Children Sessional Playworker

Are you looking for a rewarding role within an intersectional feminist organisation? We have an incredible opportunity for a Children Sessional Playworker to join Solace Women’s Aid.

Solace exists to end the harm done through gender-based violence. We work to prevent violence and abuse and provide services to meet the individual needs of survivors, particularly women and children. Our work is holistic and empowering, working alongside survivors to achieve independent lives, free from abuse.

Our core values reflect our history and were developed in consultation with staff and service users. Feminism and intersectionality are key to our work, and we are committed to the principles of being survivor-led, trauma-informed, empowering, diverse, anti-racist and anti-discriminatory.

About the Service

Islington Refuge Service provides emergency accommodation to women and children fleeing domestic abuse and sexual violence. Sessional play workers deliver high-quality safe fun activities that include a combination of enrichment activities, physical games and sports and nutritional education to children up to the age of 14.

About the Role

As a Children Sessional Play Worker, you will be involved in the planning and delivery of a variety of sessions and activities for children and young people at the refuge. This includes listening to children’s ideas to design services around their needs, choices, and aspirations. You will support and involve children in activities which are playful, stimulating, and enjoyable.

You will work alongside the Family Support Worker, encouraging all children to take part and have as much fun as possible whilst helping to develop children's learning, well-being, and social skills.

About You

You will have experience of working with children and you are passionate about play as well as dedicated to providing a welcoming and safe space for all children - supervising the children and ensuring their safety at all times.

The ideal candidate will have in-depth knowledge of domestic abuse and its impact on children as well as practical experience of working with children and within a team. You will also need to demonstrate a proven ability to work on your own initiative and under supervision. A minimum NVQ Level 2 or equivalent in child-care /play/ youthwork /sports/coaching or creative arts is desirable. We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff to share this commitment.

Additional Information

The role is centred around coordinating high-quality activities for children. Given the nature of this role, we are unable to offer hybrid working for this position.

This is a part time post at 16 hours per week and a fixed term contract to 31st March 2027.

What we can offer you

We provide a comprehensive benefits package to all our employees, including:

• Flexible working
• Focus on learning and development (internal career progression and training)
• Generous holiday entitlement
• Employer pension contribution
• Family-friendly leave and enhanced maternity pay
• Access to Inclusion Networks
• Daily clinical debriefing
• Two paid wellbeing days
• Employee Assistance Programme providing free 24/7 support and advice
• Employee Benefits Platform offering staff discounts, benefits, and savings
• Flow & Restore yoga classes
• Meditation sessions
• Cycle to Work Scheme

How to apply

Please submit your CV and Supporting Statement through the recruitment portal. When applying for this role, kindly highlight in your Supporting Statement how your values, knowledge, transferable skills, and experience align with each point within the following sections of the Job Profile Document:

• Values, Behaviours & Competencies
• Knowledge, Experience and Skills

Solace Women's Aid values diversity, promotes equity, and challenges discrimination. We encourage and welcome applications from candidates of diverse cultures, abilities, perspectives, and lived experiences.

We have policies and processes in place to ensure that all employees are offered an equal opportunity in recruitment and selection, promotion, training, pay, and benefits. Our Inclusion Networks support staff with protected characteristics and offer inclusive spaces to connect.

We anticipate and provide reasonable adjustments as needed and support employees who acquire a disability or long-term health condition, enabling them to stay in work.

This service is run by women for women and is therefore restricted to female applicants under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, Part 1. Section 7(2)(e) of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 applies. The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.

As part of safer recruitment practices, we carry out pre-employment checks including references, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and right to work in the UK checks.

No agencies