Holiday Activities & Food (HAF) Co-Ordinator

About Us

North Somerset Council is committed to providing high-quality services to our community. We are committed to creating a fair, green, and more inclusive environment for all our residents. Join us and contribute to making a positive impact on our community.

The Role

We are seeking a dedicated, organised and committed individual to lead the Holiday, Activity and Food Programme (HAF) across North Somerset to join our Strategy, Policy & Development Team.

The HAF programme provides support to children from low-income families during school holiday periods. Research has shown that the school holidays can be pressure points for some families. For some children that can lead to a holiday experience gap. Children from low-income households are more likely to experience food insecurity and social isolation, miss out on physical activity and enriching experiences, and fall behind in development and well-being.

The HAF programme provides grant funding to local authorities to co-ordinate free holiday provision for eligible children. This is a fixed term contract for 3 years which is funded by DFE.

In this role, you will;.

Key Responsibilities:

• Have a lead responsibility for developing the HAF programme to ensure that there is a broad and engaging offer of physical and creative activities across North Somerset to encourage children and young people to be active, eat well and have fun during the school holidays. To work in collaboration with schools, colleagues and partners including the voluntary and private sector, within the local authority to ensure there is adequate holiday provision to improve outcomes for children and young people in receipt of benefits related free school meals.
• Develop and agree a programme, plan and commission activities and refreshment in line with funding terms and conditions, with a particular focus on children and young people who are eligible for benefit related free school meals
• Ensure that funding is allocated in a fair, transparent, and timely manner to ensure effective delivery and manage the programme budget providing financial updates and reports as required
• Ensure the grant is administered in accordance with the terms and conditions of the DfE grant funding, and in compliance with Financial Standing Orders
• Work with colleagues and partners to ensure that the programme is targeted and promoted to eligible families, including developing a communication plan to ensure take up of places and monitor and evaluate participation
• Identify gaps in provision and work with partners to develop new initiatives to provide services in those areas.

This position is exempt under the provisions of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions) Order 1975 and is subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

Valid driving licence and own transport, or be able to provide alternative, suitable method of travel is an essential condition for this role.

Work Style

At North Somerset Council, we offer a hybrid working environment based on four distinct work styles. Depending on the role and personal circumstances, you will fall into one of these categories. However, please note that during the induction period, it may be necessary to spend more time in the office to support your learning and development. We are flexible and open to discussions about your preferred working style, and if you wish to be in the office more frequently, this can be negotiated.

This role falls into the category of Mobile/Field Worker which means you can expect to work in the following way:

• 0-1 day in the office
• Includes field workers who primarily work remotely.
• Comes into the office for meetings or focused work. Virtual connections with the team are essential, with portable technology supporting work on the go.

About You

We are looking for an individual who possesses the following skills and experience:

Essential Criteria:

• Vocational qualification or experience to level 4 or above, relevant to the service user group or equivalent.
• Approved professional qualification relevant to the area of work or extensive practical experience of working with service user groups giving rise to a variety of technical skills and sound understanding of the services available, legal responsibilities, work practices and processes relevant to the role.
• Knowledge and understanding of safeguarding protocols and the threshold levels for service users' groups.
• Ability to analyse designated areas of work and make decision to improve them.
• Ability to engage with service users and partner agencies within the relevant codes of practice values (dignity, respect etc)
• Ability to manage/organise own work to meet agreed deadlines

What We Offer

At North Somerset Council, we value our employees and provide a supportive and inclusive work environment. We offer:

• Competitive salary and benefits
• Flexible working arrangements
• Local Government Pension
• Opportunities for professional development
• Inclusive Staff groups including Carers, Disabled, LGBTQ+, REACH (Race, Ethnicity, and Cultural Heritage), and Young Staff Forums
• Opportunity to purchase up to an additional 10 days annual leave each year
• Dedicated in house Wellbeing Team
• Salary sacrifice Cycle to Work and Electric Vehicle schemes

Further details of our excellent rewards package can be found in our Benefits booklet.

How to Apply

If you share our vision and valuesand are ready to make an impact to North Somerset, please select the apply online button below. If you are interested in this exciting opportunity, please submit your application by 11.59pm on the application closing date. When completing our online application form, please detail how you meet the essential criteria for the role.

Contact Information

For further information about the role, please contact Helen Caldwell, Strategy & Policy Development Manager at helen.caldwell@n-somerset.gov.uk or 07775 544368.

Important Information

As a Disability Confident Leader, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job role.

Interview Date: Monday 19 January 2026.

Please note: We are currently only able to accept applications from candidates who have full permission to work in the UK and are unable to provide Sponsorship for this role.

Equal Opportunities

At North Somerset Council we want all our employees to feel valued and appreciated. We aim to ensure equality of opportunity and prevent discrimination irrespective of your sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion or belief, race, age, disability, including neurodiversity, if you are married or in a civil partnership or are pregnant or currently on maternity leave. We strive to create a workplace that reflects the communities we serve and where everyone feels empowered to bring their full, authentic selves to work.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all our staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

We reserve the right to close this advertisement early or extend the closing date depending on the number of applications received.