Jobs and Volunteering
Are you interested in becoming a Play Worker?
Playwork is a profession. Play workers train to do their job.
Children learn and develop through play - it is fundamental to their health and well-being. In today's society there are fewer and fewer opportunities to play independently of adults. So in order that children develop healthily to their full potential we need to create opportunities and spaces where they can play freely and encounter a wide range of opportunities, where the adults involved understand the nature and importance of all aspects of children's play and work to support it.
A common misconception is that playworkers play with children. In reality playworkers facilitate children's play; they enable children to extend their play and they protect and enhance the play space so that it is a rich play environment. They see children as competent individuals who are experts in their own play. They do not organise activities or tell the children what to do. They understand the need for children to encounter risk and challenge as part of the play opportunities on offer, and use their risk assessment skills to judge whether to intervene.
Playworkers operate under the ethos of the Playwork Principles.
Places where playworkers practice include:
- adventure playgrounds
- childcare settings - e.g. out of school clubs
- doorstep and neighbourhood play projects
- integrated children's centres
- mobile play provision - playbuses
- play centres - year round out of school provision
- peripatetic playwork projects - play rangers
- holiday playschemes
Current Vacancies in Hammersmith and Fulham
See Latest Vacancies for local jobs and volunteering opportunities within Playwork.
You might also like to take a look at some of these sites for job opportunities:
London Play Jobs Page - www.londonplay.org.uk
Playwork Jobs - www.playworkjobs.co.uk
Charity Job - www.charityjob.co.uk
Charity Careers - www.charitycareers.co.uk
Childcare Jobs - www.childcarejobs.co.uk
Jobs Go Public - www.jobsgopublic.com
Free Play Network - www.freeplaynetwork.org.uk
London Voluntary Service Council - www.lvsc.org.uk
We also offer Play work Training opportunities.
If you are interested in advertising a vacancy please email us the details at info@playassociationhf.org.uk
