Relief Early Years Assistant

Royal Mencap Society; Michigan; On-site; USD 34,000 - 42,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

32 days pro rata holiday

Discounts

Health cash plans

Interest-free loans

Job summary

Royal Mencap Society in Belfast is seeking Relief Early Years Assistants to support our Children’s centre and Preschool, delivering care, play and education for 2-6 year olds with developmental delays and complex needs within an inclusive team.

Ideal candidates will have QCF Level 2 in Child Care or Play-work and at least 1 year of experience with under-4s. Interviews are set for 21st and 23rd October 2026; we offer pro-rata holiday, discounts, health plans and other benefits.

Qualifications

• Minimum 1 year of working/lived experience with children aged 0-4.
• Qualified at QCF Level 2 or equivalent in Child Care, Learning and Development or Play-work.
• Knowledge of child development and age-appropriate activities.

Responsibilities

• Assist with the provision of stimulating, caring and therapeutic play within an educational environment.
• Work with multidisciplinary team and Family Support to support learning through play and therapy.
• Support children to reach their full potential in an inclusive setting.

Skills

Experience with under-4s

Child care basics

Education

QCF Level 2 in Child Care / Learning & Development or Play-work

Job description

Do you have a passion for making a difference to the lives of young people with a learning disability?We are looking dedicated Relief Early Years Assistants to work across our Children centre and Preschool.

Mencap Early years provision provides a programme of play, care and education for 2-6 year olds with significant developmental delay and/or complex medical needs.

We are recruiting for three Relief Early Years Assistants in Belfast . These are relief posts, with hours offered on an as and when required basis to support the needs of the service.

What you will do as an Relief Early Years Assistant?

Assist with the provision of a stimulating, caring and therapeutic play within an educational environment

Working alongside the multi-disciplinary team, other professionals and Family Support team offering care and learning through play and therapy opportunities to ensure each child can reach their full potential.

The job requires a passionate and caring individual who will work as part of the Early years team to provide a stimulating environment to the children we support.

Do you have the skills and experience to be an Relief Early Years Assistant?

Ideally you will have a qualification at QCF Level 2 or equivalent in Child Care, Learning and Development or Play-work

Relevant occupational qualification and Knowledge of Child development and age appropriate activities.

We would prefer candidates with a minimum of 1 year working/lived experience with children aged 0-4 and their families.

Further information about the role can be found in the job description.

Interviews will be heldWednesday 21st October & Friday 23rd October 2026.

Here at Mencap, we offer an impressive range of benefits designed to support and reward our employees to ensure that our teams feel valued and appreciated. Our benefits package offers 32 days of paid holiday (including bank holidays, pro rata), along with a range of perks such as discounts at leading high-street retailers, access to health cash plans, interest-free loans, and many more exciting offerings. For more details on what we have to offer, please see the attached document outlining all the fantastic benefits available to you as a member of our team!

About Mencap

Our vision is for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives.We're here to support people with a learning disability, their families and their carers. We fight for a kinder, fairer and more inclusive society for people with a learning disability to live in.At Mencap, everyone works with people with a learning disability either providing support or advice, or alongside one another as colleagues.

Belonging at Mencap is for everyone, every day, everywhere.

• Everyone is expected to treat people well and make Mencap an inclusive organisation.
• Every day we grow and learn. It’s okay to make mistakes but we learn from them and make changes
• Everywhere people will feel respected, valued, and safe to be themselves.

We have Belonging network groups that meet online and are open to all colleagues. The groups include people who identify as Black and Asian, LGBTQIA+, disabled or with a long- term health condition, women, parents and carers, and their allies.

We want to encourage everyone to apply to work at Mencap and we offer a variety of different contract types and working patterns. We’re not looking for specific experience. It is your personality and values that will make you a great colleague. We will train and develop you to succeed in the role you’re applying for.

£25,577 per annum, pro-rata + excellent benefits

£29,280 - £31,623 per annum (dependent on qualifications)