Using quality assurance for funding success - Play England

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Quality in Play Quality in Play is not just a quality assurance scheme – it is also a framework for analysis and development to help with sustainability in times of increasing competition for funding. Funders and commissioners are increasingly looking for evidence of need and outcomes that fit within their priorities. These may not be specifically about play, as they could be about support for children and families, or increasing access to natural environments or creating better neighbourhoods. Quality in Play can help you demonstrate how your provision fits wider funding priorities and how you will use the money to make a real difference. It will also show that you have good management systems in place and how you fit into the bigger picture of your local community. Quality in Play is divided into three sections based on the Manchester Circles model, showing how the physical environment, staff and organisational framework supports children in their play, and how you connect with the wider community and respond to local needs. It also helps make the case for children engaging in play as a good outcome in itself. It also contributes to other outcomes, like better physical and mental health through physical activity and being with friends, and improved community cohesion. Evidence of how play can contribute to a range of other outcomes can be found in the resources listed at the end of this briefing. ‘For us as a funding body, QiP helps the team give evidence of their practice.’ Healthy Borough Team officer ‘QiP provides a measure to judge services against and aids developing quality provision. It helps to make the argument at different levels for support for play and for the services by helping make links with other agencies. [Our] play centre had a good Ofsted report in response to good practice developed through QiP. It helps when trying to get funding.’ Local authority play service manager * What is Quality in Play? Quality in Play is a quality assurance system for play providers to help supervised school age play and childcare provision in the voluntary, public and private sectors to improve their policy and practice in supporting children’s play.
‘Say what you do, and do what you say’ Through a ‘cycle of commitment’ (planning > action > review) Quality in Play helps you to: • be clear about what it is you offer to children and families • show how you work within the Playwork Principles and provide an accessible and inclusive service • effectively communicate this to the community, funders and other agencies • demonstrate that your policies and practice are up to date and focus on delivery • show that you are using a tried and tested evaluation tool • focus on outcomes (the difference you make) as well as outputs (what you do) and inputs (the money and resources you use). Section 1 of the Quality in Play manual: The play environment The quality areas in this section link the child’s right and need to play to how you develop the physical and human play environments. It helps to make the case for how a play project can meet funding priorities, including those that are not specifically about play. Most funders want to support disadvantaged children and families, and will often ask how you involve them in your service planning and delivery. Section 2: The organisational framework This section places reflective practice and workforce development within the context of how the law and regulation is interpreted in practice, and covers project and resource management. This helps to show funders that their money will be in safe hands and that there are systems in place to deliver on and protect their investment. Section 3: The wider context This section links your aims and values to twoway communication with the community, other agencies and the bigger picture of how you support children and families in your area. Funders and commissioners increasingly want ‘Our funders are more impressed with what we do; we can explain our achievements and make them more aware of what we offer and why we do it.’ Playworker ‘One of the strengths for me has been the ability to say on funding bids: “we have QiP”. Some of the bigger trusts and foundations have asked: “do you have a quality assurance certificate?” So it is very helpful to be able to say yes.’ Playworker ‘Now we are known in the community for being a good provider, we are oversubscribed.’ Local authority playscheme coordinator ‘Parents and children are happier, we provide more of what they want, and we link to other play services in the area, like the adventure playground and the city farm. We also organised our own fun days where we get the whole family involved. It raised awareness of what we do and helped us promote our service.’ Playworker to know how you are responding to real community needs and how you can evidence this. They also want to see how you network with other agencies and funders, not least because very few funders will cover all the costs of your service.
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Using quality assurance for funding success - Play England

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