Useful publications and documents

• API Directory of Members 
  2009/10 Directory of Members also includes useful articles:
  Inspiring Play for 25 years; Changing times for the indoor sector; Inspection and maintenance.
  

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• Ensuring Best Delivery: A Practical Guide for Local Authorities
  The Guide aims to suppor and steer LA's in their implementation of the Government's National Play Strategy. By offering a series of practical tips, the API hopes the Guide will help to eliminate the problems LA's faced during Wave One as delivery of WaveTwo begins.
  

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•  API Technical Guide to Playground Layout & Design  
  The guidance given in this document has been formulated as a result of a design conference held by the API.  Amongst other issues, there was general concern that current procurement methods were leading designers to locate equipment items as tightly together as possible to reduce costs.
  

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• Design for Play - A guide to creating successful play spaces
  Published by Play England, DCSF and DCMS this document is a aspirational guide to creating inspirational play spaces.
  

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• Managing risk in play provision: Implementation guide
  Play England and government departments leading on play have published guidance which helps providers to strike a balance between the risks and benefits of offering children challenging play opportunities.
  

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• Inspection and Maintenance
  In recent months the API has received a steady number of calls from authorities and commercial play providers in regards to how they are expected to deal with the inspection and maintenance of natural play spaces and natural play features such as boulders and tree trunks.
  

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• HSE Statement
  The API and the RPII have approached the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) on behalf of its members with regard to the HSE's position on health and safety law as it relates to children's play and the creation of natural play spaces.
  

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• Planning and Design for Outdoor Sport and Play
  This guidance aims to support those responsible for developing, delivering and maintaining innovative natural play spaces into parks and play spaces.
  

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• Planning and Design for Outdoor Sport and Play
  Published by Fields in Trust, formerly the National Playing Fields Association.
  It supersedes all previous editions of 'The Six Acre Standard', the last of which was published in 2001.
  
  

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• Play for a change - Play, Policy and Practice: A review of contemporary perspectives
  Play England has published a comprehensive review of the evidence underpinning current thinking on play. It provides a detailed analysis of research and literature published since 2001 that underpins contemporary understandings of the importance of play and how this relates to social policy and practice.
  

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• The Politics of Play - The Importance of Play to Children and Wider Society
  This document examines the importance of play to children and also to wider society.  It outlines an action plan which gives the API's views on how to build on the success of the National Play Strategy to ensure that we maximise its potential to improve the health and well-being of all our children.
  

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• An Essential Guide to BSEN 1176 and BSEN 1177 - Children's Playground
  Equipment & Surfacing: updated 2008
  

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• Inspecting the Children's Playground: A Guide for Small Operators: updated for 2008
  
  

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• Useful templates courtesy of Oxford City Council

  Terms and Conditions
  Specification
  Tender Document
  PQQ 

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• The API Guide to Outdoor Play Area Installation This document is currently being updated following the revision of BSEN1176:2008 - all parts 
  

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• API Guide to the Provision of Rubber and Loose Fill Impact Absorbing Surfaces This document is currently being updated due to the revision of BSEN1177:2008.
  
  
  

The Association of Play Industries Federation House Stoneleigh Park Warwickshire CV8 2RF

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