Summer Play Worker Botley, England
Job description
Job Title: Daycamp Leader (Play Worker)
Location: YMCA Fairthorne Manor
Salary: £10.42 per hour
Hours: Zero Hours
Main elements of the duties of Daycamp Leader (Playworker)
Job Purpose:
Daycamp Leaders are responsible for a group of 10 or 14 children depending on their age (we are looking specifically for people to lead 4–16-year olds), along with a 1:1 Support Worker if a child in the group needs additional support. Our children are split into age groups; Holiday Club (4-6 years old), Activity Club (7-11 years old), Adventure Club (11-13 years old), and Club 14-16 (14-16 years old). In addition to this, we run theme camps revolving around water, woodland, creative arts, and science. Each group have their own needs and take part in a variety of different activities that suit their age and ability, and we are looking for Daycamp Leaders for all age groups and themes.
Leaders should have some previous experience, or are studying play, youth, education or social care. Leadership skills are essential.
You will have a 30 minutes unpaid lunch break.
All staff at YMCA are expected to work within “The YMCA Way”. The YMCA Way defines how we deliver our services and has 6 lenses through which we view our work:
- YMCA vision: to transform communities so that all children, young people, and families can truly belong, contribute, and thrive.
- YMCA mission: to add value to young lives by providing experiences which challenge, enable and develop the individual.
- YMCA values: welcoming, listening, caring, exciting, active, and inspiring.
- Developmental Assets: The result of a longitudinal study by Search Institute of millions of children, which has identified 40 common “Assets” which contribute to positive life outcomes. We audit our services against their ability to deliver or influence Asset development. The strength of the Asset model is that it enables us to evaluate our performance against service inputs and outputs only, as the outcomes and indicators are already evidenced.
- External regulation: includes regulatory frameworks (e.g., Ofsted), quality assurance schemes, contracted service specifications and monitoring and evaluation.
- YMCA staff behaviours: we want our staff to be inspirational role models.
We believe that if all the above are in place, we will deliver excellent outcomes-based services which create genuine positive change for children, young people, and families. Each service has a YMCA Way Champion.
Main Duties & Responsibilities as a Daycamp Leader (Playworker) to include:
- Actively engage children/young people, providing encouragement and support
- Being a welcoming and caring individual and an inspirational role model
- To act as a keyworker for early years children
- Working with and respecting others in a large and diverse team
- Being responsible for children’s welfare and pastoral needs during their stay
- Leading activities such as bug hunting, den building, obstacle course, blind trail, sports and games and arts and crafts
- Ensuring quality provision and consistency of care
- Supporting Activity Instructors in “kitting up/down”
- Assisting in the supervision of children on Instructor led activities
- Supervising the children’s lunch & break times and during “tuck” time.
- Depending on age and ability, taking children to the toilet/helping them change out of wet clothes
- Managing children’s behaviour with support from the Age Group Leader
- Attending compulsory training to be competent to lead activities
- To support in ensuring the site and age group bases are kept clean and tidy at all times
- To work up to three weeks of earlier and later shifts as part of our Big Day provision and bus service
- Anything else reasonably requested by Fairthorne Manor management team.
Person Specification & Key Competencies
Personal Attributes
- Flexible approach
- Confident communicator, friendly and approachable
- Reliable, organised, and resilient
- Genuine enthusiasm for the work of the organisation
- Sympathetic to the aims and purposes of the YMCA.
- An empathy and enjoyment of working with Children.
- Ability to work as part of a team.
- Ability to actively engage with the children (and adults).
- Good leadership skills
- Good level of enthusiasm and engagement
- Good use of initiative skills
Qualifications and Experiences
Essential:
- Good knowledge of safeguarding
- Experience working with children aged 4 to 16 ideally in a group environment
- Experience of working with children with differing abilities and support needs.
Desirable:
- NVQ Level 2 in childcare/social care/play work/nursery/forest school OR another relevant qualification
- Sports/Outdoor experience or qualification
- Paediatric First Aid
- Behavioural management experience
Applications
Interviews will be held on either a morning or afternoon 3 hour session:
- 25thMarch
- 26thMarch
- 29thMarch (evening session)
Training
Compulsory Pre-Summer Daycamps Training Course:
- For Daycamps staff – 15th, 16th, 21st(PM ONLY) and 22ndJuly 2022
- First Aid training – proposed date 24thJune 2022 TBC (This qualification through YMCA will cost £10, you will be provided with a certificate and the qualification lasts 3 years. You will not be paid for attending the course).
Alternate training dates may be available for applicants in full time education or teaching jobs.
All staff are paid their agreed hourly rate for the training days. Please bring a packed lunch with you for these days.
DBS Checks, References and Safer Recruiting Policy
A satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check and two satisfactory references will be required. If you have a current enhanced disclosure certificate from the DBS please state your disclosure number of your application – we may ask you to complete a new DBS. If you are on the update service for DBS please provide us with your update service number, most recent DBS certificate number, full name, and date of birth.
Should you be a returning Daycamp staff member, the following checks will apply on the proviso that a full recruitment process took place for your first appointment;
- Returning within 4 months: No additional checks
- Returning between 4-12 months: 1 returners reference
- Returning after 1 calendar year: Full recruitment process required.
Working Weeks
WC 10thJuly – WC 28thAugust approximately 37.5 hours per week.
Each week at Fairthorne will be different, with different themes and different numbers of children, therefore we do not need all staff for all the weeks; however, the minimum summer contract that we will offer will be for 4 weeks.
You will be required to log your hours online weekly (excluding your lunch break).
Coach Travel
As part of the Daycamp Leader/Play Worker role you will be required to work up to 3 weeks supporting with our bus service. Please see our website for more information and routes as you will be asked as part of the interview process which would be your preferred routes.
Uniform
Uniform T-shirts are provided free of charge but must be kept in a clean and reasonable condition during your summer employment. This uniform must be worn at all times at work and may not be changed/customized or adapted in any way. Any damaged or lost items will need replacing at a cost to you. T-shirts come in the following sizes:- Small, Medium. Large and Extra Large.
Staff must provide their own appropriate trousers or shorts, which must be simple Black/Navy/Grey. Appropriate footwear must be worn at all times to comply with Health and Safety at Work Act (no back-less shoes, flip flops etc).
As staff are seen to be role-models, we ask that staff take pride in their appearance and cover up any offensive tattoos. We therefore reserve the right to send home staff, without pay, for unacceptable appearance.
Job Types: Full-time, Zero hours contract
Contract length: 2 months
Salary: £10.42 per hour
Benefits:
- Childcare
- Cycle to work scheme
- Discounted or free food
- Employee discount
- Free parking
- On-site parking
- Wellness programme
Schedule:
- Day shift
- Monday to Friday
Ability to commute/relocate:
- BOTLEY: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Experience:
- Childcare: 1 year (required)
Work Location: In person
Expected start date: 17/07/2023
