Head of Play and Inclusion

**Role Profile**

**Job Role: Head of Play and Inclusion**

**Accountable to: Universal Service Manager**

**Location: Blackburn & Darwen Youth Zone**

**Status: 37.5 hours per week over 5 working days**

**Salary: £26,500 to £29,500 dependant on age and experience**

**About Blackburn & Darwen Youth Zone**

Blackburn & Darwen Youth Zone is a 21st century youth hub located at the heart of Blackburn, open to young people aged 5 to 25 years old, aiming to change the prospects offered to young people in the area. Our vision is to be at the heart of the community, collaborating to create a more cohesive and prosperous Blackburn and Darwen.

Blackburn & Darwen Youth Zone is built on land where, 100 years ago, Blackburn’s first electricity generating station once stood. On the place where electricity first came to and powered the town, the Youth Zone is now powering the community through the energy and creativity of young people. What also makes us distinctive is our relationship with thelocal business community, who have wholeheartedly embraced the concept and pledged to work together to raise the aspirations of our town’s young people, equipping them with life skills, increased confidence and independence which in turn will regenerate our town from the bottom up.

We are one of the leading youth organisations in Blackburn, with a membership of over 2,500 young people. We are open 7 days a week, 52 weeks of the year and offer over 40 different activities and opportunities in our open access youth club.

**Our Values and principles**

**OUR VISION** - Blackburn & Darwen Youth Zone to be at the heart of the community, collaborating to create a more cohesive and prosperous Blackburn and Darwen.

**OUR MISSION** - To inspire all, to have fun, meet different people, try new things and challenge themselves to be the best they can be.

**OUR IMPACT** - The difference we want to make

We want to make a tangible difference to the lives of young people. Our work will result in young people:

- Being happier
- Engaging positively with young people from across Blackburn with Darwen
- Living healthier more active lifestyles
- Having increased opportunities to develop and achieve
- Feeling more empowered and connected with their surrounding community
- Respecting and engaging with the environment through new and exciting experiences
- Having increased aspirations and increased economic opportunities

**OUR VALUES**

**H**onesty

**E**xcellence

**A**ccountability

**R**espect

**T**eamwork

**Main Purpose**:
The role will work with the Universal Team Manager and Operational Leadership Team to develop the existing universal Play Work and SEND provision. Focussing on working with young people aged 5 to 12 (Play offer) 8 to 25 (SEND offer).

We are looking for an experienced, dynamic, qualified professional with **significant experience** of managing excellent universal Play Work programmes for large numbers of children and young people.You will hold line management responsibility seeking to ensure that there is strong evidence of effective performance in line with our vision, mission, value. The role will require you to have previous experience within a Playwork setting and strong evidence of excellent safeguarding knowledge and practice.

You will lead, support and develop our Play Work team (full time and part) to identify and cultivate existing and new programmes of activity for young people across both our Blackburn and Darwen sites. You will introduce continual improvements and ensure best practice in all service delivery whilst managing and achieving in line with KPIs which may include, but not limited to, attendance, outcomes and service impact, retention, partnerships and reputation.

**Main Responsibilities**:
**Service Excellence**
- To ensure that the offer for Play and SEND children and young people is the best possible service, ensuring there is a diverse range of activities, programmes and opportunities that aid continuous improvements and growth for our services for young people. Incorporating the Try, Train and Team development model.
- To create programmes and opportunities which provide tangible outcomes for Play and SEND children and young people which leads to greater prospects, improved health, wellbeing, education, skills, aspirations and social cohesion. To maintain a good understanding of the children and young people we work with, their challenges and issues. Being able to access the need and provide the right level of support within an open access provision or provide referral opportunities to more suited services.
- Maintain an excellent understanding of the Play and SEND children we work with, their issues and challenges and the complexities of delivering in a large open access setting through direct work with Play and SEND children during sessions and through good communication with the team.
- Manage Play and SEND related operations within universal services at Blackburn & Darwen Youth Zone a