To think this can't be true about play centres?

[JamesMiddletonsMarshmallows]

Seen this this morning on Facebook from a trampoline park/soft play centre - surely it can't be true? Too many safeguarding issues - My kids are 5 and 8 and I wouldn't leave them alone inside a play centre. I'd sit in the cafe/seating area and look out for them but parents can't possibly be expected to leave their 4+ year olds (they clarify in the comments that it only applies to kids 4 and over) alone?

@halcyondays

Staff at a day nursery and in a care home may also be on minimum wage, this doesn’t mean they’re not responsible enough to look after those in their care.

I'm quoting because I was just about to make a very similar point. The amount they are getting paid doesn't mean they won't be responsible.

Also dbs and safeguarding is the same regardless of their job. They will have had the same level of checks and undertaken the same courses as many working with children in other settings.

I don’t think I would send a 4 year old, but probably would my 6 yr old.

More details would be needed, like what the maximum numbers for each session would be, number of staff supervising, I imagine they would have a signing in and out policy with contact details of parent.

If the numbers and ratios are fine I would have no problem.

You keep changing from soft play centre to trampoline park, which is it @JamesMiddletonsMarshmallows

[quote JamesMiddletonsMarshmallows]@Plumbear2 no need whatsoever to be rude. A cafe is not the same as a centre where small children will need supervision. And you could argue, if cafes won't let only children in, why should soft play centres?[/quote]
I'm not being rude. Just pointing g out that cafes are not permitted to seat indoors. Also you are not permitted to meet indoors so obviously parents carnt wait in cafe space. The lack of understanding of current restrictions is staggering.

I would think having staff supervise the children will be a lot safer than having parents supervise. In my experience at least half the parents when you go to soft-play/ trampoline parks etc aren’t watching their kids, they’re chatting with friends or looking at their phones or reading a book etc whilst enjoying a coffee. I rarely see parents get up when their kids go to areas out of view from their seat in cafe, in most cases parental supervision is minimal. With staff supervising they will have full attention on the children and there will be clear ratios for children and staff. Children are also more likely to follow rules given by staff than parents, kids tend to run off every there parents can’t see them and get up to all sorts.

Children with SEN are entitled to a carer to enter places with them so I assume that shouldn’t be an issue, but in most cases not letting the parents in actually seems sensible and likely to increase the quality of the supervision, not reduce it.

Can you screenshot the comments, in which you say they clarify the nature of a “supervised” session in order to give us the full picture?

People who run these sorts of venues will have looked very very carefully into all the health and safety and safeguarding implications of this. They are not idiots and the last thing they want is an injured child.

As for 4 year-olds, mine would not go in alone with unknown staff anyway, maybe he would with a friend at a push but I think unlikely and that is fairly normal for kids that age. I think that most parents of younger kids will have this issue unless perhaps sending them in with an older sibling, so probably very few at the younger (and riskier) end of the age bracket will take advantage anyway.

@Scepticalch3rry

I love how the op is conveniently refusing to accept or respond to the posters telling them the fact all staff will have a DBS check.

OP it seems you don't want discussion just people agreeing its awful poor little flowers are expected to go and play in a supervised play space without their parents.

YABU

I accept the fact all staff will have a DBS check.

Happy?

Also dbs and safeguarding is the same regardless of their job. They will have had the same level of checks and undertaken the same courses as many working with children in other settings

You are not seriously suggesting that nursery workers have the same childcare qualifications as softplay floor workers?

That’s just not true.

I teach teenagers and half my sixth form have jobs in local soft play centres as 'play supervisors'.

But this isn't a soft play centre it's a trampoline play centre??

I don’t think it’s the lack of DBS check that’s the issue! It’s just a general musing of how unlikely it is that people will merrily wave their four year old off at the door at a trampoline park.

Yes, this.

I'm just agog at the terrible grammar of that post! "dressed warm"

What!?

@ineedaholidaynow

You keep changing from soft play centre to trampoline park, which is it *@JamesMiddletonsMarshmallows*

Does it matter?

You are not seriously suggesting that nursery workers have the same childcare qualifications as softplay floor workers?

No I'm saying safeguarding training is similar for all jobs involving children. The risk courses will cover broadly the same content.

Yeah I think I probably would do that if my kids wanted to. Dont see the problem. It's just like nursery or school. The people in charge will be dbs checked like anyone else in charge of children. Presumably they have a first aider of some sort in the building now and in normal times, and you're only waiting outside, so they will get to you straight away if needed.
I assume everyone here sends their children to school/childcare of some sort you are aware they don't keep their eyes on them every second of the day, especially in nurseries (where I have worked) kids are allowed to get on with it, and they are younger than 4.

@JamesMiddletonsMarshmallows

I don’t think it’s the lack of DBS check that’s the issue! It’s just a general musing of how unlikely it is that people will merrily wave their four year old off at the door at a trampoline park.

Yes, this.

But as I said above, more likely because the kid would not want to go in without a parent, rather than because it is unsafe for him or her to do so. At 4 my son would want to be able to see me, that is the issue, not me seeing him.

@ineedaholidaynow

You keep changing from soft play centre to trampoline park, which is it *@JamesMiddletonsMarshmallows*

As I've now said three times - there's a level of risk in a trampoline park even if you're helicopter parenting.

But I am always watching my own children, as the next person is always watching theirs.if they do get hurt, or get stuck, or do something they shouldn't, I can be the one to get up and do something about it. Relying on staff who, up until now worked under the rule of 'children must be supervised by parents', to suddenly be responsible for everybody's child, is not workable IMO.

@ineedaholidaynow

You keep changing from soft play centre to trampoline park, which is it *@JamesMiddletonsMarshmallows*

The one in my OP is both. As I said in my OP.

Relying on staff who, up until now worked under the rule of 'children must be supervised by parents', to suddenly be responsible for everybody's child, is not workable IMO.

They have had a long time to re-train them though.

Sounds like this is for a lesson. Even pre pandemic parents weren't encouraged to stay at any of the (billion) extra curricular activities my children do.

But I am always watching my own children, as the next person is always watching theirs.if they do get hurt, or get stuck, or do something they shouldn't, I can be the one to get up and do something about it. Relying on staff who, up until now worked under the rule of 'children must be supervised by parents', to suddenly be responsible for everybody's child, is not workable IMO.

I think you're massively over estimating how much supervision most parents do in these sort of places. The staff will be keeping a more watchful eye as the parents are not there and there will be less children to supervise. It's really not as unsafe as you're making it seem

This is a supervised session right? The staff will absolutely all be trained and DBS checked. Of course the trampoline centre isnt going to take responsibility for a load of kids without having appropriately trained and checked staff

Either way I think you will find most people won't be happy with it and will choose other activities.

I don't really see the problem... these companies are working hard to open and following the government guidelines.

Parents have to risk asses their own situation. If your four year old would be unhappy being left, don't send them... mine would have loved it, even at that age!

I'm not being rude. Just pointing g out that cafes are not permitted to seat indoors.

It was the 'what's so hard to understand' - when I actually hadn't shown that I 'didn't understand' there was no need for that rude and arsey comment.

The lack of understanding of current restrictions is staggering

You're actually staggered that people don't understand rules that keep changing, are inconsistent, make no sense (so from 12th April adults can't congregate in a cafe but children can in a play centre) and are clear as mud. Your staggered by that?

If it’s a specific class, eg 10 kids and a staff member who is responsible for keeping them all together/sensible then yes. I’ve just dropped a 7 year old at a hockey camp, it’s a similar thing. But if it’s normal trampolining with staff monitoring from the sides but no specific responsibility, then no. I once found my (then) 5 year old in the foam pit at trampolining with older kids throwing foam blocks at him so he couldn’t climb out, staff were meant to be watching the pit but we’re just chatting. I was monitoring a younger kid with my back turned and wrongly assumed he’d be ok in a fenced area with staff

@Same4Walls

You are not seriously suggesting that nursery workers have the same childcare qualifications as softplay floor workers?

No I'm saying safeguarding training is similar for all jobs involving children. The risk courses will cover broadly the same content.

That’s not true. The risks in a trampoline park (or softplay, if you want) will risk assess around that specific equipment. The staff won’t get safety training around nappy changing, for example, because they won’t do that.

It’s bizarre to compare softplay staff to nursery staff just because they occasionally look after children.