Summer play worker jobs

We’re an award-winning charity running local learning centres in the heart of the communities where the young people we support live. Our centres provide a high-impact education programme which includes practical learning support, pastoral care, and motivational and confidence-building activities for young people aged 7-18. Our aim is to enable students from the least advantaged neighbourhoods to realise their ambitions and achieve their wonderful potential.

As the UK’s leading university access organisation, our staff team is helping over 60,000 young people each year at its 46 learning centres and extension projects across England and Scotland, and we plan to scale-up our provision to 50 centres over the coming years.

We are looking for graduates who will enjoy working each day with young people and who will thrive in a frontline, community-based, fast-paced and rewarding role.You will be taking up a fixed-term contract as a part-time Education Worker at our centre in Newcastle.

The role at a glance

Contract: Part-time (11.25 hours per week), fixed-term until July 2026

Start date: January 2026

Working hours
11.25 hours per week across 1.5 days

Education Workers are based at one of our IntoUniversity learning centres and work directly with young people, schools and families on a daily basis. It is therefore not a hybrid role and is based full-time in our centres.

Location

IntoUniversity Newcastle East

The role requires intermittent travel in your region (usually within the day) this can involve journeys times of 1 hour+. Occasional travel out of your local area e.g. to London is also required, this may include overnight stays.

Salary

£28,250 per annum (pro rata)

Staff benefits

• Employer pension contributions of 6% (and up to 8% after two years)
• Year round ‘early finish’ Fridays at 4.30pm
• Summer working hours (finish at 1pm on Fridays for six weeks in the summer), pro-rated for staff joining after January in the same year 
• Employee Assistance Programme including access to wellbeing and legal support 
• Life Assurance scheme with Aviva including SmartHealth service with access to 24/7 online GP appointments
• Interest-free new starter loans of up to £1,000
• Cycle to Work Scheme and Travelcard Loan Scheme
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, shared parental and adoption pay and sick pay allowances
• Staff in FOCUS – rewards, competitions and prizes across the year

What could my day look like?

The Education Worker role is a frontline, fast-paced and rewarding role where no two weeks will look the same. A typical day will have different activities, possibly spread between the IntoUniversity centre, partner schools and the offices of a corporate partner.

In the morning, you might be setting off with resources to run a workshop for sixth-form students in their secondary school. In the afternoon you may be setting up the classroom ahead of running Primary Academic Support for young people in your IntoUniversity centre. On other days, you may be travelling to a corporate partner to run a business simulation workshop for 15 year-olds or leading a group of final year primary school students on a campus visit for their graduation.

As an Education Worker, you’ll always be delivering the programme as part of your centre team, which means that any delivery is always a team effort. 

Job Purpose:

Assisting in the resettlement of vulnerable refugees and Afghan evacuees through the provision of advice, guidance, and support.

Key Responsibilities:

Direct Support for Refugees

• Facilitate initial reception and orientation.
• Provide advice on benefits, housing, health, education, and employment.
• Accompany individuals and families to appointments.

Promoting Integration and Independence

• Encourage engagement in community activities.
• Foster empowerment through supportive relationships based on mutual respect and trust.
• Liaise with local authorities and services for smooth registration and referrals.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure access to mainstream services.

Community Engagement and Awareness

• Work with local voluntary and community organisations to foster a welcoming environment.
• Deliver awareness sessions about resettlement schemes to stakeholders.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Development

• Participate in reviews and development of the resettlement scheme.
• Contribute to monitoring and evaluation processes.

Team Contribution

• Engage in team meetings, staff training, and organisational events.

Person Specification:

Essential Criteria: 

•  Emotional Intelligence & Compassion in Action: 
  - Understands the importance of recognising and managing emotions in oneself and others. 
  - Recognises the value of care and commitment to making a positive impact in relationships and the community. 
   
• Personal Growth and Empowerment: 
  - Acknowledges the importance of feedback and personal growth with a willingness to learn. 
  - Understands the importance of providing others with support to make decisions and grow. 
   
• Organisational Skills: 
  - Manages tasks efficiently, prioritises effectively, and operates professionally in high-pressure situations.
  - Understands the importance of prioritising workload and meeting deadlines under pressure. 
   
• Technical Knowledge: 
  - Has basic knowledge of email and Microsoft Office tools, with limited practical experience. 
   
• Understanding Refugee Needs: 
  - Demonstrates knowledge of and sensitivity to refugee and asylum seeker needs, actively supporting their wellbeing and empowerment.
   
• Adaptability and Problem-Solving: 
  - Recognises the importance of adapting to change and managing multiple tasks. 
  - Recognises issues and seeks guidance to contribute to potential solutions. 
   
• Communication and Collaboration: 
  - Understands the importance of effective communication and collaboration with stakeholders. 
   
• Ethics and Inclusivity: 
  - Understands the importance of ethical behaviour and maintaining confidentiality. 
  - Recognises the value of cultural diversity and the importance of inclusivity. 
   
• The right to work in the UK.
• Full UK Driving licence and access to your own transport.

Desirable Criteria: 

• Previous experience working with refugees and asylum seekers. 
• Experience of working with families and children.
• Experience in delivering workshops or community events.
• Fluency in a relevant community language. 

Other information:

As part of the recruitment and selection process Upbeat Communities will take up two references.

The post holder will be required to undertake an enhanced DBS check.

Please note that in most cases we would expect a new employee to start at the lower end of the salary range listed above (unless an applicant has specialist experience in a comparable role working with refugees and asylum seekers).

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

Stepping Stones is a small, local charity based in Southwark, supporting adults with learning disabilities to live more connected, creative and fulfilling lives. We believe that everyone deserves a space where they feel seen, valued, and able to express themselves, and that community, creativity, and consistency are key to making that possible. Each week, we run a range of inclusive activities, including music, dance, art, gardening, drama and digital skills. Our sessions offer a fun, safe, welcoming environment where adults with learning disabilities can build friendships, grow in confidence, explore their creativity and feel a true sense of belonging. Many of our learners face social isolation, anxiety, or barriers to taking part in mainstream services. Stepping Stones provides a vital bridge of a consistent community space where people are encouraged, included, and celebrated. 

We’re looking for a friendly, organised and proactive person to join us as our new Activities and Volunteer Coordinator. This is a hands-on, people-focused role. You’ll be the go-to person for keeping our weekly sessions running smoothly, supporting facilitators, welcoming learners, managing session admin and planning community events like our summer show and Christmas party. You’ll also take the lead on developing our volunteer programme by recruiting, inducting and supporting the amazing people who give their time to help make Stepping Stones such a special place.

You’ll be supported by our Charity Manager and work closely with a small, passionate team who care deeply about inclusion, wellbeing and creativity.

We’d love to hear from you if you:

• Have experience working with community groups and adults with learning disabilities (or similar settings)

• Are friendly, organised and calm under pressure

• Know how to manage volunteers with empathy and clarity

• Understand safeguarding, health & safety, and inclusive practice

• Are confident with admin, registers and MS Office programmes.

What we offer:

• A values-led, community-based charity where you can really make a difference

• A part-time, term-time role that could work around other commitments

• A supportive team and space to grow with the role

• Strong potential for extension beyond the first year

We're looking for someone a lttle bit special - someone who believes in the deep potential of children who are not thriving elsewhere in life and who has the experience, passion, energy and the drive to go the extra mile on these young people’s behalf.

The position is an exciting dual role:

1. Volunteering & People Manager (80% of workload)

You'll become a key cog at the heart ofFree to Be's management team, taking lead responsibility for volunteer and staff recruitment and retention, holding and delivering our volunteering strategy, launching a new training infrastructure through 2026-27, and heading up 'all things volunteering'. With one direct report, you'll aim to grow volunteer numbers year on year, ensure volunteers are well matched, and well supported, onto our residential projects, and lead on quality assurance, including volunteering standards concerns/grievances.  Alongside our Services, Operations and Fundraising Managers, you'll be a core management team member holding shared responsibility for the day to day running of an impactful and growing children's mental health and adventure charity and will work closely with our inspiring and supportive CEO to set longer-term key strategic goals underpinning Free to Be's future development.

2. Residential Project Lead Coordinator (20% of role)

Our residentials are fun, immersive, tiring (in all the right ways), impactful and inspiring. A core aspect of all Free to Be Kids staff's roles is leading circa 8-10 of our residential projects across each year - working on the ground with the children, leading the volunteers & staff team on project, and helping make the projects special, safe, and transformative for vulnerable young people, many of whom have damaged confidence, low self-worth, or other social-emotional needs. 

Attendance at approximately 8-10 five-six night residential projects per year outside London is a core component of this role. As a manager, you'd likely attend 8-10 residentials in year 1 to build familiarity with both the projects and our volunteer base, with this dropping to c.8 per year thereafter.

On offer to the right candidate:

Salary: Circa £38,000 - £40,000, dependent on experience.

Hours: Fulltime: 37.5 hours per week. Essential attendance on at c.8-10 residential projects a year.

Leave: 25 days per year, plus bank holidays and up to 13 additional pre-set discretionary reward days in September and during the Christmas period. A substantial perk of the role is potential to take up to 4 consecutive weeks off to travel each September.

Other benefits: 4% employer pension contribution paid on full base salary, rising by 1% per year of service, up to a maximum of 7%; hybrid working; office with great transport links; flexible working (outside core hours); employee reward scheme; tight-knit, fun, vibrant, cohesive staff team with great morale.

Based: Hybrid – our small office in Waterloo, London. Hybrid working is well established with the majority of the team splitting time around 50:50 between the office and home.

To start: Early January 2026. 

Who we’re looking for:

Our next Volunteering Manager hero. You'll be fun, flexible, energised, experienced in work with young people with addtional needs, and looking to join an organisation you can believe in and who in return will believe and invest in you.

Kind, empathetic, resilient and efficient, you’ll have a real affinity for supporting others - whether volunteers, more junior staff, or children themselves. We're looking for someone who loves working with young people, as you'll be role modelling that commitment and energy to our volunteers and playing a leading role in holding our already thriving team culture. Volunteer Management or HR experience is a bonus, and capacity and personality to quickly pick that up is a must, but ultimately we're looking for the right organisational fit - someone who believes in what we do and wants to step up to join a management team working hard to deliver it. 

You’ll have the flexibility to work away from home on (up to) 10 five to six day residential projects per year. Ideally, you’ll also have experience of leading projects for children – whether residential or non-residential - for example as a teacher, or running groups in other settings. Experience of working on or leading residentials projects themselves is not required but may be an advantage.

We are a small, vibrant, 'can do', friendly staff team of 10, supported by a committed volunteer base of around 300.

We are particularly keen to encourage applications from those who can help us represent the lived experiences of our children through their own lived experience or background.

To apply:

See full Job Description & Person Specification on our website.

Send a copy of your CV or up to date LinkedIn profile, as well as a covering letter and introductory short video, by the closing date of 10pm, Wednesday 26th November 2025.

Covering letters should be very approximately 1 to 1.5 sides A4 and address the question of: ‘Why this role, why now’, as well as ‘what strengths, experience and skills you would bring into the role’.We also ask for a short (1-3 minutes) informal video introducing yourself and touching on the person specification. We have found this helps bring the strongest applications to life, and filters out AI driven applications.

Selection Process and Timeline:

Selection will be via two stage interview. As there is only a short turnaround from application closure on 26th November to 1st stage interviews 1st-2nd December, we will assess applications and offer interview slots throughout the window. However, you will not be disadvantaged if you need to wait till the closing date to submit.

1st stage interviews: Mon 1st - Tues 2nd December (virtual)

2nd stage final interviews: Mon 8th - Tues 9th December (in-person preferred, London Waterloo)

Please hold interview dates as alternate dates are unlikely to be available.

​The role requires an Enhanced DBS check and existing right to work in the UK.

If you have any questions about the role, contact us via our website and we’d be happy to arrange an informal chat. We look forward to hearing from you!