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Playworker

  • Hours

    35-40 per week

  • Starting salary

    £12,000 + per year

If you love having fun with children and enjoy being active, this could be just the kind of job you're looking for. Playworkers plan, organise and take part in play and leisure activities for 4 to 16 year olds. They work at places like breakfast clubs, after school clubs, mobile play buses and holiday play schemes.

You don't need to have qualifications to start in playwork, as you can train and get playwork qualifications as you work.

To become a playworker, you will need to get on well with children, parents and carers. You will need patience and tolerance. You will also need a responsible and caring attitude.



The work

You could be involved in activities ranging from art, crafts, cooking and drama to outdoor games and taking children on outings. Sometimes these are all on the same day.

Your job will normally include:

  • planning activities with the children
  • providing play areas, materials and equipment
  • giving children the freedom to spend their leisure time in their own way
  • encouraging fair and caring behaviour among the children
  • encouraging independence and self-esteem
  • talking to children about their concerns or worries
  • dealing with injuries and emergencies
  • liaising with parents, carers, and sometimes other professionals
  • keeping records and looking after petty cash.

You would need to make sure that play is safe, and encourage children to be aware of their own safety and that of others.


Hours

You may work full-time or part-time. Most playwork is in the evenings, at weekends and during school holidays.

You could work either indoors or outside, depending on location and the type of activity. Your work will usually be very active, and can involve joining in with things such as games and sports.


Income

Full time playworkers can earn between £12,000 and £20,000 a year. Senior staff can earn around £30,000 a year.

Playworkers who work part-time or on a short-term basis, earn a portion of full-time rates (known as pro rata payment) or may be paid an hourly rate.

Figures are intended as a guideline only.


Entry requirements

You don't need to have qualifications to start in playwork, as you can train and get playwork qualifications as you work.

You could start by working as a volunteer to get experience before you move into paid work, or whilst you work towards a qualification.

You will need to have Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) clearance before starting either voluntary or paid work. See the CRB website for information.

You may also be able to get into this job through an Apprenticeship scheme. You will need to check which schemes are available in your area. To find out more, visit the Apprenticeships website.

For more details about this job, see the Playwork pages of the SkillsActive website.


Training and development

Once you have started work, you can complete different qualifications depending on your job.

As an assistant playworker, you can work towards qualifications such as the Level 2 Award/Certificate/Diploma in Playwork.

As a senior playworker/coordinator, or playgroup leader, you can complete the Level 3 Award/Certificate/Diploma in Playwork.

As a playwork manager or playwork development officer, you can work towards foundation degrees, BTEC HNDs, or degrees relating to playwork.

See the Playwork pages of the SkillsActive website for further information about playwork qualifications.


Skills and knowledge

To become a playworker, you will need to have:

  • a responsible and caring attitude
  • the ability to get on well with children, parents and carers
  • awareness of equal opportunities issues
  • good listening skills
  • creativity and flexibility
  • patience and tolerance
  • the ability to work well as part of a team
  • awareness of health and safety issues
  • good organisation skills
  • energy and a good sense of humour.

More information

Edexcel (Opens new window)
www.edexcel.com

SkillsActive (Opens new window)
Castlewood House
77-91 New Oxford Street
London
WC1A 1PX
Advice line: 08000 933300
www.skillsactive.com

City & Guilds (Opens new window)
1 Giltspur Street
London
EC1A 9DD
Tel: 0844 543 0000
www.cityandguilds.com

Council for Awards in Care, Health and Education (CACHE) (Opens new window)
Apex House
81 Camp Road
St. Albans
Hertfordshire
AL1 5GB
Tel: 0845 347 2123
www.cache.org.uk


Opportunities

You could be employed by local authorities, voluntary organisations or private companies. Although there are some full-time jobs, most are part-time. Some jobs are seasonal, for example in the school holidays. You may also be able to find work abroad, especially with holiday companies.

As an experienced playworker, you may be able to progress to a supervisor or management job. You could also become self-employed and set up one or more after-school clubs. With appropriate qualifications, you could specialise in play training or play therapy.

You may be able to move into other related jobs like teaching assistant or youth worker.

Vacancies are advertised in the press and on websites such as:

Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework (Opens in a new window) there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.

We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.


Related industry information

Industry summary

The playwork industry is part of the active leisure, learning and well‐being sector, represented by SkillsActive Sector Skills Council. This sector is based on leisure and recreation and includes: sport and recreation; health and fitness; the outdoors; and the caravan industry. The UK active leisure, learning and well‐being sector currently employs 663,300 people, representing just over 2% of the UK workforce, and an estimated 1.9 million volunteers in England (equating to 54,000 full‐time equivalents). There are an estimated 39,800 workplaces, of which 74% employ 10 or less people. Much of the workforce work in a part‐time capacity (47%) and seasonal employment is important for outdoors, caravans and playwork, which attract students and other temporary workers.

Playwork facilitates children’s play outside the educational curriculum for 4‐16 year‐olds. Playwork takes place where adults support children’s play in settings that include:

  • After‐school clubs
  • Holiday playschemes
  • Adventure playgrounds
  • Parks
  • Playbuses
  • Breakfast clubs

Different playwork settings are run in different ways, but all aim to give children and young people choices about how they spend their leisure time. Many of these settings will be subject to care standards and regulations. The range of playwork settings is increasing, for example there are an increasing number of out of school clubs.

Key facts:

  • There are 146,700 people working in playwork, of which many are employed on a part‐time basis.
  • There are also a significant number of volunteers working in the industry.
  • 43% of the workforce is employed full‐time, 53% part‐time and 4% self‐employed.
  • The industry has an older age profile compared to other industries in the sector, around 28% are aged 35‐44 and 37% are 45‐59.

Jobs in the industry include: playworker, manager, development worker, trainer, specialist playworker, after‐school club manager, breakfast club assistant, play development officer.


National and regional data

East Midlands – There are 44,300 people employed in the active leisure, learning and well‐being sector, of which 10,100 are employed in playwork. Industry skills gaps in the region include: knowledge of playwork values and principles; basic computer and IT skills; initiative; planning and preparing work; management; and team‐working.

East of England – There are 61,400 people employed in the active leisure, learning and well‐being sector, of which 13,800 are employed in playwork. Industry skills gaps in the region include: knowledge of playwork values and principles; initiative; and management.

London – There are 70,200 people employed in the active leisure, learning and well‐being sector, of which 18,100 are employed in playwork. Industry skills gaps in the region include: initiative; planning and preparing work; problem solving; management; knowledge of playwork principles; and basic computer and IT skills.

North East – There are 24,500 people employed in the active leisure, learning and well‐being sector, of which 6,200 are employed in playwork. Industry skills gaps in the region include: knowledge of playwork values and principles; initiative; planning and preparing work; team‐working; management; and communication.

North West – There are 65,700 people employed in the active leisure, learning and well‐being sector, of which 17,000 are employed in playwork. Industry skills gaps in the region include: knowledge of playwork values and principles; planning and preparing work; problem solving; basic computer and IT skills; team‐working; communication; management; and initiative.

South East – There are 96,700 people employed in the active leisure, learning and well‐being sector, of which 21,300 are employed in playwork. Industry skills gaps in the region include: knowledge of playwork values and principles; initiative; planning and preparing work; and problem solving.

South West – There are 53,700 people employed in the active leisure, learning and well‐being sector, of which 12,800 are employed in playwork. Industry skills gaps in the region include: knowledge of playwork values and principles; initiative; basic computer and IT skills; and planning and preparing work.

West Midlands – There are 48,200 people employed in the active leisure, learning and well‐being sector, of which 13,900 are employed in playwork. Industry skills gaps in the region include: initiative; knowledge of playwork values and principles; planning and preparing work; team‐working; and management.

Yorkshire and the Humber – There are 51,900 people employed in the active leisure, learning and well‐being sector, of which 13,500 are employed in playwork. Industry skills gaps in the region include: knowledge of playwork values and principles; initiative; planning and preparing work; team‐working; management; communications; and problem solving.

Northern Ireland – There are 10,738 people employed in the active leisure, learning and well‐being sector, of which 900 are employed in playwork. Scotland – There are 58,200 people employed in the active leisure, learning and well‐being sector, of which 12,100 are employed in playwork.

Wales – There are 29,500 people employed in the active leisure, learning and well‐being sector, of which 7,200 are employed in playwork.

[N.B. Data derived from Annual Business Inquiry (GB), 2007, Northern Ireland, 2005 and Labour Force Survey (Annual average), 2008.]


Career paths


Further sources


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