Good information. Long but definitely worth reading
http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/03/hey-parents-leave-those-kids-alone/358631/
Springfield Out of School Care Club (SCIO)
Linlithgow Out of School Care for Children up to 12
Posted on Written by Helen Anderson
Good information. Long but definitely worth reading
http://www.theatlantic.com/features/archive/2014/03/hey-parents-leave-those-kids-alone/358631/
Posted on Written by Helen Anderson
What is a Playworker?
It says it in our title, ‘play’. This is our primary focus as a playworker. We are trained to provide a varied range of opportunities for children to play, in order for them to get the most out of their experience while in our care.
A playworker should be:
* Fun
* Fair
* Kind
* Enthusiastic
* Patient
* Upbeat
* Caring
* Sensitive
* Behave appropriately
* Be flexible and give children’s ideas a try.
* Be in touch with their inner child.
Why do we do things the way we do?
For example you may sometimes see the playworker standing but not joining in with the children’s play. The reason for this is, a playworker is there to support and facilitate play and will only interact with the children’s play if they have been invited to do so. All other times the playworker will stand and observe. Here is how playworkers know when a child wants them to play.
The Play Cycle
Devised by Sturrock and Else in 1998, the play cycle breaks down how play actually occurs into six parts.
* Metalude – The thought that leads to play.
* Play Cue – The way a child initiates play e.g. making eye contact, facial expression, simply asking another to play, coming up to you and asking you to play a game with them.
* Play Return – Responding to the play cue, ie joining in with their game.
* Play Frame – Where the play occurs (where the play cues and returns have been met).
Posted on Written by mabelwood
The Management Committee has reviewed the Club’s Constitution and identified a need to update this.
Since it began, the Club has enjoyed charitable status, and there are no plans to change this. However a new legal structure is now available that offers the benefits of charitable status, but with added protections similar to company status.
The Committee believes this is prudent given the size of the Club’s turnover, and the fact that it employs staff.
At the Annual General Meeting on 22nd May a motion will be put to a vote that, if passed, will result in the Club applying to the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator to become a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO.)
The Club’s Constitution will need to be amended to fit with SCIO status. It is not anticipated that this will have any impact on the service the Club offers. While there will be a tightening of legal obligations, these will not be significantly different from the good practice that the Committee is endeavouring to follow and, as such, will be welcome.
What would change, however, is that the Club’s membership would be more clearly defined and recorded, and members – the parents and guardians of children attending the Club – would have ultimate legal control over the Club. With this control would be an obligation to act in good fair and consistent with the Club’s charitable purpose, for example when voting at Annual General Meetings.
You can download the Springfield Out of School Care Club Constitution (Draft April 2013) here.
If you would like to discuss the proposed change with the Committee please email committee@springfield-club.co.
The following motions were agreed at the AGM in May 2013