Title, commencement and application

1.-(1) The title of these Regulations is the Play Sufficiency Assessment (Wales) Regulations 2012 and they come into force on 2 November 2012.

(2) These Regulations apply in relation to Wales.

Interpretation

2.-(1) In these Regulations-

"the Measure" ("y Mesur") means the Children and Families (Wales) Measure 2010;

"assessment" ("asesiad") means the assessment carried out by a local authority under section 11(1) of the Measure;

"local authority area" ("ardal awdurdod lleol") means that geographical area for which a local authority has responsibility;

"open space" ("man agored") means any land laid out as a public garden, or used for the purposes of public recreation;

"play" ("chwarae") is defined in section 11(6) of the Measure;

"play event" ("digwyddiad chwarae") means any event held in public for the purpose of promoting play;

"sufficient" ("digonol") is defined in section 11(6) of the Measure.

(2) In these Regulations, the age ranges are-

(a)ages 3 and under;

(b)ages 4 - 7;

(c)ages 8 - 12;

(d)ages 13 - 15;

(e)ages 16 - 17.

Matters to be contained in the assessment

3. A local authority must take the following matters into account when assessing the sufficiency of play opportunities within its local authority area-

(a)the number of children in respect of each age range within its area;

(b)the needs of children from different cultures and backgrounds within its area;

(c)the space where children can play, including-

(i)open space, and

(ii)any other space;

(d)supervised play provision, including-

(i)leisure centres,

(ii)adventure playgrounds,

(iii)holiday play schemes,

(iv)clubs and youth groups,

(v)mobile provision, and

(vi)any other supervised play provision;

(e)whether there is a charge for play provision and where there is a charge, the amount of any such charge;

(f)the measures that are used to promote access to play, including-

(i)traffic calming and safe street schemes,

(ii)pedestrian routes,

(iii)cycle routes,

(iv)public transport,

(v)parking,

(vi)opening hours of play provision,

(vii)advertisement of play provision,

(viii)any play events;

(g)the play work force-

(i)play workers,

(ii)play volunteers,

(iii)training opportunities for the play work force,

(iv)qualification levels of the play work force;

(h)the level of community engagement and participation including-

(i)youth groups,

(ii)school councils,

(iii)school governing bodies,

(iv)community groups;

(i)the extent to which other policies of a local authority take into account the need to enhance play opportunities for children.

Consultation

4. In preparing the assessment, a local authority must consult such-

(a)children,

(b)parents(2),

(c)individuals and organisations with an interest in play,

as the local authority considers appropriate.

Action Plan

5.-(1) Each assessment prepared by a local authority must include an action plan.

(2) Where an assessment identifies-

(a)an insufficiency in play opportunities for children in the local authority area, the action plan must set out what steps need to be taken to improve the opportunities for children to play within that local authority area, or

(b)that opportunities for children to play in the local authority area are sufficient, the action plan must set out what steps need to be taken to maintain opportunities for children to play within that local authority area.

Timing of the Assessment

6.-(1) A local authority must complete its first assessment within 4 months of the coming into force of these Regulations.

(2) Following a first assessment a local authority must complete an assessment every 3 years.

(3) The 3 years referred to in paragraph (2) runs from the date on which the first assessment must be completed.

(4) A local authority must send a copy of the assessment to the Welsh Ministers.

Publication

7. A local authority must publish a summary of the results of the assessment on its website.

8. A local authority must deposit a summary of the results of the assessment in such public libraries, leisure centres, schools and other places as it considers appropriate.

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations which are made under section 11(1) of the Children and Families (Wales) Measure 2010 (local authority duties in respect of play opportunities for children) set out the required content of a local authority's assessment of the sufficiency of play opportunities in its area (regulation 3). The Regulations set out the individuals and groups that a local authority must consult (regulation 4). There is also a requirement for an action plan to be prepared as part of the assessment by each local authority (regulation 5). The Regulations provide for the frequency of the assessments (regulation 6), and the manner in which the results of the assessments must be published (regulations 7 and 8).