Playworker
Playworkers help children and young people to develop their physical, social and language skills through play.
Also known as: Childcare assistant, wraparound care assistant
- Starter salary£20,000 a year
- Experienced£24,000 a year
What you'll do
As a playworker, you could:
- set up play areas that encourage children to develop through play
- build strong relationships with children and respond to their needs
- lead games, supervise children and give out refreshments
- encourage children to express themselves and talk about their worries
- build positive relationships with parents, carers and professionals
- make sure children are safe and secure
- deal with injuries and emergencies
Working environment
You could work in the community, at a school, in an NHS or private hospital or in a holiday play scheme.
Your working environment may be outdoors some of the time.
You may need to wear a uniform.
Skills and knowledge you'll need
You'll need:
- sensitivity and understanding
- the ability to work well with others
- to be flexible and open to change
- excellent verbal communication skills
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- thinking and reasoning skills
- active listening skills
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
How to become a playworker
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- volunteering
- applying directly
College
You could do a college course to get some of the skills you'll need in this job. You could take a course in outdoor play and learning or a T Level in Education and Early Years.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for these courses vary.
- 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level
Apprenticeship
You could apply to do a Playworker Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship.
This usually takes around a year and a half to complete and is a mix of study and workplace learning.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
Volunteering
You could volunteer to build up your experience of working with children.
You could volunteer at:
- a playgroup
- a school
- an after school club
- a holiday club
- an adventure playground
This may lead into paid work, where you could do training on the job.
Direct application
You can apply for playworker jobs if you're already a qualified childcare worker.
You can also do the Level 3 Award in Transition to Playwork qualification to help before you apply for roles.
Restrictions and requirements
You'll need to:
- pass enhanced background checks
You'll need to have a positive attitude towards children and enjoy working with them.
Career path and progression
With experience and training, you could:
- work as a playwork development officer for a local authority
- become a playwork scheme supervisor, senior playworker or manager
- move into a school as a teaching assistant
- become self employed and set up an after school club or childcare project
Career tips
A paediatric first aid certificate will be useful but is not essential.
A working week can vary from a few hours up to full time. Advertised pay rates are often listed as full-time equivalent (FTE). Actual pay will depend on the number of hours worked.
Guides for this industry
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Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0