SEND Group Leader - Short Breaks in Sutton

Employment Type: Part Time, Permanent

Application Start Date: 30-06-2026

Application End Date: 31-07-2026

Location: Sutton

Work Style: On-site

Our mission

Our mission is to provide opportunities for people to develop to their full potential, with a focus on children and young people and those who are vulnerable, have a disability or face disadvantage.

You will be responsible for overseeing the smooth running of our sessions and leading the staff team. To provide high‑quality, person‑centred care, ensuring children's safety, wellbeing and positive development.

This rewarding opportunity is perfect for someone who has a passion to make a difference for children with disabilities and additional needs.

We are recruiting for a Disability Leader for our new Sutton Short Breaks Clubs, joining our Disability Services team. You will be responsible for leading, overseeing, and delivering Short Breaks Club sessions for children and young people with disabilities and additional needs, providing high‑quality, person‑centred care; ensuring their safety, wellbeing, and positive development, while maintaining compliance with safeguarding, regulatory, health and safety, and organisational standards.

This role requires someone with a First Aid qualification or willingness to undertake this; Introduction to Safeguarding children and Safeguarding Adults or willingness to undertake, and Child Care/Youth Work Level 2 / 3 or equivalent qualification (or working towards).

Key Responsibilities

Service Delivery and Leadership

• Take responsibility for the day‑to‑day running of Children and Young People’s services, ensuring high‑quality, safe, and appropriate provision.
• Act as the responsible person in charge when the Coordinator/Manager/Duty Officer is unavailable and provide annual leave cover for the coordinator as needed.
• Lead, support, coach and supervise a team of Disability Play & Youth Workers and volunteers, providing guidance and ensuring they know when to seek further support.
• Prepare and manage session planning documents, staff allocations, daily logs, and lunch/toileting rotas.
• Support Disability Play & Youth Workers to support and meet the needs of the Children and Young People including managing distress behaviours, sensory engagement and intensive interaction.
• Lead on trips to ensure they are run smoothly, safely and ensure all Disability Play & Youth Workers are following risk assessments, policies and procedures to ensure all children and young people are safe.

Personal Care and CYP Support

• Ensure high‑quality, person‑centred support is provided to children and young people with disabilities and complex needs, following and understanding care plans, behaviour support plans, and risk assessments.
• Oversee and provide personal care, always ensuring hygiene, privacy, dignity, and appropriate recording.
• To ensure and receive medication from Parents/Carers, check, record and store safely following procedures and administer, where necessary, after appropriate training, medication for children keeping accurate and up to date records.
• Supporting children/young people with eating and drinking as outlined within their care plan and guidelines.
• Assist and supervise moving and handling children/young people with restricted mobility, including hoisting and use of mobility equipment, after appropriate training.
• Implement and ensure regular use of aids to support communication and sensory impairment needs.
• Provide high level of diligence and surveillance for all the children/ young people, including personal hygiene, behaviour, nutrition, sensory and play needs, feeding back any new observations to the coordinator.

Activity Planning, Delivery and Engagement

• Contribute to planning, organising, and oversee the delivery of activities, ensuring adaptability and accessibility for all children and young people.
• Lead children/young people through structured programs of play, social, recreational, and leisure activities.
• Ensure children and young people are welcomed on arrival, feel valued, and experience positive opportunities that build self‑esteem and confidence.
• Support children/young people to engage in activities, helping them achieve desired outcomes.
• Ensure the smooth running of sessions, including preparation, set‑up, pack‑down and maintain resources required for activities, informing the coordinator if extra resources are required.
• Collect CYP feedback and evaluation records in sessions as directed.

Safety, Supervision and Environment

• Ensure the health, safety, and wellbeing of children, young people, and colleagues, following safeguarding policies and organisational procedures.
• Provide and supervise refreshments, considering balanced diets, cultural/ethnic needs, allergies, and food safety principles.
• Supervise the environment to ensure the physical and emotional safety of all children and young people.
• Supervise activity environments to maintain physical and emotional safety, completing risk assessments and accurate records of accidents, injuries, incidents, medication administration and health and safety concerns.
• Ensure materials, equipment, and service spaces are maintained, safe, and stored appropriately.
• Ensure appropriate care is provided, ensuring all children/young people eat, drink and stay hydrated and toileting needs are met.

Teamwork, Communication and Development

• Lead and work as part of a team to ensure high‑quality service delivery. Build positive and professional relationships with children, young people, and colleagues.
• Lead on greeting parents/ carers and communicate effectively with parents/carers, providing feedback on their child’s day and sharing relevant updates, checking that we have the correct information and keep them informed of incidents/ accidents or other concerns relating to their child.
• Support promotional activities, including taking photos for marketing and fundraising purposes.
• Gather and evidence children’s choices and feedback to inform planning.
• Work collaboratively with the coordinators/ managers to meet attendance targets and service objectives.
• Attend staff meetings, training, and development events to maintain the knowledge and skills required for this role.
• Undertake other duties reasonably requested by senior staff to support the smooth running of the service.

Person Specification

Education and Qualifications

• First Aid qualification or willingness to undertake this.
• Introduction to safeguarding children and safeguarding adults or willingness to undertake.
• Child Care/Youth Work level 2 / 3 or equivalent qualification (or working towards).

Knowledge and Experience

• Communicates clearly and appropriately for different audiences, using inclusive language and adapting communication style based on feedback.
• Builds and maintains positive, professional relationships with children, families, colleagues, and stakeholders.
• Positive, proactive attitude, works independently and as a team and uses initiative.
• Commitment to the wellbeing and positive development of children and young people and ensuring the child's needs are the highest priority and maintain safe working practices.
• Handles sensitive information confidentially.
• Escalates issues appropriately and seeks collaborative solutions.
• Collaborates effectively within a diverse team, values different perspectives and contributes to a positive and inclusive working environment.

Key Skills and Attributes

• Builds and maintains positive, professional relationships with children, families, colleagues, and stakeholders.
• Positive, proactive attitude, works independently and as a team and uses initiative.
• Commitment to the wellbeing and positive development of children and young people and ensuring the child's needs are the highest priority.
• Organises work efficiently and seeks support where needed.

Personal Attributes

• Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of work and understanding of how it applies to own role.
• Values collaboration and respect for different perspectives.
• Open to learning and continuous development.

Other

• Ability to travel to other venues as required for the role. The organisation will consider reasonable adjustments and alternative arrangements to support this requirement.
• Flexibility to occasionally work outside standard hours, including evenings and to undertake overnight stays, when necessary, with advance notice and support provided.

Pay

• £16.08 per hour

Hours

9am-3.30pm (including 30m unpaid break)

40 days per year in school holiday periods only.

Working Pattern

9am-3.30pm (including 30-minute unpaid break) School Holidays only (Sutton sites) 40 days per year.

Benefits

• Be part of a long-standing and well‑respected charity.
• Discounted childcare for permanent employees.
• Gym membership and free access to all leisure facilities for permanent employees.
• Eligibility for Blue Light Discount Retail Card.
• Cycle to Work Scheme.
• 6.6 weeks annual leave which increases after 2 years continuous service.
• Free access to our Employee Assistance Programme.
• On site parking.

To Apply

Please scroll down the page to the application form.

Successful candidates will already have the right to live and work in the UK without restrictions. We are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.

Accessibility: if you require assistance or have questions regarding the application process, please do contact us at HR@ymcaeastsurrey.org.uk.

YMCA East Surrey reserves the right to interview and appoint as and when suitable candidates apply, and so prompt application is encouraged.

YMCA East Surrey requires all staff and volunteers to be committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and to respond proactively to safeguarding concerns. Successful applicants are required to undertake an Enhanced DBS (including the Children’s and Adult’s barred lists) check, along with reference checks.