Playworker

Playworkers provide stimulating play opportunities to encourage children to learn, develop and express themselves. They set up safe and creative play areas. Playworkers work in a variety of settings, including play centres, adventure playgrounds, mobile play buses, holiday playschemes and hospitals.

Work activities

The role of playworkers is to guide and support play, making sure that it is fun, creative and safe. They usually work with children aged between 4 and 16 years of age, or they may specialise in a particular age group.

Play encourages children’s concentration, creativity, imagination, ability to solve problems, general sense of discovery and many other skills and qualities. Play activities include games, arts and crafts, drama, swimming, and outdoor trips. Playworkers help children to make friends, learn new skills, develop as individuals and work together in teams. Playworkers provide stimulating play opportunities to encourage children to learn, develop and express themselves. They set up and look after materials and resources, and make sure children are safely and comfortably equipped to do an activity.

Making sure play is safe is a very important part of the playworker’s job. They deal with any injuries and emergencies and make children aware of safety by pointing out hazards. Playworkers comfort children if they are hurt or upset. They must report injuries to a parent, carer or guardian, or if they work in a hospital, to a doctor. Playworkers should also report any changes in a child’s habits or behaviour, for example, if they are unusually quiet or seem to be off their food. In hospitals, play is recognised as very important to the treatment of sick children. It helps children take their mind off their illness, deal with stress and anxiety, and feel more comfortable with nurses and doctors. Babies and very young children in special care units and general wards also benefit from play.

Playworkers use resources such as mirrors, colourful mobiles, toys and music. Playworkers might do administrative tasks, such as keeping records, writing reports and looking after petty cash. They may also help to recruit and train new staff. Some playworkers progress to act as supervisors or managers, dealing with paperwork and looking after staff and resources, usually on larger sites or for a play service in a local authority.

Being able to read, write and speak Welsh may be an advantage when you’re looking for work in Wales.

Personal qualities and skills

As a playworker, you need:

Stamina and a lot of energy.
Patience and tolerance.
A sense of fun.
Creativity and imagination.
Good communication and interpersonal skills.
An understanding of the importance of play to children’s physical, social and emotional development.

You should be able to:

Use your initiative.
Stay calm under pressure.
Work well as part of a team.
Respond quickly and calmly to emergencies.
Cope with noise and constant demands for your attention.
Plan and support safe and fun activities that stimulate children.
Give encouragement and show understanding.

As this work involves physical activity, you must be reasonably fit.

Pay and opportunities

Pay rates for playworkers vary. Playworkers earn in the range £14,500 per year, rising to £22,000 with experience.

Working hours for playworkers vary. According to the National Careers Service, hours tend to be between 10 and 25 hours per week. However, some playworkers work full time. Hospital play specialists working in the NHS may work weekends as well. Other employers require ‘out-of-school hours’ working. Part-time and temporary jobs are also available.

Opportunities for playworkers occur throughout the UK. Local authorities employ playworkers throughout the country to work in play centres, play buses, summer schemes, adventure playgrounds, community projects and after-school clubs. In the NHS, playworkers are known as hospital play specialists. Children’s hospitals have large play departments employing up to 40 hospital play specialists each. In general hospitals small teams of play staff work in different areas of the hospital. There are also opportunities in the private sector, and as a voluntary playworker.

Where are vacancies advertised?

Vacancies are advertised in local newspapers, on employers’ websites, and on the Government’s Find a Job and Find an Apprenticeship services.

Entry routes and training

You’ll usually need to have a childcare qualification to get into this career at entry level, though there are no strict requirements. Some people start off on a voluntary or temporary basis - on a summer play scheme, for example. For a higher-level position, you’ll usually need to have gained a more specific playwork qualification. Awards, Certificates and Diplomas in playwork are available, at levels 2 and 3.

A number of apprenticeships also offer a good way into this role:

Early years practitioner (level 2 / intermediate)
Hospital play specialist (level 5 / higher) – this leads to a foundation degree

The CACHE (Council for Awards in Care, Health and Education) diplomas in playwork can be gained while working in a playwork position. CACHE offers playwork-related qualifications at all levels. A small number of degree and foundation degree qualifications in playwork are also available.

Rehabilitation of Offenders Act: This career is an exception to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. This means that you must supply information to an employer about any spent or unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings, if they ask you to. This is different from other careers, where you only have to reveal information on unspent convictions if you are asked to.

Qualifications

There is no strict requirement for playworkers to be qualified. In practice, however, playworkers tend to hold a relevant childcare or playwork qualification. Some people start on a voluntary or temporary basis, and work towards vocational qualifications.

If you wish to enter this career through an apprenticeship, you will need to be qualified for that apprenticeship level. To begin an intermediate apprenticeship, you will need GCSEs in English and maths, although if you don’t have these you may be able to gain them as part of your course. To do a higher apprenticeship, you will need two A-levels/equivalent as well as GCSEs. An equivalent qualification might include an intermediate apprenticeship.

Adult opportunities

Age limits: It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

Apprenticeships offer a way in for older workers as well as those at the beginning of their career.

Colleges usually consider adult candidates who don’t have the regular entry requirements. Check the admissions policy of the college that runs the course you’re interested in. The Council for Awards in Care, Health and Education (CACHE) offers a suite of relevant childcare courses, which can be studied on a full-time, part-time, weekend, work-based or open learning basis. A list of training providers is available from the CACHE website. Edexcel offers relevant BTEC qualifications, available at some colleges by part-time study.

Related careers

Care assistant – children
Childminder
Nanny
Nurse – children
Nursery nurse
Parents’ help
School lunchtime supervisor
Teaching assistant
Youth worker