Quality assurance

Play Wales has worked with the playwork sector to develop Chwarae o Safon – the playwork quality mark. The meaning of the Welsh title ‘Chwarae o Safon’ in English is ‘Play of Quality’.

An expert reference group has supported the quality mark’s development. This group’s members include:

• Care Inspectorate Wales
• Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids’ Clubs
• Children’s Commisioner for Wales’ Office
• Early Years Wales
• Play specialists
• Playwork employers from early years, open access playwork and out of school childcare settings
• Playwork trainers
• Social Care Wales
• The Welsh Government.

Chwarae o Safon builds on and replaces two Play Wales resources:

• The First Claim … a framework for playwork quality assessment (published in 2001)
• The First Claim – desirable processes (published in 2002).

Chwarae o Safon is intended to be used in unregulated playwork settings, as well as settings regulated by Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW). It also applies to those involved in playwork in non-dedicated playwork settings.

There are two different playwork quality mark awards, one focused on practice and the other on policy. Playwork settings can work towards one or both of these awards:

1. Chwarae o Safon – playwork practice quality mark

This assesses:

• children’s play experiences
• the playwork environment.

This is suitable for settings using a playwork approach or whose staff have completed playwork training or qualifications and want to show good playwork practice. As well as dedicated playwork settings, this can also include youth work, childcare, education, sports and health provision.

2. Chwarae o Safon – playwork policy quality mark

This assesses:

• playwork policy and practice
• the playwork organisation.

This is suitable for settings whose main purpose is supporting children’s play using a playwork approach. This includes both regulated and unregulated settings that define themselves as either peripatetic or play ranger provision, adventure playgrounds, out of school childcare, open access playwork or street play. It focuses on the policies, procedures and organisational ethos that support playwork practice. To achieve this quality mark, settings will already have received the playwork practice quality mark.

Find out more

Please get in touch with us to find out more about how you can apply for the Chwarae o Safon quality mark, which is currently being piloted.