SPECIALIST PLAY PRACTITIONER AND COMMUNITY SERVICES MANAGER
Salary: £28,400 – £30,000 per annum (dependent on experience)
Location: Buckinghamshire community settings, family homes, and our hospice hub (location flexible), with attendance at UK-based events as required
Hours: Flexible working pattern, typically 37.5 hours per week, with occasional weekend, evening, or community event commitments depending on family and service needs
Contract: Permanent
Reporting To: Founding Director/CEO
ADVERT
Advert Live: Thursday 14 November 2025
Closing Date: Friday 21 November 2025 at 5pm
Shortlisting: Saturday 23 or Sunday 24 November 2025
Stage 1 Interviews (Zoom): From Monday 24 November 2025
Stage 2 Interviews (Face-to-Face): From Monday 24 November 2025
Start Date: Early January 2026 (or sooner if available)
ABOUT FOREVER COLOURS CHILDREN'S HOSPICE
Forever Colours Children's Hospice is Buckinghamshire's only dedicated children's hospice organisation. We support babies, children, and young people with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, alongside their parents, carers and siblings.
Our work is family-centred and community-based. Support is provided in family homes, in local community spaces and in our hospice hub. We focus on memory-making, emotional wellbeing, connection, and helping families feel seen, understood and supported during the most challenging of times.
We currently support over 150 babies, children and young people and more than 600 family members across Buckinghamshire.
ABOUT THE ROLE
You will lead the coordination and delivery of our Specialist Play and Community Programmes, creating opportunities for children, young people, and their families to connect, play, and make memories.
This is a hands-on management role, balancing creative delivery with leadership and coordination responsibilities. You will line manage and support a team of volunteers, plan and deliver family activities, and help shape the future of our play and family engagement offer.
You will work closely with families to plan and deliver personalised play sessions, adapting your approach creatively for each child's unique communication style, physical needs, and preferences.
You will also play a key part in developing and delivering small projects, managing allocated budgets, contributing to funding bids, and building community partnerships to strengthen support for families across Buckinghamshire.
The majority of sessions take place in children's homes or community settings, so confidence in lone working and flexible travel is essential. A driving licence and access to a vehicle suitable for work-related travel is required.
ABOUT YOU
You are a motivated, creative, and compassionate professional who believes wholeheartedly in the power of play and community connection. You enjoy taking initiative, developing new ideas, and seeing projects through to completion.
You will bring:
* Experience working with children or young people in a care, education, or home-based setting
* Understanding of developmental and sensory play approaches
* Confidence to work independently and lead volunteers
* Ability to plan, prioritise, and manage small projects or activities
* Awareness of safeguarding, child protection, and data protection principles
* Warmth, patience, and emotional intelligence
* Interest in continuous learning, reflective practice, and collaborative teamwork
Experience supporting children with complex needs, managing small budgets, or contributing to funding bids is desirable but not essential. Training, shadowing and ongoing support will be provided.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Leadership and Volunteer Management
* Recruit, train, and support volunteers involved in play, sibling, and community sessions.
* Provide day-to-day guidance and reflective supervision to volunteers and sessional staff. Coordinate rotas, maintain accurate records, and ensure all volunteers follow safeguarding procedures.
Project Development and Delivery
* Lead or co-lead specific family and community projects from design through evaluation.
* Work collaboratively with the Founding CEO/Director and Family Support Manger to scope new initiatives that respond to the needs of families.
* Support the design and delivery of referred child, sibling, family and parent support sessions.
* Contribute to funding applications by providing creative ideas, impact data, and feedback from families.
Budget and Reporting
* Manage delegated project budgets responsibly and maintain accurate expenditure records.
* Provide short narrative or data reports for funders and Trustees where required. Contribute to quarterly service and impact reporting.
Partnership and Community Engagement
* Build positive relationships with local organisations, schools, and community partners.
* Represent Forever Colours at community events, meetings, or collaborative initiatives.
* Support the promotion of the hospice's work through engagement activities, family events, and social media collaboration.
Safeguarding and Governance
* Work within all FCCH policies, including Safeguarding, Data Protection, Health & Safety, and Lone Working. Ensure all concerns are recorded and escalated following FCCH procedures. Participate in regular safeguarding and reflective supervision meetings.
WHAT WE OFFER
· Supportive and compassionate team culture
· Flexible working arrangements
· Ongoing professional and personal development
· Regular reflective practice and supervision
· Paid mileage and pension scheme
· Opportunities to lead creative projects and contribute to fundraising and awareness activities
HOW TO APPLY
To request an application or arrange an informal conversation about the role, please contact:
Email:
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Phone:
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Website:
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Job Type: Full-time
Pay: £28,400.00-£30,000.00 per year
Benefits:
* Company events
* Company pension
* Flexitime
Language:
* English (required)
Work authorisation:
* United Kingdom (required)
Willingness to travel:
* 100% (required)
Work Location: On the road