Children & Young People Development Worker / Play Therapist Location: Southampton Salary : £31,612 per annum Vacancy Type: Full time Closing date: 20 April, 2026 Make a real difference to the lives of children and young people affected by domestic abuse. At the organisation, they believe every child deserves a safe space to heal and thrive. They’re looking for a compassionate and creative Children & Young People Development Worker / Play Therapist to join their Domestic Abuse Services team. This is a unique opportunity to use your skills to empower children and young people through therapeutic play and person-centred support. What you’ll do Deliver age-appropriate, strengths-based play therapy to children and young people living in their refuge accommodation. Use a variety of creative techniques – from storytelling and art to music and role play – to help children express themselves and build resilience. Work with the children, young people and families development workers to create individual support plans and work closely with parents to create safe, nurturing environments. Collaborate with multi-agency partners and contribute to safeguarding best practice. Play a key role in shaping their children and family support programme. What they’re looking for A recognised qualification in psychotherapy or counselling (Dip/PGDip or above) and registration with a relevant professional body (e.g., UKCP, BACP, BAPT). Experience delivering outcomes-focused therapy to children and young people. Strong understanding of child development, attachment theory, and the impact of domestic abuse. Ability to work creatively, flexibly, and in a non-judgemental way. Excellent communication and partnership skills. Ready to make an impact? Apply today and help us create safe, supportive spaces where children and young people can flourish. This post is restricted to female applicants only under the provisions of the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, Part 1. The role is based within a female-only domestic abuse refuge, where the provision of services requires a female worker to ensure the privacy, dignity, and safety of residents. Discover the organisation: The organisation have 20 years’ experience delivering refuge, safe accommodation and community based domestic abuse services. Their services include Women and Children’s Refuges, LGBTQ Safe Space, a South Asian Women’s Refuge and dispersed accommodation to support those that are unable to access traditional Refuges such as male survivors, those with pets and those facing multiple and complex disadvantage. Their dispersed model of safe accommodation ensures equal access for all. the organisation is a leading housing provider. They manage around 39,000 homes, serving 82,000 survivors across their portfolio of affordable properties for general rent, shared ownership and sale, alongside specialist accommodation, with an ambitious house-building programme. Their mission is to provide quality homes and services for people whose needs are not met by the open market. They’re looking for like-minded people to join their team of over 800 talented colleagues who embody their values of being ethical, ambitious, passionate, agile and commercial, as well as people who want to make a difference and transform people’s lives. they are a Disability Confident Employer and working towards accreditation for becoming a Disability Confident Leader, which allows us to record and report on disability, mental health and wellbeing in the workplace to better support their colleagues. They have also achieved accreditation for being an Advanced Employer for Investing in Ethnicity Maturity Matrix. They are committed to being a Menopause Friendly employer and working towards accreditation their Menopause Friendly accreditation. they reserve the right to bring the closing date forward should enough quality applications be received prior to the current closing date. To Apply If you feel you are a suitable candidate and would like to work for the organisation, please click apply.