As a play provider, you will need to take out insurance cover that meets your needs. In particular, public liability insurance is essential for any play space; and providers that use staff are required to hold employer’s liability insurance. Providers should review their insurance arrangements regularly.

There are insurance companies that specialise in covering both staffed and unstaffed play provision. Insurance brokers can arrange cover to meet a range of requirements.

Experienced, trained playground inspectors may also offer advice about the most appropriate insurance for your project.

If you have a play association in your area, they should be able to offer advice on insurance or you should contact your local authority.

There may be opportunities for providers to come together under an umbrella scheme to spread the financial risk. Organisations like the County Playing Fields Association and the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) have schemes to support small and voluntary organisations. Please note that some of these schemes may require you to be a member of the relevant organisation.

But there’s no need be scared of tackling these issues. In fact, relatively few claims are made in respect of play provision, and there are even fewer cases of courts finding play providers negligent. Bear this in mind in any discussion about premiums, levels of cover and additional conditions.

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