Commission Website: National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention
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Submission to National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention from
Child Accident Prevention Foundation of Australia
Under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), children in detention have the right to 'Rest & Play'. The main focus of this submission is to promote the services of the NSW Playground Advisory Unit in order to support these rights.
'The Convention rights of the child to rest, play, recreational activities and to participate in cultural and artistic life are vital for the healthy development of the child' (Background Paper 3: Mental Health and Development).
The NSW Playground Advisory Unit is an independent body funded by four Government Departments; Department of Health, Sport and Recreation, Community Services and Education and Training. The Unit is the principal agency for playground safety and development in NSW and aims to increase the number of safe, creative playspaces that comply with safety standards. The Unit comprises of personnel with backgrounds ranging from, Child Development, Landscape Architecture and Horticulture.
The Playground Advisory Unit has the capacity to design playspaces that facilitates 'unstructured activities free from adult direction' as well as participation in 'activities undertaken for pleasure' (Background Paper 3: Mental Health and Development).
BACKGROUND
Play: Its relationship to a healthy life
Play is an essential element of child development, promoting skills for adult life, including social and physical skills. 'Play can relax the child, relieve tensions, help assimilate experiences learnt and help the child function within the family and community' (Background Paper 3: Mental Health and Development).
Play is vital to the well being of all children, helping them develop physical, social and cognitive skills as well as enabling them to explore their environment. Children learn through play, how to problem solve, resolve conflict and discover their limitations (Roberts, 1993). Participation in play helps children develop coordination and positive attitudes that are likely to be maintained later in life.
The impact from a lack of play facilities for children in detention emphasises the need for provision of appropriate play environments that are safe and accessible for all children. This need is even more dramatic for children detained over long periods of time, particularly those who have fled from war torn countries and those suffering from deprivation of human rights.
Also of concern is the significant increase in obesity amongst children living in Australia. Dr Michael Booth (Centre for the Advancement of Adolescent Health, Children's Hospital at Westmead) has stated that children who begin recreational activity early in life will maintain this activity later in their life. He has also stated that one of the key factors for those who seek to be active is a physical and social environment, which is pleasant, safe and offers a wide range of opportunities to be active for all age groups.
The primary consideration of the NSW Playground Advisory Unit is to ensure all playspace designs are fully compliant with the current Australian Playground Standards. The Unit conducts one & two day training workshops regarding the existing Standards across NSW to all groups and agencies and also conducts Safety Audits of existing playspaces. Our playspace design service has provided Concept Plans for numerous organisations and groups including Emu Plains Correctional Centre (this playspace was designed for the children who live in the correctional centre with their mothers), the Children's Hospital at Westmead and the Ashfield Infants Home, Sydney (refer to appendices). Design of a true and meaningful play environment incorporates areas for the four basic types of play; active, passive, social and creative.
The Playground Advisory Unit is the only organisation of its kind and is coordinated from Kidsafe NSW. Kidsafe is an independent, non-profit organisation dedicated to preventing unintentional death and injury to children. At present approximately 5,000 Australian children are injured and one child dies each day! Injury has now overtaken disease to become the most significant health risk to Australian children in the one to nine year age bracket.
Our Submission Aim:
The aim of our submission is to offer our services and provide expert advice on appropriate play facilities and applicable Australian Standards for the design of play and recreation areas as they apply to detention facility design throughout Australia.
'There must be adequate and appropriate spaces and equipment to facilitate play and physical activity by children with disabilities in immigration detention' (Background Paper 5: Prevention, Treatment and Accommodation of Disabilities). Areas within the playspace can be incorporated to facilitate screening and assessment of children with disabilities by the relevant health professionals. The Playground Advisory Unit has a Paediatric Occupational Therapist within the team who can also provide the appropriate advice regarding consideration for the provision of spaces for children with disabilities.
There are many considerations that designers of children's playspaces must be aware of including, equipment height, undersurfacing and design for access by particular age groups of children. The Playground Advisory Unit provides this advice on a daily basis across NSW, averaging 100 initial telephone contacts per month.
How does Australia meet its commitments to child detainees under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)?
At present children are detained in facilities within Australia that do not provide the appropriate opportunities for 'Rest and Play'. All children require participation in play and self-expression activities to foster healthy development. The NSW Playground Advisory Unit can offer support and advice regarding the provision of these facilities. The cost of this support can be negotiated depending on the level of support required.
For further information please contact:
Margaret Cavanangh
Program Manager
Playground Advisory Unit of NSW
KidsafePhone: 02 9845 0890
Fax: 02 9845 0895
Last Updated 22 October 2002.
