Playing a Bigger Role: Playwork, Childcare and the Well-being Agenda Pat Kane theplayethic.com

Aims of this conference: how we can best plan to develop the childcare workforce of the future how we can attract and keep staff, especially during a period of transition (ie, a raising of the status of childcare) why it is so important that we attract high quality staff who understand their role

how we can best plan to develop the childcare workforce of the future

how we can attract and keep staff, especially during a period of transition (ie, a raising of the status of childcare)

why it is so important that we attract high quality staff who understand their role

Re-imagining Social Work (Scottish Executive/ADSW/New Integrity) How can social work both improve occupational performance and recruitment/retention? Not just by undergoing an internal exploration… But also by exploring what social work has meant, does mean and could mean to the wider society… Re-imagining internally and externally, and connecting up those two realms, making a powerful new narrative for social work

DOES CHILDCARE NEED RE-IMAGINING? “ Childcare” means… what? To whom? Externally to childcare, it’s seen as a rather CHILLY word Institutionalised - non-parental caring, semi-educational Something that involves hard resources, time and money, user/provider Something at the beck and call of the economy - “high-quality childcare for hard-working parents”

Externally to childcare, it’s seen as a rather CHILLY word

Institutionalised - non-parental caring, semi-educational

Something that involves hard resources, time and money, user/provider

Something at the beck and call of the economy - “high-quality childcare for hard-working parents”

PLAY IN CHILDCARE - A BETTER IMAGE? AND A BETTER REALITY ? A BETTER IMAGE… Parents more at ease with childcare, if children are happily at play there Yet… Play (and playfulness) has become a major adult and societal concern - as part of wellbeing/crisis-of-work agenda. ‘Shouldn’t I be playing more with my children’?

A BETTER IMAGE…

Parents more at ease with childcare, if children are happily at play there

Yet…

Play (and playfulness) has become a major adult and societal concern - as part of wellbeing/crisis-of-work agenda. ‘Shouldn’t I be playing more with my children’?

PLAY IN CHILDCARE - A BETTER IMAGE ? AND A BETTER REALITY ? A BETTER REALITY… Developmental case for play very strong and based in research - particularly neuropsychology (ties into happiness debate) Play as a civilizing process - ‘the society that plays together, stays together’

A BETTER REALITY…

Developmental case for play very strong and based in research - particularly neuropsychology (ties into happiness debate)

Play as a civilizing process - ‘the society that plays together, stays together’

Nike’s Joga Bonita campaign ‘ manifesto futebolista’ PLAY IN CHILDCARE - A BETTER IMAGE… ADULTS WANT THEIR CHILDREN TO PLAY (AND WANT TO PLAY THEMSELVES…)

Nike’s Joga Bonita campaign ‘ ronaldhino’s joy’ ‘when you were a kid, it was easy. You were not afraid to try, to dare… you do it, just because you like it.’

Nike’s Joga Bonita campaign ‘ 3 brazilians… is all you need’

PLAY IN CHILDCARE - A BETTER IMAGE… ‘ When you were a kid, it was easy. You were not afraid to try, to dare… you do it, just because you like it… My advice to you is: Never grow up’ (Nike - Soga Bonita) 2.2 Play is a behaviour which is: Freely Chosen - that children choose WHAT they do, themselves. Personally Directed - that children choose HOW they do something. Intrinsically Motivated - that children choose WHY they do something: that children ’s play is performed for no external goal or reward. Rationale for a National Play Policy for Wales, 2002

PLAY IN CHILDCARE - A BETTER IMAGE… Grown-up Playfulness - a huge market Young Dad David Cameron … in his Converses Rejuveniles The Sultan’s Elephant

PLAY IN CHILDCARE - A BETTER IMAGE… The Sultan’s Elephant

PLAY IN CHILDCARE - A BETTER IMAGE… Leisure now biggest item in family expenditure Disenchantment with ‘work ethic’ growing Childcare occupies strange space… Does it support the ‘quality-of-life’ agenda… Or undermine it? How should childcare sector situate itself to these changes in public ethics and value?

Leisure now biggest item in family expenditure

Disenchantment with ‘work ethic’ growing

Childcare occupies strange space…

Does it support the ‘quality-of-life’ agenda…

Or undermine it?

How should childcare sector situate itself

to these changes in public ethics and value?

PLAY IN CHILDCARE - A BETTER IMAGE… How does play figure in your adult life? How exactly does the childcare sector contribute to happiness and wellbeing? Two questions to consider for five minutes…

PLAY IN CHILDCARE - A BETTER REALITY… BERNIE DE KOVEN’S DEEP FUN Consultant to corporations in US Do playworkers do this? How do you think this ‘plays’ to the outside world? How does/should a ‘qualified playworker’ behave with other care professionals? Link to ‘rollover’

PLAY IN CHILDCARE - A BETTER REALITY… BERNIE DE KOVEN’S ‘New Games Movement’ Win-lose model of “quality assurance through playing games”

PLAY IN CHILDCARE - A BETTER REALITY… BERNIE DE KOVEN’S DEEP FUN Win-lose model of “quality assurance through playing games”

PLAY IN CHILDCARE - A BETTER REALITY… BERNIE DE KOVEN’S DEEP FUN

PLAY IN CHILDCARE - A BETTER REALITY… BERNIE DE KOVEN’S DEEP FUN

PLAY IN CHILDCARE - A BETTER REALITY… Lego Serious Play How far could the ‘professionalisation’ of playwork go?

PLAY IN CHILDCARE - A BETTER REALITY… Like social work - distinct nature of the practice of playwork/serious play has to be recognised, not reduced to ‘health’ or ‘education’ or ‘arts’ Can we find better name than “playwork”? Play practitioner? Social player? Playmaker? Ludologist? Don’t forget how important and civilising play is in all our lives - adult and child…

Like social work - distinct nature of the practice of playwork/serious play has to be recognised, not reduced to ‘health’ or ‘education’ or ‘arts’

Can we find better name than “playwork”?

Play practitioner? Social player?

Playmaker? Ludologist?

Modern Play as progress – we adapt and develop through play Play as selfhood – play as an expression of voluntary freedom Play as imaginary – play as symbolic transformation, mental energy Ancient Play as power – we contest and compete with others – in sports and games, in theatres of power Play as identity – the play-forms we use to confirm membership in a community – carnival, ritual, festival Play as fate and chaos – the sense that we are played by forces greater than ourselves, not accessible to reason Play as frivolity – play as laughter, subversion, tomfoolery Brian Sutton-Smith - the seven rhetorics of play