Recreation Assistant

Southwark Council; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 32,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

Southwark Council is seeking a Recreation Assistant for Southwark Leisure to help keep customers safe at our centres and deliver excellent service. You will guard pools, help with cleaning and running activities, and assist with events, with a 36-hour week on a rotating shift pattern that includes evenings and weekends.

We offer training programmes that support individual development and potential progression to management roles within a lively, diverse leisure environment.

Qualifications

• You must be a strong swimmer with excellent customer service skills.
• UK recognised RLSS lifeguard qualification.
• Understanding of health and safety legislation.
• Excellent verbal communication; able to correct behaviour where necessary.
• High standard of physical fitness; approachable manner.

Responsibilities

• Lifeguarding and ensuring pool safety at all times.
• Cleaning assigned areas and setting up/breaking down activities and events.
• Conduct pool testing according to procedures.
• Work a 36-hour week across rotating shifts including evenings and weekends.

Skills

UK lifeguard RLSS

Health and safety knowledge

Verbal communication

Physical fitness

Approachable nature

Job description

We are passionate about delivering the best customer service and getting our community active. Every team member plays their part, working within a diverse and dynamic team in a fast-paced environment.

We are the largest local authority social landlord in London, managing 55,000 homes lived in by 40% of Southwark’s residents. We are home to over 18,300 businesses including iconic London venues and social enterprises and we have a young, diverse and growing population.

At Southwark we are committed to making our borough just and fair and are taking positive action to tackle inequalities.Our residents and communities are our greatest asset and the passion we have for Southwark is shared by millions of Londoners who enjoy our outstanding cultural offer, use our hospitals and attend our universities. Our refreshed borough plan and focus on Southwark Stands Together, (which is our work with Southwark’s communities and the council’s staff to tackle racism, injustice and inequality) underpins all that we do.

Recreation Assistants have one of the most important jobs at our centres, and that is keeping our customers safe in and around the water.

Southwark Leisure Recreation Assistants also perform a number of other duties in addition to lifeguarding, such as cleaning assigned areas, setting up and breaking down various activities and events and conducting pool testing according to procedures. You will work a 36 hour week across varying rotated pattern of shifts, which will require some evening and weekend work.

If you are interested in a career in leisure, Southwark Leisure also has fantastic training programmes that can lead to management positions, with a real focus on individual development.

What We're Looking For

About You

In order to be considered for a Recreation Assistant position at Southwark leisure, you need to be a strong swimmer, and have excellent customer service skills. You should also have:

• A UK recognised pool lifeguard qualification (RLSS)
• Understanding of relevant health and safety legislation
• Excellent verbal communication skills, including the ability to appropriately correct behaviour of pool users where necessary
• A high standard of physical fitness
• Confidence and an approachable nature

Additional Information

Application Closing Date: 02 November 2026

Interview Date: 11 November 2026

As part of our commitment to inclusion, we offer guaranteed interviews for specific groups of people. To qualify, you'll need to meet the minimum requirements for the role, and identify with one of the below criteria:

• Members of the Armed Forces and veterans
• Are currently in care, or have previously been in care
• If you consider yourself to be disabled or if you have a long-term health condition

We are an organisation who is passionate about our people and understands that richness of diversity is a requirement to provide the best possible services to our communities. This is demonstrated through our council-wide ambitious commitment to tackle racial inequality in our communities and workforce through our Southwark Stands Together initiative. We particularly welcome applications from members of the black, Asian and ethnic minority communities to increase representation at senior management level in the Council.

Salary Range (Full time equivalent) £31,668 - £33,993