BACKGROUND & HISTORY OF INTERPLAY
Interplay is an organisation aiming to redress a small part of
our society's inequality which has devalued people because of the label
that they carry of "special needs". Interplay aims to provide equal
play and leisure opportunities for young people in the City and County
of Swansea and the County Borough of Neath Port Talbot area who have
been labelled. These opportunities should be within the local community
so that it fosters inclusion. The integration and eventual inclusion
into play and leisure can be both in existing activities and in some
cases in activities initiated by Interplay and integrated from the
start.
Interplay was started as a summer play project under the NCH
organisation. It involved a segregated provision becoming integrated by
involving siblings, then friends and finally other local young people.
The idea of moving young people with disabilities into their local
playschemes was then acted on. A pattern of supporting integration by
employing additional workers for the schemes was started. These workers
were not employed as care workers for the children with special needs
but as extra support workers to help the scheme integrate and accept
all children. The core funding for Interplay was transferred to the
joint management by West Glamorgan Council for Voluntary Services and
West Glamorgan Play Association with CVS taking the main financial
management and Play Association adding their expertise in the area of
children's play.
In addition to direct services Interplay provides:
- Development work to identify needs and establish new projects.
- Training - for disability awareness and good practice for workers
in both counties.
- Supervision and support or students on placement, from work
experience through to post graduate qualifications (Social Work Degree
etc..)
- Networking with other play providers throughout Wales and the U.K.
- Development of new play and inclusion training packages.
- Monitoring, advising and facilitating other local initiatives
about the inclusion process.
