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Portsmouth City Council; Portsmouth; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

Portsmouth City Council is seeking a Deputy Playground Manager to support the Play, Youth & Community service. The role is permanent, with 30 hours per week on an annualised hours contract, including weekends and evenings.

You will help run adventure playgrounds for children aged 6-13, oversee staff, resources, health and safety, and safeguarding, and deputise for the Playground Manager as needed. Training and opportunities to contribute to a vibrant community setting are provided.

Qualifications

• Strong communication skills with the ability to adapt communication to different ages and backgrounds.
• Knowledge and experience of safeguarding procedures with a contextual focus.
• Willingness to bring personal interests and skills to enrich play opportunities for children.
• Empathic, inquisitive and creative approach to engaging with children and families.
• Ability to build positive, respectful relationships while maintaining professional boundaries.

Responsibilities

• Support the Playground Manager in day-to-day running of the playground, including staff oversight and health & safety.
• Deputise for the Playground Manager in their absence and manage the site when required.
• Deliver and engage children, young people and families in diverse play activities.
• Ensure quality service delivery and participate in meetings as the site representative.

Skills

Strong communication

Safeguarding knowledge

Relational & restorative practice

Flexibility

Teamwork

Numeracy and IT skills

Job description

This is a fantastic opportunity to join our brilliant Play, Youth & Community service as one of our Deputy Playground Managers! The role is permanent, and 30 hours per weekon an annualised hours contract usually working a rota between 18 and 37 hours per week including weekends and evenings.

About Adventure Playgrounds in Portsmouth:

There are six adventure playgrounds in Portsmouth, offering play opportunities to children aged 6-13 years old. Adventure playgrounds are unique spaces where children can play in ways that they often can't elsewhere, engaging in the full range of play types and exploring risk, physical and psychological experiences. Adventure playgrounds are staffed by skilled playworkers, who are there to support children's play, not direct it. Whilst all six playgrounds in Portsmouth fit the above description of adventure playgrounds, they are all quite different with unique personalities in response to their local communities.

Playworkers are committed to promoting the welfare of children through robust safeguarding with a contextual focus. For further information on Portsmouth City Council's adventure playgrounds please see the attached Adventure Playground Brief.

Your new role

In this exciting role you will support the Playground Manager in the day-to-day running of the playground, including oversight of staff, resources, site, health and safety and safeguarding. You'll also deputise for the Playground Manager in the absence, being the site responsible person, managing staff, attending meetings and ensuring quality service delivery. You'll deliver and engage children, young people and families in rich and varied play opportunities. For the full list of what this role will involve please see the job profile attached at the bottom of this page!

Who is the person?

You need:

• Strong communication skills with the ability to adapt communication consistent with different levels of understanding, culture, background and preferences.
• Have safeguarding knowledge and experience to promote the welfare of children through robust safeguarding procedures with a contextual focus.
• A willingness to bring your own interests, skills, experiences and personality to enrich the play opportunities for children and young people.
• An empathic, inquisitive, and creative approach to engaging and working with children and young people as part of a small team.
• The ability to build positive, respectful relationships with children, young people and their families whilst maintaining professional boundaries.
• The skills to use relational and restorative practice, recognising that children communicate with a range of different behaviours and having an awareness of your own limitations.
• Knowledge and understanding of play and playwork, reflective practice and the importance of risk in play.
• The ability to meet the physical and mental demands of the role, acknowledging that the role can be as challenging as it is rewarding.
• The ability to deliver and engage children, young people and families in rich and varied play opportunities.
• To be approachable and interested in the children and their world, using relational authenticity to support this.
• To be able to work under pressure and manage conflict.
• High level numeracy, literacy and IT skills.
• To be able to work flexibly throughout the week, including on Saturdays and throughout school holidays across the service.

The following would be desirable:

• A recognised playwork qualification.
• A clean, full driving licence.
• Carpentry and structure building skills to support child led self-build projects.
• Relevant specialist skills for example sports, arts, crafts, carpentry and structure building, additional language(s), alternative communication systems, a Food Hygiene certificate.

About Portsmouth City Council

Portsmouth City Council is a unique organisation, committed to making a difference, and is guided by core values that set who we are as people, what we stand for, and how we act.

We are committed to our values of respect, integrity,

collaboration, inclusivity and being people‑focussed. These values set out how we can contribute to the success of the council and our own success as individuals.

Learn more about our values and behaviours.

Our recruitment process

Full information about our recruitment process can be found on our support for applicants' page:

Support for applicants - Careers portal

You must demonstrate why you are suitable against each of the points described in the '

Who is the Person'points on the Job Profile using examples from your experience or transferable skills. This might be through qualifications or descriptive examples from your work / personal experience, which clearly illustrates what you did and the effect it had.

If you apply without a detailed personal statement, it is unlikely that you will be successful.

We are a disability confident employer and Armed Forces Covenant gold standard. More information can be found at

Equality, diversity and inclusion - Careers portal

You will need to demonstrate that you have the Right to Work in the UK. No post will be offered without it.

Read more about working at Portsmouth City Council and our benefits on our career's portal homepage:

Careers Portal - Find jobs with Portsmouth City Council

Portsmouth City Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, and young people, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Every post is subject to PCC and Portsmouth Safeguarding Children Partnership safer recruitment procedures.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) at Standard/Enhanced level will be required prior to any offer of employment and this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Please read the relevant DBS privacy notice before submitting any information.

You will need to explain any gaps in your career history within the last 5 years - this is essential for all safeguarding roles.

If you need additional support looking for roles, you may be eligible for help under our Connect to Work programme, for more information please visit

Connect to Work - Portsmouth City Council