There are many advantages for Bath & North East Somerset Council in having a functioning play policy:

consistency of principles - a play policy identifies an agreed set of principles and definitions about play and its value for children's well-being and development.

focus on children - a play policy provides the context in which the focus can be shifted from existing institutions and practice to the needs of children, creating the possibility of change, innovation and long term development.

transparency - a play policy clarifies the purposes of provision for providers, service users, funders and regulators.

local commitment - the process of creating a policy unlocks local interest and energy and creates commitment to services; children, parents and local communities get involved.

a necessary first step - a play policy is the essential prerequisite for identifying service objectives and planning strategies.

a basis for quality - quality has no meaning unless it is related to the specified purposes of the services and provision; the purposes are themselves justified in the terms of the policy.

a foundation for safety practice - without the framework of a policy, and practice which is derived from it, providers will have difficulty in determining what is appropriate safety practice and in demonstrating that they have acted reasonably where negligence becomes an issue.

a framework for the allocation of resources - a play policy provides the rationale for an allocation of resources which can be explained and justified both in relation to competing claims from other services and to the public.  Children benefit from expenditure being more accurately targeted on their needs and wishes.

consistency between training and practice - the commitment to common principles specified in the play policy provides the link between service and practice development locally and the national standards for playwork education and training and the professional development of playworkers.