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Job Description
Job title:Play Coordinator
Responsible to:Director, H & F Mencap
Managed by:Parent Carer Advocate
Hours:36 Hours per week
Salary: £25,000 pro rata
Contract:Until March 2013
Purpose of the Job:
- To promote inclusion of disabled children in mainstream play and leisure facilities in Hammersmith & Fulham
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- To work with disabled children and their families to identify appropriate play/leisure provisionboth in Hammersmith & Fulham and surrounding boroughs
- To support disabled children to access mainstream and specialist play provision in Hammersmith & Fulham
- To liaise with families of disabled children to identify gaps in play provision and play services within Hammersmith & Fulham.
- To coordinate a term time after school and half term activity for disabled children
- In collaboration with Mencap to identify funding streams to sustain and develop the project
- To work in partnership with other statutory and third sector agencies
Key Responsibilities:
- To be responsible for the development of the project
- To ensure and support a common understanding of disability with mainstream play and leisure providers in the borough
- To work with disabled children and their families to identify current use of play/leisure facilities and gaps in services
- To work with individual disabled children and their families to identify need and appropriate provision
- To work in partnership with the Disabled Children’s Team to identify families needing play support
- To coordinate an after school and half term activity for disabled children
- To carry out research into appropriate funding streams to support the development and ongoing sustainability of the post and development of potential play/leisure projects
- To work in partnership with neighbouring boroughs to enable effective development and delivery of inclusive play
- To monitor the project and provide dataand analysis looking at all aspects of take up of play and leisure by disabled children in the borough
- To promote awareness inclusive play across Children’s Services and other appropriate services, borough wide.
- To signpost families to appropriate play/leisure provisionand specific family support services
- To safeguard and promote the welfare of children and young people according to the Hammersmith & Fulham Child Protection Policy in line within London Guidelines.
- Develop and maintain all records, policies and procedures in line with H&F Fulham Local Authority and H&F MENCAP confidentiality and data protection standards.
- To be an active member of the H & F Mencap team and attend team meetings, events and be committed to challenging discrimination and promote equal opportunities.
Inclusion Play Worker
Person Specification
- Significant (2 years plus) experience of direct work with families with disabled children
Experience of managing projects
- Demonstrate knowledge in identifying the play needs of disabled children.
- Ability to identify opportunities for play for disabled children
- Ability to work on own initiative
- Ability to prioritise and manage a workload
- Excellent communication and networking skills
- Demonstrate a good understanding of play
- Knowledge of recent developments in play
- Knowledge of disability issues and current legislation
- Ability to evaluate and analyse project
- Good IT skills and knowledge of basic software packages
EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION
The following outlines basic information about working terms and conditions. Full terms and conditions are included in the contract, which will be offered to the successful applicant.
Location
The usual place of employment is at The Stamford Brook Centre, 14 to 16 Stamford Brook Avenue, London W6 0YD, or at such place or places where it is necessary to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the post.
Hours of Work
Full time employees work 36 hours a week. Normal office hours are 9.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday.
From time to time it may be necessary to work beyond normal working hours to meet the demands of the job. This post will require flexible working dependent on demands of the post. No overtime payment will be made but time off in lieu may be given.
Benefits
The salary is as advertised for the post and is inclusive of London Weighting.
The annual leave entitlement is 25 days (calculated pro-rata for part-time employees). The leave year is 1 January to 31 December.
Probationary Period
There will be a probationary period of six months.