Project Worker 2 - Play for All

BARNARDO'S

28,124.46 - 37,117.07 per year

East Belfast Family Connections

Part-time

8th March 2026

Listed today

We are seeking a dedicated and compassionate Project Worker 2 to join our Play for All Team team.

About the Service

Barnardo's Play for All is an inclusive play and leisure service for children with learning difficulties, sensory impairments and medical conditions between the ages of 5 and 12. The aim of Play for All is to provide inclusive play activities for children, to assist in the development of their self-esteem and to provide lasting health and wellbeing benefits.

Play for All Saturday clubs are located in Bangor, Downpatrick, Gilnahirk, Hannahstown and Saintfield and run fortnightly from September to June.

Initial Responsibilities

This Project Worker 2 post will support the Children's Services Manager in the operational management of the Play for All clubs.

The post holder will be required to:

liaise with statutory and community groups, parents and young people to promote the service and recruit participants and volunteers
manage referrals, carry out needs assessments with parents and children, allocate places and monitor waiting lists
line management responsibility for Play Leaders and volunteers, including induction, supervision and performance management
oversee operations of Saturday Play Clubs, promoting inclusion and ensuring compliance regarding health and safety, data protection and safeguarding
administrative duties such as record keeping, data collection and reporting
contributing to service development

Please ensure that you outline on your application how you meet the following:

Essential requirements:

Minimum Level 5 qualification in Early Years or Child Development or other relevant subject
Awareness of factors and issues impacting on children with disabilities and their families
Demonstrable experience of developing and delivering play activities for children aged 5-12
Demonstrable experience of managing staff and/ or volunteers including induction, supervision, supporting learning and development and performance management
Knowledge and experience of responding to safeguarding concerns
Strong IT skills and ability to prepare reports and compile management information using Microsoft Packages
Experience of partnership working with professionals and commissioners
Full UK driving licence with access to a car for business purposes. (As driving is an intrinsic part of this role, applicants with a disability that prevents them from driving should be able to demonstrate an alternative means of meeting the mobility requirements of the post)

Occasional evening and weekend work will be an element of this post, and the post holder will need to demonstrate that they can meet this requirement.

Closing Date: Midnight, 8 March 2026

Interview Date: W/C 16 March 2026

Location: 230c Belmont Road, Belfast with option for hybrid working

Hours: 14 hours per week (Term time working 42 weeks out of 52)

Although this contract has a permanent status, please be aware that this post is subject to funding currently to 31 March 2027 and therefore should this funding not be extended further, you may be subject to a redundancy consultation or a TUPE arrangement.

Contact: recruitment.support@barnardos.org.uk

The successful candidates will also be required to undertake an Enhanced Access NI with Child Barred List check.

A waiting list will be held in the event that similar vacancies arise during the next 12 months

Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible.

Barnardo's believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore open to offering flexible working arrangements.

At Barnardo's we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and we expect all staff and volunteers to share in this commitment. Our safer recruitment processes mean that the safety and welfare of the child is paramount at every stage of the process and therefore, we adopt rigorous scrutiny in our pre-employment checking. This post is subject to a range of pre-employment checks including a Criminal Records Enhanced Disclosure for the successful candidate.

At Barnardo's we believe in children – no matter who they are, what they have done or what they have been through. Please read about our basis and values following the link below. You will be asked questions relating to them as part of the recruitment process for this role.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is reflected in our values and our practice, and we have invested in this area of our work to ensure that we can deliver on our commitments to be an inclusive employer. EDI is a key enabler of our purpose as a charity and we want to ensure that the diversity of our teams is reflective of the communities we serve and that we continue to learn and develop our work with a focus on inclusion. We particularly encourage applications from candidates from Black, Asian and Minoritised Ethnic Communities, candidates who are LGBT+ and Disabled candidates.

Reference number:22523
Job Title:Project Worker 2 - Play for All
Location:East Belfast Family Connections
Contract type:Permanent (Fixed term funded post)
End date:31 March 2027
Hours:14 (Term Time)
Salary:£28,124.46 - £37,117.07 FTE
Closing Date:8 March 2026
Interview Date:wb 16th March 2026

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Project Worker 2 - Play for All

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