Issue - meetings

As detailed in the recommendations.

Councillor Kevin Jones introduced the report on the Play Sufficiency Assessment 2016 Including Future Proposals for Summer Play Schemes and Play Areas.  The Flintshire Play Sufficiency Assessment (PSA) 2016 and the subsequent Action Plan 2016/17 needed to be reported to Welsh Government (WG) as a statutory duty. 

The report provided details of the summer play scheme programme 2015 and details of the financial implications for the delivery of summer play schemes in 2016 and 2017.  Details were also provided on the safeguarding of children’s equipped play areas in the county.

            The Chief Officer (Organisational Change) provided full details on each of the three areas, highlighting the following:

·         The requirement to provide WG with a Play Sufficiency Assessment to address identified shortcomings and deficiencies

·         The risk of funding for the delivery of the summer play scheme programme: WG funding would not be available to support the delivery of the summer play scheme in 2016.  However, the Council had committed to finding funding for one year to ensure there were funds available for the summer of 2016.  The impact would have implications for the delivery of the summer 2017 programme

·         Town and Community Councils had been informed that play delivery was at risk and they had been asked to consider increasing their contribution and explore alternative delivery models to sustain the provision of play schemes in their areas

The report was being submitted to Overview and Scrutiny with a recommendation to encourage contribution to consultation with Town and Community Councils.  A further report would then be submitted to Cabinet.  An item would also be placed on the agenda for the next County Forum meeting.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the Flintshire Play Sufficiency Assessment and Action Plan 2016 (Flintshire County Council, Draft Play Sufficiency Assessment & Action Plan 2016) be approved;

(b)       That the Flintshire Strategic Play Forum be reformed in 2016 to form a multi-agency forum to guide and monitor the Play Sufficiency Assessment Action Plan 2016; and

(c)       That local town and community councils and other partner organisations be consulted with on sustaining of children’s equipped play areas in the county.