Can Playwork Have a Key Working Role?

Authors

Pete King, Swansea UniversityFollow

DOI

https://doi.org/10.25035/ijpp.01.01.07

Abstract

This study interviewed 23 people currently involved in playwork which included face-to-face playwork practitioners, playworkers who are more involved in the development and management of specific projects or settings, playwork traininers and those working more at strategic director-level. All participants were asked to consider if playwork can have a key working role and how it will operate once the lockdown from COVID-19 has been relaxed. Analysing the 23 interviews through thematic analysis, the understanding of key working fell into three groups: 1) UK Government Response to the current COVID-19 pandemic; 2) health and well-being of people; and 3) supporting individual people. In relation to whether playwork has a key work role, most repondents beliefs fall into three categories: 1) supporting the Government Key Workers in the current situation by providing childcare; 2) using a distinct playwork approach to play; and 3) developing positive relationships with children, young people and families in the communities where the playwork provision is served. The aspects of a Playwork Approach and Developing Relationships reflect the concerns that when lockdown is reduced, playwork and playworkers will need to develop their therapeutic skills when supporting children’s play and adapt their playwork approach to both their own provision and potentially to support other provisions such as schools.

Recommended Citation

King, P. (2020). Can Playwork Have a Key Working Role?. International Journal of Playwork Practice, 1(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.25035/ijpp.01.01.07

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.