Play Assistant

Havens Hospices; Thundersley; On-site; GBP 10,000 - 25,000; Part time

Job summary

A children's care charity is seeking a part-time Play Specialist to lead engaging and inclusive play activities tailored to children, especially those with special educational needs. This role entails creating a nurturing environment, supporting families, and planning tailored play sessions. Candidates should have a childcare qualification and experience in children's palliative care. The position requires flexibility to work evenings and weekends, fostering a positive atmosphere for children and young people.

Qualifications

• Experience of working with children with disabilities.
• Experience of planning, evaluating and facilitating play sessions.

Responsibilities

• Plan and lead play activities that support emotional and social wellbeing.
• Create a safe environment for children to express themselves.
• Support parents to engage and strengthen early bonds.
• Assist in identifying children's developmental needs through assessments.

Skills

Competent in keyboard and IT skills

Children's palliative care experience

Experience in the Charity Sector

Ability to Swim

Education

Childcare qualification at level 3 or above

Key skills level 2 in literacy and numeracy

Job description

Are you passionate about creating fun, meaningful experiences for children and young people? We're looking for someone who can help plan, lead, and support play and activity sessions that are engaging, inclusive, and tailored to each child's age, needs, and background--especially those with special educational needs (SEN).

This is a part time role, 16 hours per week. Candidates would need to be available for shifts across Monday to Sunday, and be available during evenings, weekends and bank holidays, on a rostered basis.

Main duties of the job

In this role, you'll be at the heart of creating positive, meaningful experiences for children, young people, and their families. Your key responsibilities will include:

• Planning and leading play activities that promote emotional, social, and developmental wellbeing.
• Creating a safe, inclusive, and nurturing environment where children and young people feel supported and empowered to express themselves.
• Supporting parents and carers to build confidence in engaging and playing with their child, helping to strengthen those vital early bonds.
• You'll also contribute to play assessments, helping to identify the individual developmental and emotional needs of each child. Working closely with other professionals, you'll assist in the planning and delivery of tailored play programmes that form part of each child's wider holistic care.

About us

At Havens Hospices, we care for children, young people and adults with complex or incurable conditions. Our specialist Care Teams can support them and their family living throughout illness, death and bereavement in the comfort of their own home and through our hospice services, Fair Havens and Little Havens.

Working at Havens Hospices allows you to give the gift of time to patients and families, creating memories. Although you may not be giving direct care to our patients, your contribution will have an immediate effect on our care services.

In return for your expertise and passion, you will receive a competitive salary package, and most of all, by making the most of every day you work at Havens Hospices you'll be helping us continue 'Making every day count' for those who need us most.

At Havens Hospices we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our employees and patients and expect all colleagues to share this commitment.

We value diversity and welcome applications from all sections of the community.

Job responsibilities

• Help to provide an environment in which play always occurs naturally.
• Help to provide an attractive, child-orientated environment including the Children and Young Peoples own work.
• Encourage play to maintain the child/young persons link with family and home and to help the child/young person to adjust to the hospice situation.
• Facilitate active play for children with special needs
• Provide appropriate play that promotes growth and development (social, emotional, physical, and cognitive)
• Help familiarise children and young people with unfamiliar surroundings to reduce stress and anxiety.
• Assist the Play Therapist in supporting children/young people who are experiencing death and bereavement helping children and young people to understand and explore grief and loss through play.
• Encourage parents/carers, siblings, and all members of staff to participate in play.
• Ensure that a range of activities are available for other staff to utilise in the absence of the play specialist
• Observe and assess the child/young persons anxieties and communicate these to the appropriate staff.
• Establish effective communication with all members of the multidisciplinary team.
• Contribute to the written care plan of each child/young person and document interventions in the child/young persons records.

Person Specification

Skills

• Competent in keyboard and IT skills, using Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams and Outlook,
• Children's palliative care and end of life experience
• Experience of working in the Charity Sector
• Ability to Swim

Experience

• Childcare qualification at level 3 or above (qualification levels)
• Key skills level 2 in literacy and numeracy, or equivalent
• Experience of working with children with disabilities
• Experience of planning, evaluating and facilitating play sessions.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

£24,465 a year£10,523.73 pro-rata per annum.