Policy
PlayBoard actively engage in a wide range of activities aimed at influencing government policy to better respond to the issues that impact on children and young people’s play. Through our policy work we aim to put play firmly on the agenda of policy makers and resource providers at regional and local government level.
PlayBoard’s policy and advocacy work is focused around a number of key areas:
Raising Awareness of the Importance of Play
A core part of PlayBoard’s advocacy work is focused around raising awareness of the importance of play to the lives of children, young people, families and communities. PlayBoard are wholly committed to raising the awareness of the importance of play to the lives of children, young people, families and communites. In doing this we focus much of our advocacy work on article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) – often referred to as the right to play. Our aim is to ensure that the implementation of article 31 is at the core of policy making at both central and local government, and that it becomes embedded within the psyche of parents, schools and communities.
Influencing those whose decisions impact on children and young people’s play
By proactively monitoring developments across government we seek to influence the policy development process, working to ensure that the policy arena effectively represents and promotes the right to play for children and young people across Northern Ireland. As part of our influencing work we develop focused campaigns aimed at promoting the right to play generally across society and specifically within direct areas of government delivery. We also support relevant campaigns developed by colleagues from across the children and young people’s sector. We both run campaigns and are supportive of other organisations’ campaigns, which seek to improve children and young people’s play experiences, rights and their lives.
Responding directly to government on those policy issues that influence children and young people’s play
PlayBoard seek to influence government thinking and policy making by developing responses to relevant departmental consultations. In responding to government consultations we consult with our members, liaise with the wider children and young people’s sector and listen to children and young people to identify those issues which most impact on the right to play, and to determine those issues which require focused lobbying in order to bring them to the attention of policy and decision makers. We actively respond to consultations in order to promote the play agenda and to hold government and other statutory bodies to account regarding their responsibility to listen to the voices of children and young people and to give their views due weight in the policy development process.
Partnership working is a key aspect of our work within the policy arena. As members of key policy forums at Northern Ireland and UK level, some concerned specifically with play and some with wider children and young people’s issues, we are able to raise awareness of the child’s right to play and to place play and playwork on the agenda of other organisations.
Play Policy Forum (UK level)
Play Safety Forum (UK Level)
All Party Children and Young People Group
CiNI policy sub-group
Child Poverty Alliance
Early Years Strategic Alliance
Through membership of such forums we benefit from other organisations’ perspectives on policy development, using these insights to inform our policy responses, guide how we participate in the policy development process and how we influence decision-making relating to the right to play.
Research
Research shows that play has many benefits for children, families and the wider community, as well as improving health and quality of life. PlayBoard undertakes research and evaluation to inform, shape and influence practice and policy for children and families in Northern Ireland. Our work focuses on growing an evidence base for play and establishing best practice, we do this by:
Developing and promoting research to provide an evidence base to improve children and young people’s lives through knowledge and understanding about play;
Measuring and evaluating the impact of our programmes as a whole, and supporting our membership organisations to refine and develop interventions and evaluate their impact;
Demonstrating the difference our services make to children and young people’s lives;
Supporting organisations to refine promising programmes and developing processes to help ensure that evidence-based programmes are delivered as intended, with fidelity to what makes them effective.
Our work focuses on generating the data and evidence that decision-makers need in order to make informed decisions that will improve children’s outcomes. Alongside this an ethos of reflective practice underpins and informs a culture of stakeholder engagement in using and learning from evidence.
Participation with Children and Young People
PlayBoard’s research activity also focuses on the importance of play through children’s participation in decision making and involving children in the research process and children’s right-based research methods.
“All people, however young are entitled to be participants in their own lives, to influence what happens to them, to be involved in creating their own environments, to exercise choices and to have their views respected and valued” (Lansdown 2005).
Participation is the process by which children and young people can influence decision-making which affects their lives to bring about positive change. Playboard supports children and young people to become strong, competent, social actors so that they can effectively participate in decisions that affect them, have their voices heard, valued and respected.
We fundamentally believe that it is important for children and young people to have a say in the making of laws and policies, in designing and evaluating services and facilities that will affect them. We have developed and trained a group of children and young people to become peer researchers who have effectively conducted their own research in relation to their right to play (General Comment 17, UNCRC). We have also actively consulted with children to have their say on a number of policy strategies such as Towards a Childcare Strategy and The Children and Young People’s Strategy.
Latest Policy & Research News:
Let Us Play – A Manifesto For Play
In 2013 PlayBoard’s Young Research Team (a group of children aged between 8 and 12 years) designed and undertook a peer research study with children from across Northern Ireland. The aim of the study was to identify the obstacles [...]
Young Researchers – Their Right To Play
In February 2013, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child adopted a new General Comment 17 on Article 31 (UNCRC). Article 31 of the Convention is a promise made by almost every government to children and young [...]
Four Asks For Play – For Health, Children & Everyone
Every parent knows that playing is good for children. And there is a growing body of solid evidence of the long-term benefits. Studies show that play projects: Are just as effective as sport and PE programmes in [...]
