Play Sufficiency Assessment toolkit

The purpose of the toolkit

This toolkit has been prepared to provide support to local authorities in fulfilling their duties, as set out in The Play Sufficiency Assessment (Wales) Regulations 2012. 

The toolkit is to be read in conjunction with The Play Sufficiency Assessment (Wales) Regulations 2012 and associated Statutory Guidance, Wales - a Play Friendly Country. These set out the details of the assessment and action plan that each local authority needs to undertake, every three years, under the Children and Families (Wales) Measure 2010. The statutory guidance sets out the nine Matters local authorities must take into account in assessing play opportunities in their local areas.

The tools provided within this document include templates based on the Matters that need to be considered, as set out within the Statutory Guidance. The templates are helpful guides to assist with the Play Sufficiency Assessment process.  They are intended to support local authorities in completing the sufficiency assessment and production of the Play Sufficiency Assessment Executive Summary: The State of Play Report and Action Plan.

How this toolkit was developed

The original Play Sufficiency Assessment (PSA) Toolkit was prepared by Play Wales, funded by and in conjunction with the Welsh Government.  The toolkit was developed in liaison with play providers across Wales to provide support to all local authorities in fulfilling their duties, as set out in The Play Sufficiency Assessment (Wales) Regulations 2012. 

In its response to the Ministerial Review of Play Steering Group Report the Welsh Government committed to refresh the Play Sufficiency Assessment Toolkit. As part of this process in 2023, the original PSA Toolkit was reviewed by Play Wales and the Play Sufficiency Network, which is comprised of local authority play leads.   A survey and subsequent engagement workshops were held with local authorities to determine the tools and templates required to support the collection and analysis of appropriate data.  This toolkit aims to provide a range of resources for local authorities and their partners to use to capture the range of factors affecting children and young people’s opportunities to play and inform planning for sufficiency as part of meeting the play sufficiency duties. 

A well conducted Play Sufficiency Assessment provides the evidence needed to identify gaps in provision and support the development of action plans to address any shortcomings. 

Local authorities must assess the sufficiency of play opportunities in their areas in accordance with regulations and develop plans to achieve sufficiency. Each local authority is responsible for managing the Play Sufficiency Assessment and Play Action Plan. This includes engagement with a range of partners, data collection and analysis to help inform the assessment.  Partnership working, collaboration and participation are core elements of conducting the Play Sufficiency Assessment against the criteria outlined within the Statutory Guidance. 

Wales – a Play Friendly Country, the statutory guidance for local authorities indicates that consideration must be given to these Matters:

Matter A:  Population

Matter B:  Providing for diverse needs

Matter C:  Space available for children to play (open spaces, outdoor unstaffed designated play spaces, playing fields)

Matter D:  Supervised provision (playwork provision, structured recreational activities)

Matter E:  Charges for play provision

Matter F:  Access to space and provision, including road safety measures, transport, information and publicity

Matter G: Securing and developing the play workforce

Matter H:  Community engagement and participation

Matter I:   Play within all relevant policy and implementation agendas.

The Play Sufficiency Assessment Form is structured under ‘themes’ to assist local authorities working in partnership with other local departments and organisations in identifying factors impacting on children’s opportunities to play:

Population [Matters A, B, E]. 

Places where children play [Matters C, F and I]

Supervised provision [Matters D and G]

Policy, engagement, advocacy and information [Matters F, G, H, I]

Who should be involved in a Play Sufficiency Assessment

The Play Sufficiency Assessment will need to demonstrate consideration of the range of factors that affect children’s opportunities to play.  The data collection and analysis will require input from a range of partners with specific functions including: 

Local authority officers from:

• planning
• housing
• transport
• education
• children and family services
• childcare
• playwork service
• early years
• youth work
• parks and playgrounds
• community development
• community safety
• active travel
• information services/communication teams
• research
• specialist services

Wider partner organisations: 

• Regional Voluntary Play Associations
• County Voluntary Councils
• Town and Community Councils
• Housing Associations
• Local Health Board
• Police and Fire Services

Executive Summary with Public Service Boards

Executive Summary and Annual Play Action Plan to WeSumission of SA flan to Welsh Government

Play Sufficiency Assessment process

The Play Sufficiency Assessment (PSA) process involves nine key steps. These are: 

• Preparing for the PSA
• Conducting the PSA
• Producing the PSA and PSA Executive Summary
• Producing the Annual Play Action Plan
• Submission of PSA form, PSA Executive Summary and Annual Play Action Plan to Welsh Government
• Share PSA Executive Summary with Public Service Boards
• Publish Executive Summary on local authority website
• PSA ongoing review via Play Monitoring Group
• Submit Annual Play Action Plan Progress Report to Welsh Government

* For the years when a full Play Sufficiency Assessment is not undertaken, local authorities are required to submit an annual Play Action Plan and Progress Report in line with the Statutory Guidance.

Required forms for the Play Sufficiency Assessment process

The Welsh Government has provided templates to be used by local authorities to enable the analysis of the PSAs and action plans.  It also supports the development of a clear national pan-Wales picture of play sufficiency:

• Play Sufficiency Assessment Form
• Play Sufficiency Assessment Executive Summary: The State of Play Report 
• Annual Play Action Plan 
• Annual Play Action Plan Progress Report

The Play Sufficiency Assessment stages

To support the play sufficiency assessment process, this toolkit includes information and tools separated into three stages.

Stage 1 - Preparing for the Play Sufficiency Assessment

Stage 2 - Assessing against the Play Sufficiency Assessment themes:

• Population
• Places where children play 
• Supervised provision 
• Policy synergy, engagement, advocacy and information 

Stage 3 - Preparing the Play Action Plan

Key tasks when preparing for the Play Sufficiency Assessment: 

• Liaise with the Lead Member for Children and Young People/Cabinet
• Engage with elected members
• Agree the assessment methodology
• Decide who will lead the assessment
• Identify contributors
• Identify membership and establish a Play Monitoring Group or equivalent
• Establish partnership roles and responsibilities and timeline
• Identify and recruit key partners
• Agree principles
• Identify financial resources/support

Tools to support:

Tool 1   Focus on play briefing for local councillors 

Tool 2   PSA Options analysis

Tool 3   Play Monitoring Group (or equivalent) - Terms of reference

Tool 4   Play Monitoring Group (or equivalent) - Information audit

Tool 5   Understanding Play Sufficiency - Training resource pack

Tool 6   Top tips to be a play champion

The briefing for local councillors provides information about statutory duties on local authorities to assess and secure sufficient play opportunities for children in their area.

See: Focus on play – Play and county councillors | Play Wales

Undertaking a Play Sufficiency Assessment options analysis is helpful at the preparation stage and will assist with agreeing the assessment methodology.  This tool sets out areas to consider when analysing available options for conducting a Play Sufficiency Assessment. 

See: Tool 2: Play Sufficiency Assessment Options Analysis | GOV.WALES

Tool 3 is an exemplar template of a terms for reference document which may be used when establishing a Play Monitoring Group or equivalent.

See: Tool 3: Play Monitoring Group terms of reference | GOV.WALES

This is an audit tool to assist Play Monitoring Group (or equivalent) members during the preparation stage in identifying and collating information relating to each theme when considering each of the Matters:

Matter A:  Population

Matter B:  Providing for diverse needs

Matter C:  Space available for children to play (open spaces, outdoor unstaffed designated play spaces, playing fields)

Matter D:  Supervised provision (playwork provision, structured recreational activities)

Matter E:  Charges for play provision

Matter F:  Access to space and provision, including road safety measures, transport, information and publicity

Matter G: Securing and developing the play workforce

Matter H:  Community engagement and participation

Matter I:   Play within all relevant policy and implementation agendas.

See: Tool 4: Play Monitoring Group (or equivalent) - Information audit | GOV.WALES

This training course aims to help promote the importance of play sufficiency to local authority partners.

It provides policy makers and practitioners with opportunities to work together, exploring their collective responsibilities in respect of the Play Sufficiency Duty.

The course will be of value to anyone involved in the play sufficiency process.  It has been designed with a particular focus on developing strategic partnerships that can support the assessing and securing elements of the Duty. The course is therefore targeted at people working at a strategic level, in policy lead roles and those with the ability to influence local government policy and decision-making processes. The course aims to enable strategic stakeholders to recognise their responsibilities in respect of the Play Sufficiency Duty and to engage in professional conversations about how the local authority’s response to the Duty can be improved and further developed. 

See: Tool 5: Qualifications and training | Play Wales

This tool provides tips on developing skills in being a play champion and advocating for play within your local authority area.

See: Tool 6: Being a play champion | GOV.WALES

Key tasks of the Play Sufficiency Assessment include: 

• Audit and map existing spaces and provision for playing
• Survey children and parents
• Identify and agree strengths and shortfalls in provision
• Undertake assessment and identifying options for actions, using the Play Sufficiency Assessment Form

Tools to support:

Tool 7     Play Satisfaction Survey - Information sheet (a guide to using it locally)

Tool 8     Children as auditors - Information sheet (focus group tips)

Tool 9     Right to play workshop

Tool 10   Focus group monitoring form

Tool 11   Surveying parents 

Tool 12   School playtime questions for children

Tool 13   School Playtime Survey for schools

This information sheet is aimed at local authority officers carrying out surveys of children’s play satisfaction.  It includes survey questions for local and national analysis.

This tool supports local authorities when consulting with children as part of their Play Sufficiency Duty. It provides good practice for planning, preparing and using the survey, as well as guidance on collecting, processing and carrying out basic analysis of the data.

The survey focuses on ‘experiences’ rather than ‘things’, particularly the more obvious and superficially exciting elements of provision.  As part of consultation or engagement activity, children may be asked to envisage their ideal play area or play setting. However, their limited experience – limited both by their age and the existing poverty of provision – may prompt them to want what they already know. 

See: Tool 7: The Play Satisfaction Survey - a guide to using it locally | Play Wales

This tool provides tips for involving children when conducting the Play Sufficiency Assessment and auditing play spaces.

See: Tool 8: Children as auditors | GOV.WALES

This tool is designed for playworkers, participation workers, youth workers and other staff to assist in running a right to play workshop with children and young people in schools and other structured settings. 

The workshop aims to raise awareness about the right to play. It also aims to empower children and young people so they can make the case for better opportunities for them to play and meet up with their friends.

See: Tool 9: Right to play workshop | Play Wales

This is a monitoring form to support the person who is facilitating a survey focus group. The tool will assist in ensuring an inclusive approach when involving children and young people in play sufficiency assessment activities.

See: Tool 10: Focus group monitoring form | GOV.WALES

This tool provides a list of questions which may be used to gather information and views of parents on play opportunities. 

See: Tool 11: Surveying parents | GOV.WALES

This tool provides a list of questions which may be used when seeking children’s views on school play / break times. 

See: Tool 12: School playtime questions for children | GOV.WALES

This tool is a template of survey questions which may be used by schools to gather information on children’s school play times.

Finding out more about opportunities to play in school is part of the statutory work when conducting a Play Sufficiency Assessment.

See: Tool 13: School playtime survey for schools | GOV.WALES

A range of templates can be found in Creating accessible play spaces: A toolkit:

• Play space audit
• Play space access assessment
• Play value checklist

See: Tool 14: Creating accessible play spaces | Play Wales

This tool provides an employee workforce questionnaire template to support an analysis of workforce development training needs when conducting a Play Sufficiency Assessment.

See: Tool 15: Workforce development training needs analysis | GOV.WALES

This tool provides an exemplar template which may be used to gather information from settings / employers in respect of the playwork provision and workforce. 

See: Tool 16: Employer/setting questionnaire template | GOV.WALES

The Play Sufficiency Assessment will help inform a Play Action Plan which identifies actions to take forward to achieve sufficiency. As part of the planning stage: 

• Analyse and prioritise future actions 
• Review and sign-off of the Play Action Plan Form by the Play Monitoring Group (or equivalent)
• Play Action Plan agreed by elected members

Tools to support:

Tool 17: Play action plan prioritisation tool

The Play Sufficiency Assessment will have identified a range of actions to inform the Play Action Plan.  This tool will assist in prioritising the actions listed to achieve good outcomes for children, in planning for sufficient opportunities to play.

It will be necessary to agree the priorities as part of the Play Action Plan development. This tool provides suggested factors to consider when identifying and agreeing the criteria for prioritising actions.

See: Tool 17: Play Action Plan prioritisation tool | GOV.WALES

Including Disabled Children in Play Provision position statement

Including Disabled Children in Play Provision, is a joint position statement from the Children’s Play Policy Forum and UK Play Safety Forum.  The statement sets out that all playgrounds and spaces should meet the accessible definition, to meet the needs of as many children, of as many varying abilities, as possible.

Play Sufficiency report cards

Play Wales has worked with local authorities and their partners to compile ‘report cards’ of actions taken locally to support children’s play. 

Each example aims to show the unique contexts, processes and people involved in a particular project.  They may offer adaptable ideas for those working to support children’s play: 

See: Examples of Play Sufficiency (on Play Wales)

The report cards are inspired by play sufficiency research undertaken by Wendy Russell, Mike Barclay, Ben Tawil and Charlotte Derry. In this research, information from projects provided by local authorities and desk-based research resulted in 26 report cards.  These can be found in the 2020 report Making it possible to do Play Sufficiency: Exploring the conditions that support local authorities to secure sufficient opportunities for children in Wales to play executive summary:

Anti-racist training

The anti-racist training resource is available on the DARPL website along with the Creating an Anti-racist Culture in settings toolkit (which gives practical advice to settings on how to be anti-racist).  

National Participation Standards

The National Participation Standards act as a guide to what good quality engagement with children and young people should look like. They identify the key issues workers should be aware of when working with children and young people in Wales, setting out the operational steps that can be taken to ensure participation is meaningful, safe and inclusive. Examples of good participation practice can be found in Welsh Government’s good practice guide. 

Additionally, The Right Way is a framework, developed by the Children’s Commissioner for Wales and Wales Observatory on Human Rights of Children and Young People, for working with children, grounded in the UNCRC to help public bodies integrate children’s rights into every aspect of decision-making, policy and practice.  The Right Way embeds the National Participation Standards, and each of the Right Way guides provide useful practical examples of what good quality participation looks like, including in early years guide and when working with children with additional learning needs.

Talk with Me: Speech, Language and Communication

The Talk With Me: Speech, Language and Communication (SLC) Delivery Plan seeks to drive improvement in the way in which children in Wales are supported to develop their SLC skills.

Early Childhood Play, Learning and Care Plan in Wales

The Early Childhood Play, Learning and Care (ECPLC) Plan sets out how childcare, playwork and nursery education settings prior to statutory school age (0-5 year olds), can support the development of babies and young children’s social, emotional, cognitive and physical needs.

Keeping Children Safe

The Welsh Government expects all individuals, groups and organisations offering activities or services to children and young people in Wales, to follow the advice provided in the Working together to safeguard people: Code of Safeguarding Practice. This code is intended to assist in understanding the safeguarding arrangements that should be in place to operate safely and to safeguard all participants. 

The Social Care Wales Group A online module for safeguarding is a free resource for all those whose roles bring them into contact with children and young people. 

When undertaking play sufficiency activities involving children, refer to the Wales Safeguarding Procedures which help people to understand their responsibilities to safeguard children and young people in Wales. 

Play Wales resources

Play Wales has published a range of resources for schools to support children’s play, including a briefing for Regional Partnership Boards and Public Service Boards:

Focus on play – How play supports children’s mental health - Play Wales

Play in schools - Play Wales 

Children’s Commissioner for Wales Resources

A Children’s Rights Approach to Additional Learning Needs - Children’s Commissioner for Wales