Playworker – AR

Job Description: Playworker (Southwark Council)

• Service Area: Children’s Services / Adventure Play Provision
• Role Purpose

To support and facilitate safe, inclusive, and engaging play opportunities for children and young people (typically aged 8–15) within an adventure playground setting.

The Playworker ensures children can explore, take appropriate risks, and develop socially, emotionally, and creatively through play in a secure environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Play Delivery
• Plan, organise, and deliver a variety of play and recreational activities.
• Encourage open-ended, child-led play in both structured and unstructured formats.
• Ensure activities are inclusive and accessible to children from diverse cultural, religious, and social backgrounds.
• Support children’s creativity, independence, and social development through play.
• Safety and Welfare
• Supervise children at all times during play sessions.
• Implement safeguarding and child protection policies in line with council procedures.
• Conduct routine checks of play areas, tools, and equipment to ensure a safe environment.
• Identify, respond to, and report any safeguarding or welfare concerns to the Centre Manager.
• Provide basic first aid support when required.
• Risk Assessment
• Carry out daily and activity-based risk assessments.
• Identify potential hazards and take appropriate action to minimise risk.
• Balance safe practice with opportunities for children to experience managed risk in play.
• Record Keeping and Administration
• Maintain accurate records including attendance registers, incident reports, and daily logs.
• Ensure all documentation is completed clearly and in a timely manner.
• Contribute to monitoring and evaluation data for service reporting purposes.
• Service Development and Participation
• Engage children and young people in shaping play activities and programme design.
• Actively seek feedback from service users to improve provision.
• Promote a child-centred approach where children’s voices influence service delivery.
• Key Skills and Attributes
• Experience working with children or young people in a playwork or youth setting.
• Strong understanding of safeguarding and child protection principles.
• Ability to supervise groups of children in an outdoor, fast-paced environment.
• Good communication and teamwork skills.
• Ability to remain calm and make sound decisions in challenging situations.
• Commitment to inclusion, equality, and diversity.
• Organised approach to record keeping and safety procedures.
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