Summer Holiday Playworker

**Awesome ELM CIC are seeking someone with strong drive and passion to join our organisation for the summer school holiday period.**

**Our mission is to use our exceptional position as an employee-owned mutual to work alongside communities in providing a fun, safe and challenging environment where Children and Young People can positively develop through play, in their own way, for their own reasons.**

We are a not-for-profit organisation investing all the income we receive into our playgrounds routinely used by some of the borough’s most vulnerable children and families.

Awesome manages six of Islington’s 12 award winning adventure playgrounds, which are recognised as some of the best in London.

We are looking for someone with experience of working with children and young people and who are passionate about play and understands the essential role it has in children and young people's lives. Translating that passion, experience, knowledge and drive to contribute to an effective playwork team that is dedicated to providing a welcoming and safe space for all children to play.

You will need to be a strong advocate for children and young people and understand the difference that Play make in children’s development.

Having good communication and interpersonal skills, both written and verbal, with a good understanding of digital communication are essential.

**PRIMARY JOB FUNCTION**
- To deliver a play offer on an adventure playground working with other Playworkers and the Playwork Coordinators ensuring a high quality service.
- To support all children and young people in the creation of a space in which they can play, recognising the playworker impact on the play space and also the impact of children and young people’s play on the playworker
- Providing play opportunities for children and young people that provide for: Challenge and risk, social education, personal development, movement and physicality, intellectual challenge, creativity, which enabling children to acquire new skills in supporting their emotional development and play needs
- Carrying out administrative duties and collecting relevant management information as directed by the Playwork Coordinator in accordance with Awesome’s procedures.

CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE’S REQUIREMENTS

We expect all staff to incorporate these into their day to day work:

- UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
- The Playwork Principles
- Managing Risk in Play Provision
- Quality in Play or a similar quality assurance process

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Deliver best practice Playwork to improve play opportunities for children who access the service by planning and implementing a playwork programme as part of a team according to local priorities and co-create environments with children, which stimulate children’s play and maximise opportunities for a wide range of play experiences.

To work with under the direction of the Playwork Coordinator ensuring that:

- service is delivered according to Professional Quality Standards
- all evidence of delivery and projects is properly documented
- consultation with children and young people is carried out and acted on
- aims and objectives are addressed
- Planning reflects the Awesome’s service prioritiesTo take responsibility for promoting and safeguarding the welfare of children and to undertake regular Child Protection training at a level commensurate with role.
- To contribute to research, design and facilitation of self-directed play and co-created play opportunities, effectively using resources to provide an inclusive, stimulating and exciting play environment.
- To operate within professional boundaries when developing and maintaining relationships with children, young people and the wider community and contributing to a strategy for children and young people to engage in the service.
- Work with the Playwork Coordinator to identify major issues affecting children & young people and developing appropriate playwork practice to help meet those needs, in conjunction with relevant agencies, community groups, housing associations, other services.
- To contribute to the delivery and monitoring on allocated adventure playground in the areas that follow:
Health & Safety; Premises Management; Data Collection and Security; Quality Assurance; Safeguarding; Policy and Practice; Adhere to Financial Procedures in relation to cash transactions.
- To work from any premises Awesome CIC occupies or any other reasonable location where the Play & Youth Service is delivering a play offer.
- To maintain, build and develop outdoor adventure playground structures.
- To support and motivate children and young people in having a voice through consultation, forums and creative visual engagement.
- To support adventure playgrounds with promotion and marketing of the play service to children and young people, internal departments, partners and the wider community.
- To undertake other duties commensurate to the grade of the post.