Are we really playworkers? The playwork narratives of two early intervention and prevention practitioners

Abstract

This article focuses on the work of two practitioners who deliver wraparound playgroups in a Communities for Children (CfC) programme in Queensland, Australia. Playgroups are used as a universal, soft entry tool, providing space for wraparound services to be offered to families in a non-stigmatised way. The practitioners who staff this playgroup draw on multiple knowledge bases to enact their practice and to situate the playgroup as an early intervention and prevention tool. The authors describe their encounter with playwork philosophy and research that deepened their understanding and capacity to articulate their practice. In the Australian context there is limited knowledge about playwork practice. However, as this article demonstrates, understanding about playwork practice has contributed to practitioners' understandings about their own work, and subsequently improved support to children and families that allows this strengths-based approach to work and thus, to give maximum support to the children and families who attend.