Play Practitioner

**Information**:
**“A smile that says it all.”**:
Here at The Daisy Chain Early Years Project in Glasgow, we provide a caring, welcoming and safe environment for children and families in the Govanhill area. Using a range of activities to promote attachment between parent and child through play, literacy-based activities and creative arts, we can ensure children have the best start in life.

Now’s your opportunity to join us working with children and families. As you’ll work with parents and children, strong communication skills are really important, along with an understanding of some of the issues they may be facing. Our team is close-knit and supportive. Ideally you will have experience of working with children in a community setting.

**Main Function**:
To provide a caring, secure environment through individual attention and group activities and to organise appropriate range of activities for children between the ages of 0 - 14.

**Key Areas**
- Activity Planning
- Liaison
- Supervision and Care of Children
- Direct Play Work

Through Christian leadership he/she will ensure that these services reflect CrossReach's Christian ethos and mission statement.

**Main Duties**:
**Activity Planning**
- To provide a safe, creative and appropriate play opportunities including preparing activities, organisation programmes and arranging equipment.
- To ensure that all activities are carried out within an equal opportunities framework.
- To undertake any necessary training.
- To encourage community wide participation and activity planning and delivery.

**Liaison**
- To develop and maintain good relationships and communications with parents to facilitate day-to-day caring needs.
- To encourage parental involvement and support through the development of effective working relationships.
- To ensure that the Centre Manager is kept informed on all matters relating to the running of the centre.
- To consult with the children and involve them in the planning of activities.
- To encourage a close liaison with social work departments, nurseries, schools and other related agencies.

**Supervision and Care of Children**
- Supervise students and other volunteers that may be involved in the club.
- Ensure that activities are carried out in a safe and responsible manner in accordance with statutory responsibilities.
- Ensure that food provision is carried out within the guidelines of the Food Safety Act 1990 and is balanced and healthy, in accordance with dietary requirements.

**Direct Play Work**
- Ensure that a wide range of creative and enjoyable activities are offered.
- Ensure that play meets the full range of children's individual and group needs.

**Miscellaneous**
- Be aware of staff policies and practices.
- To ensure the provision of good standards of physical and emotional care by working to the GIRFEC principles and local and national Early Years frameworks.
- To ensure good standards of hygiene and cleanliness are maintained at all times.
- To be responsible for the health and safety standards appropriate for the needs of the children.
- To assist with the preparation and maintenance of materials equipment.
- Recording accidents in the accident book.
- To ensure the provision of a high quality environment to meet the needs of individual children from differing cultures and religious backgrounds and stages of development.
- To ensure confidentially of information received.
- To be aware of the high profile of the club and to uphold its standards at all times.
- To be involved in out of working hours activities, e.g. training, staff meetings.
- To undertake such other duties and responsibilities of an equivalent nature as may be determined from time to time by the manager or project worker.

**General**
- Have respect for all aspects of Christian worship.
- Facilitate Service Users to attend Christian worship (or worship of choice as required by the role).

**Qualifications**:
As we do our work in Christ’s name you must be respectful of our Christian Ethos and be able to work within it.

This post requires you to be a member of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme and undertake the necessary vetting checks.

**Skills and Abilities**:
**Essential**:
Postholder must possess basic computer literacy skills including use of Microsoft Office and the internet.