Play Strategy for Scotland - Progress Report

Themes and priorities

"Poor recognition of their significance [Article 31Rights] results in [a] lack of investment in appropriate provision, weak protective legislation and the invisibility of children in national and local level planning.

In general, where investment is made, this is in the provision of structured and organised activities but equally important is the need to create time and space for children to engage in [free] play and to promote societal attitudes that support and encourage such activity"
Committee on the Rights of the Child (2005) General Comment No.17 Implementing Child Rights in Early Childhood. Geneva: United Nations^[v]

Notwithstanding that our reports have been published only recently, our research and consultations to date have reinforced our commitment to the following:

• The need to prioritise actions which drive improvements for those groups of children and young people who 'require particular attention to realise their rights under article 31'.
  This includes girls, disabled children and young people, children living in poverty, children and young people in residential or institutional care (such as hospital, detention centres or schools), and children from minority communities.
• The need to enhance the support available to local Planning Partners about how and why to embed play throughout their local strategic planning and commissioning processes by offering practical support, tools, knowledge, contacts/ case studies and demonstrating impact on national outcomes relating to children and young people.
• The need to support children and young people to participate in and drive national and local level planning for play - including identifying innovative ways to build more time and space for playing freely and widely, and having influence over local investment
• The need to work in partnership to improve the baseline data we capture about children and young people's play experiences, and to use appropriate indicators to track progress to achieving the Vision for Play.