Play Strategy for Scotland - Progress Report

Overview

We all share a responsibility to ensure that Scotland's children and young people can fully realise their rights to play:

As professionals - we must actively prioritise play in the decisions we take which impact on children and young people's opportunities for play, both directly and indirectly.

As parents and carers - we can ensure a lifetime of fun, creativity and optimum development for our children and young people, by supporting them to enjoy a wide range of play experiences (with and without us)

As friends, neighbours and members of our communities - we can champion our local areas as great places to live and play in, by taking an active part in shaping them and respecting children's right to play in them.

We recognise that implementing the Action Plan could never be sufficient on its own to transform children and young people's day-to-day experience of play. Nonetheless, we firmly believe it can positively support that broader cultural shift.

The Scottish Government has made a significant contribution to supporting play. This includes investing in the infrastructure of the sector alongside specific projects with significant potential to demonstrate 'what works' or scaling up proven approaches.

Examples include:

• Investment of £7m in the Go2Play Funds over the last five years, administered by Inspiring Scotland, supporting direct play provision for children and young people in disadvantaged communities as well as building capacity (e.g. Play Rangers, Active Play, or work with fathers).
• Supporting over thirty Key Tests of Change incorporating play through the flagship Early Years Collaborative improvement programme.
• Core and project funding for a wide range of organisations helping children and young people realise their potential (including through play)^[iv].
• Creating a dedicated National Play Strategy Coordinator post to support the PSIG, hosted by Play Scotland and funded until June 2016 (filled by secondment).
• Direct investment in a number of key, national campaigns, designed to support parents, families and carers to play with their children, as well as encouraging early learning and positive attachment - e.g. Bookbug (£1.7m in 2015/16) and PlayTalkRead (£1m in 2015/16)
• Investment in 'Playful Families': an innovative new project, delivered by Play Scotland, harnessing multimedia to stimulate more play, every day in families and communities across Scotland (due 2016)