Family Hubs Play Champion
This role is fixed term until March 2026.
All about the Role
We are looking for a Family Hubs Play Champion to join our friendly team.
The Family hubs programme uses a whole-family approach, providing a single access point to integrated family support services across health (physical and mental health) and social care, as well as council for voluntary service and education settings.
Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children. It helps children develop social skills, because they learn to get along with others and take turns.
The United Nations Commission on the Rights of the Child recognises play as a right of every child because of its importance to optimal child development. It helps children gain healthy emotional development because it allows them to express their experiences regarding their feelings about their life and things that are going on around them. By playing, children are promoting healthy brain development because they are strengthening many neuronal connections that would otherwise disappear or weaken if not used.
Play improves attainment - when children are allowed to play without being told what they specifically have to do, they become more focused, have greater attention spans, and improve their academic skills. Playing at school is sometimes the only opportunity children have to play, and to play outdoors. Through Play, children develop skills for life: how to share, resolve conflicts, make decisions, be assertive, and work in groups.
This role will support the development of a city-wide play action plan with strategic priorities that will optimise play opportunities for children and young people across the City that will lead to improvements in the following areas:
1. Improved attendance rates in school for 5-11yr olds
2. Improved GLD in the EFYS at the end of reception year
3. Improved Child wellbeing and mental health
4. Improved Parenting skills
5. Improved parenting knowledge on the importance of play in targeted and social care case loads via interventions delivered by the Play work role.
All about You
* You understand the importance of play to wellbeing, and how children and young people can be negatively affected by a ‘poverty of experience’
* You have sound knowledge and understanding of child development, and knowledge of parenting skills.
* You have strong knowledge of child development for 0-11yr olds including the EYFS
* You have an understanding of the impact of inequality and deprivation on outcomes as well as knowledge of special educational needs & disability
* You have experience of working with vulnerable children, young people, and families in the public, private or voluntary sector
* You have Level 4 Diploma (or equivalent) in Play work or a relevant field, or evidence of relevant and substantial experience
All about our Benefits
We value our colleagues and have developed a number of benefits in addition to our generous annual leave starting at 25 days + bank holidays, sick pay and local government pension scheme:
* Access to a range of benefits via Vivup, including in-store and online discounts as well as our Cycle to Work and Home & Electronics schemes
* Buy up to 10 days additional annual leave (pro-rata)
* Access to car lease scheme
* Take your bank holidays flexibly to better suit your personal circumstances
* Make Additional Voluntary Contributions (Shared Cost AVCs) to your pension with tax and National Insurance savings
* Access to development opportunities including apprenticeships to support your personal and professional growth
* Paid volunteering hours each year so you can make a positive impact on our community during your normal working day
* Access to our equality, diversity and inclusion network
* Opportunities to receive Employee Recognition Awards
All about our Commitments
We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer, dedicated to fostering diversity, advancing equity, and building an inclusive workplace for everyone. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds and particularly encourage those from underrepresented groups, including disabled people, care leavers, and individuals from minority ethnic communities. Your unique perspectives and experiences are encouraged and valued and will play a vital role in our success.
We are committed to making our recruitment process as accessible as possible. If you are disabled and require any reasonable adjustments during the application or interview process, please contact pccrecruitment@peterborough.gov.uk we will work with you to meet your needs.
Appointment to this post will be subject to the outcome of an Enhanced Disclosure obtained through the Disclosure and Barring Service. The Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
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