Shortfall in playscheme places means parents lose out

Parents are facing limited holiday playscheme places this half term due to tighter Government legislation on play workers.

Playscheme providers rely heavily on temporary staff during busy school holidays, but the new law requires all staff to hold a full qualification. Whilst temporary staff, such as university students, are rigorously CRB checked and undertake a Playwork Induction Standard qualification, they often do not have the relevant qualification held by full-time workers. A survey by Playwork at SkillsActive, the Sector Skills Council for Active Leisure and Learning, showed that many playscheme providers have had to either close or sharply reduce the number of children they can cater for. The recruitment crisis means that working parents who rely on playschemes for childcare during the holidays may find themselves caught short and forced to take time off work.

Stephen Studd, Chief Executive of SkillsActive, which provides advice and guidance to the play sector on training and education, said: “While we are certainly in favour of a well-qualified play industry, we do support the playschemes in their belief that expecting a student taking on a holiday job to become as qualified as someone who works there year-round is unreasonable.” He added: “Unfortunately it is parents and families who are going to lose out as the limited number of spaces will mean many have to either take extra time off work or find a more costly childcare alternative over Easter.”

SkillsActive’s Playwork division is working with Play England and the DCSF to find a mutual solution.

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http://www.mychild.co.uk/news/shortfall-in-playscheme-places-means-parents-lose-out-4068