Play & Youth Practitioner

**Part time, Play and Youth Practitioner - x4 posts.**
- **24 hours per week**
- **20 hours per week**
- **17 hours per week**
- **12 hours per week**

**Main roles and responsibilities**

The following is typical of the duties the post holder will be expected to perform. It is not necessarily exhaustive and other duties of a similar nature and level may be required from time to time.
- To deliver and promote high quality, play and youth work opportunities and programs, inclusive for all children and young people aged between 5-19 years.
- Take part in the design, development and delivery of sessions for children and young people including holiday provision
- Welcome all children and young people in a friendly manner and provide them with a safe space to play, learn, develop, and socialise in
- To encourage free play and being active
- Travel to different venues with equipment to deliver sessions.
- To establish and maintain appropriate relationships with children and young people.
- Ensure the activities being delivered are fun, interesting, valuable and appropriate to the children and young people using the facilities.
- To make sure the children and young people attending the sessions receive appropriate support and information.
- Ensure all paperwork relating to the sessions is completed appropriately.
- To be able to work effectively as part of a team
- To comply with all of our policies and implement them, ensuring that Child Protection Issues are fully reported, recorded and dealt with appropriately.
- To attend regular supervision sessions, staff meetings and training when required
- To be fully flexible, the post involves working evenings and weekends.
- To work across Newcastle & North Tyneside areas, targeting known hotspots, advised by staff and other organisations
- To develop programs which encourage young people to engage in positive and constructive activities and to have an awareness of the challenges that face young people living in Newcastle & North Tyneside.
- To establish relationships of trust and mutual respect with young people and to offer support and encouragement, addressing key issues including health, self-esteem, independent living and managing relationships.
- To be a friendly and welcoming face within the community and someone the young people can trust and talk to
- To raise awareness of social issues, challenges and dangers that can exist and empowering them to be prepared to deal with them.
- To enable young people through coaching and support to make informed decisions about their life choices and how they can make positive contributions to society
- Be able to communicate with other organisations about the work being carried out and issues which arise
- To maintain a professional relationship, and always maintaining the professional boundaries
- To ensure all sessions are recorded appropriately and all relevant paperwork is completed
- To take children and young people on trips and excursions, being responsible for their well-being. This can be residentials too.
- To build strong and purposeful relationships, working ‘face to face’ with young people
- To assist, empower and inform young people of the wide range of opportunities available, encouraging them to make the best use of their time and where possible signpost accordingly.
- To be a positive role model, working with confidence, professionalism, honesty and integrity
- To raise awareness and share information addressing local social issues and encourage them to make the right choices.
- To support the day-to-day delivery of the service.

**Essential Criteria**:

- Full UK driving licence is preferred but **not essential**, must be willing to use public transport if no driving licence is held.
- Full flexibility is required, the post includes working evenings and weekends.
- Level 2 Qualification in Youth Work, Play Work or equivalent qualifications.
- Experience of working with children and young people with a wide range of needs.
- Experience or understanding of play or youth work values.
- Experience of working with challenging behaviour.
- Ability to work calmly in a busy, demanding environment and work flexibly.
- Good self-awareness and strong interpersonal skills.
- Proven communication skills both written and verbal.
- Ability to work within a team and independently, professionally, and consistently.
- Knowledge of safeguarding practice and policy.

**Days/Hours of work**

There are 4 positions available 3 of which are required to have availability between 2:45pm - 9:30pm Monday - Saturday term time, then in school holidays availability is required from 9am - 9.30pm.

1 position is to have availability Wednesday - Saturday between the hours of 2.45pm - 9.30pm.

**Location**

Inspire Youth Tyne and Wear, office base is inside of the Lemington Centre, Tyne View, Newcastle Upon Tyne. We run sessions out of venues across Newcastle & North Tyneside.

**Job Type**: Part-time

Pay: £11.50-£16.00 per hour

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