB
cover page
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