The launch of the Managing Risk in Play Provision Guidance will take place at Westminster on Tuesday 29th October. Speaking at the event will be Nick Hurd MP, Minister for Civil Society, Judith Hackitt, Chair of the Health and Safety Executive and Tim Gill, one of the UK’s leading thinkers on childhood.
Play Scotland have been a partner in sponsoring the publication of the guidance, along with Play England, Play Wales, PlayBoard Northern Ireland, KIDS, Fields in Trust and The Association of Play Industries.
Marguerite Hunter Blair, Chief Executive of Play Scotland said “Play Scotland welcomes this guide, which is an invaluable tool for play providers who wish to put children’s need for adventure and hands-on experience of the world at the forefront of all they do. The risk-benefit assessment approach described is practical and proportionate and will enable providers to drive forward innovative and inspiring places for play.”
This guide shows how those responsible for play provision can develop an approach to risk management that takes into account the benefits the provision offers to children and young people as well as the risks. It aims to help providers achieve two objectives that are fundamental in any play provision: to offer children and young people challenging, exciting, engaging play opportunities, while ensuring that they are not exposed to unacceptable risk of harm.
The guidance argues that providers should strike a balance between the risks and the benefits, and this should be done on the basis of a risk benefit assessment. Crucially, this risk assessment should involve a risk-benefit trade-off between safety and other goals, which should be spelt out in the provider’s policy. Given children’s appetite for risk-taking, one of the factors that should be considered is the likelihood that children will seek out risks elsewhere, in environments that are not controlled or designed for them, if play provision is not challenging enough. Another factor is the learning that can take place when children are exposed to, and have to learn to deal with, environmental hazards. Play provision is uniquely placed to offer children the chance to learn about risk in an environment designed for that purpose, and thus to help children equip themselves to deal with similar hazards in the wider world.
All children both need and want to take risks in order to explore limits, venture into new experiences and develop their capacities, from a very young age and from their earliest play experiences. Children would never learn to walk, climb stairs or ride a bicycle unless they were strongly motivated to respond to challenges involving a risk of injury. Disabled children have an equal if not greater need for opportunities to take risks, since they may be denied the freedom of choice enjoyed by their non-disabled peers.
It is the job of all those responsible for children at play to assess and manage the level of risk, so that children are given the chance to stretch themselves, test and develop their abilities without exposing them to unacceptable risks. This is part of a wider adult social responsibility to children. If we do not provide controlled opportunities for children to encounter and manage risk then they may be denied the chance to learn these skills. They may also be more likely to choose to play in uncontrolled environments where the risks are greater.
Play Scotland, as well as welcoming the guide, will also be producing training that will support those whose job impacts on children’s play to implement the guidance, including how to carry out a risk benefit assessment. More information is available from info@playscotland.org
Share:
