Deputy Playground Manager
Portsmouth City CouncilPortsmouth, South East
Overview
This is a local council role (full time) with Portsmouth City Council based in Portsmouth. The advertised salary is £29,170 to £33,119 per year. Applications close on 27 October 2026. GovJobs has indexed this vacancy from its official source — use the apply button to view the full advert and apply directly.
Job description
- Support the Playground Manager in the day-to-day running of the playground, including oversight of staff, resources, site, health and safety, and safeguarding.
- Deputise for the Playground Manager in their absence, being the site responsible person, managing staff, attending meetings and ensuring quality service delivery.
- Deliver and engage children, young people and families in rich and varied play opportunities.
- Respond with empathy and perception to the play needs of children and young people.
- Recognise the responsibility of being a positive role model for young people, and the integrity and professionalism required to do that.
- Work respectfully with children and their families, responding positively to diversity and promoting a positive peer culture.
- Recognise the choice that young people make to engage with us, the privileged and unique relationships between young people and playworkers and build on these relationships whilst maintaining professional boundaries.
- Use safeguarding knowledge and experience alongside professional curiosity to promote the welfare of children through robust safeguarding procedures with a contextual focus.
- Engage with children, families, and internal and external agencies to embed the playground within its community.
- Represent the adventure playground and the service whilst working collaboratively alongside external agencies and professionals, such as at safeguarding, community or partnership meetings.
- Engage with relevant training and Continuing Professional Development opportunities.
- Create and contribute to a culture and working practices that recognise, respect and value differences.
- Implement safeguarding and health and safety policies and procedures.
- Conduct site, structure and equipment inspections to check that they are fit for purpose, and support in maintaining a clean, safe environment, carrying out remedial repairs, ongoing maintenance and cleaning duties.
- Strong communication skills with the ability to adapt communication consistent with different levels of understanding, culture, background and preferences.
- Have safeguarding knowledge and experience to promote the welfare of children through robust safeguarding procedures with a contextual focus.
- A willingness to bring your own interests, skills, experiences and personality to enrich the play opportunities for children and young people.
- An empathic, inquisitive, and creative approach to engaging and working with children and young people as part of a small team.
- The ability to build positive, respectful relationships with children, young people and their families whilst maintaining professional boundaries.
- The skills to use relational and restorative practice, recognising that children communicate with a range of different behaviours and having an awareness of your own limitations.
- Knowledge and understanding of play and playwork, reflective practice and the importance of risk in play.
- The ability to meet the physical and mental demands of the role, acknowledging that the role can be as challenging as it is rewarding.
- The ability to deliver and engage children, young people and families in rich and varied play opportunities.
- To be approachable and interested in the children and their world, using relational authenticity to support this.
- To be able to work under pressure and manage conflict.
- High level numeracy, literacy and IT skills.
- To be able to work flexibly throughout the week, including on Saturdays and throughout school holidays across the service.
- A recognised playwork qualification.
- A clean, full driving licence.
- A MIDAS qualification.
- A first aid qualification.
- Carpentry and structure building skills to support child led self-build projects.
- Relevant specialist skills for example sports, arts, crafts, carpentry and structure building, additional language(s), alternative communication systems, a Food Hygiene certificate.
How this role compares
We hold 243 council vacancies in South East that publish a salary, and their median advertised starting figure is £36,264. This role pays less than about 70% of them.
There are 3,980 council roles open across the UK on GovJobs right now, 370 of them in South East.
You have 6 days left to apply. Council adverts we hold typically run for around 28 days, so this is a shorter window than usual.
Portsmouth City Council has 14 other vacancies open on GovJobs, with a breakdown of what they pay and the kinds of roles they recruit for.
These figures are calculated from the vacancies GovJobs currently holds, not from official pay statistics. They are a guide to the market, not a valuation of this post.
How to apply
GovJobs does not take applications or send your details to the employer. Use the apply button to open the official Lg Jobs advert, then check the employer's instructions, attachments, person specification and closing time before applying.
This listing was last checked on 6 Oct 2026, 04:34. If the official advert has changed or closed, report it and we will review the listing.
Why this listing is on GovJobs
GovJobs indexes public-sector vacancies from official sources, normalises the title, employer, location, salary and deadline, and links back to the source so you can verify the advert yourself.
The source for this role is Lg Jobs. Applications stay on the official employer or source website, not on GovJobs.