Have you got a few minutes to help improve childcare services in Northern Ireland? A review of childcare services in Northern Ireland, commissioned by the Department of Education, wants to hear from parents, carers, childcare providers of all types and others in the sector. The review wants to understand the [...]
Alan Herron succeeds Jacqueline O’Loughlin as Chief Executive of PlayBoard NI on 27 June, following her retirement. Alan has served as PlayBoard’s Director of Service Delivery and Development since 2009 and has more than 20 years’ experience working in the community/voluntary sector. Patricia Lewsley-Mooney CBE, PlayBoard Chairperson commented: “On behalf [...]
Following 25 years working for the child’s right to play and 18 years leading PlayBoard, Chief Executive Jacqueline O’Loughlin is stepping down on 23 June. Patricia Lewsley-Mooney CBE, PlayBoard Chairperson commented: “Jacqueline has been a wonderful advocate for children and young people in Northern Ireland, and their right to play [...]
Play on Early Education, the second International Athens Conference ran from 27 to 30 April. Staff from PlayBoard attended the conference, representing Northern Ireland on the international stage. Alan Herron, Director of Service Delivery & Development, presented on children’s play and Covid-19 recovery and also highlighted the legacy and impact [...]
We are delighted to share our new podcast - The Play Pod. Listen now on PodBean at http://playboardni.podbean.com or find us on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts. Episode 5 - Koulla Yiasouma, NI Commissioner for Children and Young People (NICCY) joins PlayBoard CEO, Jacqueline O'Loughlin to discuss children's right to [...]
Fifty-seven percent of families who have a child with a physical, learning, sensory, medical, undiagnosed or complex need are unable to play in play parks as often as they would like, with a similar amount (56%) having to travel long distances to access a play park that meets their family’s [...]
Covid-19 has impacted heavily on group settings since March 2020. Early Years - the organisation for young children and PlayBoard are conducting a further survey to understand the current impact that Covid-19 (and in particular the Omicron strain) is having within the sector and the sustainability concerns many group settings [...]
Job Role: Policy & Research Salary: £29,636 - £31,371 per annum Hours per week: 35.00 Closing date: Wednesday 15 December 2021 at 5:00pm PlayBoard is the leading agency for the promotion, development and delivery of play in Northern Ireland. This vibrant organisation is at the forefront of shaping the future of children and [...]
Early Years and survey partners including PlayBoard, NIDCO and Altram have been working closely with the Departments of Health and Education to support the sector over the Covid-19 period as part of a Childcare Reference Group.A new Covid Closure Scheme has just opened to support eligible settings who have followed PHA guidelines and are/were required [...]
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on School Age Childcare (SAC). It has brought financial pressures, changes to practice, and additional stress to the workforce. To ensure we have a better understanding of both the opportunities and challenges for School Age Childcare provision, PlayBoard is undertaking a State of the [...]
