Lead Play Practitioner – Play Ranger Team
This role is part time 28 hours per week on a 1 year Fixed Term Contract.
Rugby Borough Council is dedicated to both Community and Colleague growth. With a focus on wellbeing and personal development, we offer a range of career opportunities where you can take pride in the positive changes you help create. Join an organisation committed to the success of one of the Country’s fastest-growing boroughs and the people who make it thrive.
About the role
This role is part time 28 hours per week on a 1 year Fixed Term Contract.
Motivated and passionate about improving children’s health, wellbeing, and resilience, you will take a lead role within the Play Ranger team to develop and deliver engaging play opportunities for children and young people across Rugby Borough, in line with the Borough Play Strategy and the Council’s Corporate Strategy.
Reporting to and working closely with the Play Development Officer, you will help shape and develop the Play Ranger service, bringing forward ideas from the wider Play Ranger team and supporting the development of new initiatives and projects. You will take responsibility for planning and developing the daily play activity programme across schools, Activity Dens, Outreach sessions, holiday provision and borough-wide events, including the continued development of the Playhem model of activity.
Play sessions are delivered throughout term time and holiday periods within parks, green spaces, schools, woodland settings, and community venues, including after-school provision and evening youth clubs. You will provide strong on-the-ground leadership during sessions, directing staff where they are needed, supporting colleagues in their practice and ensuring play opportunities are safe, inclusive, engaging in both Play Ranger led workshops and child-led play focussed sessions.
You will also contribute to the ongoing improvement of the service by identifying opportunities for new provision and supporting the Play Development Officer with monitoring, evaluation and reporting. The role includes creating activities, completing administrative tasks such as risk assessments, communicating with schools, partners and participants, maintaining accurate participation records, supporting report content, and helping to manage activity resources with an understanding of the Play Development budget.
Within this programme you will also support our Woodland Wanderers provision both in schools and during holiday periods. Taking place in woodland spaces, school grounds and parks, an understanding of Forest School principles, a Forest school leader qualification and/or experience with outdoor explorative play would be desirable.
About you
You will have experience of working with children and a good understanding of child-led play, with the ability to develop and adapt activities to meet the needs and interests of different age groups and communities.
You’ll have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the confidence to lead and support a team during live play sessions, clearly directing staff and helping colleagues develop their practice. You will also be able to build positive relationships with children, young people, schools, families, community groups and partner organisations.
You will be creative, resourceful and able to turn ideas into engaging play opportunities, while being confident contributing to the development of new projects and initiatives. You will understand the importance of listening to children, communities and colleagues and using their ideas and feedback to help shape the future of the service.
Alongside this you’ll be organised and able to balance practical delivery with planning, administration, risk assessments, communication, monitoring and resource management. You will have a good understanding of safeguarding and child protection and be committed to creating safe, inclusive and enriching play environments.
An understanding of Forest School principles and outdoor play would be desirable.
Your own transport, with the ability to carry equipment to various locations is essential.
This post is subject to an enhanced disclosure under the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Benefits
- 35 days annual leave (including 8 Bank Holidays and 3 extra days normally applied at Christmas) – Pro rata
- Generous Local Government Pension Scheme
- Annual leave purchase scheme
- Structured Induction Program
- Learning and Development opportunities including Future Leaders programmes
- Payment of a professional subscription for approved professionals
- Family Friendly Policies
- Independent Support for your health & wellbeing
- Generous compassionate leave
- Extra Benefits including Retail Discounts, Cycle to Work scheme and more
For an informal discussion about this role, please email Caroline.Seex@rugby.gov.uk to arrange a call.
Interview Date: 7 December 2026
Applicants are advised to apply early as if a large number of applications are received for this post we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the advertised date.
Salary range
- £20,316 - £21,999 per year