Language, Play and Early Development Officer

                                
Fixed-term contract until 31 March 2027 initially, with the possibility of a one-year extension.
Gwynedd Council offers an attractive employment package, for more information please click on this Information Pack
Gwynedd Council operates internally through the medium of Welsh, and offers all its services bilingually. The applicant will be required to reach the linguistic level noted as one of the essential skills in the Person Specification.
We encourage everyone who applies for a job with Gwynedd Council to submit job applications in Welsh or bilingually.
(Applications submitted in English only or Welsh only will always be treated equally, but we ask applicants to consider carefully what the linguistic requirements of the job in question is and if it would be more appropriate to submit an application in Welsh.)
For further information about this post please contact Susan Layton on SusanLayton@gwynedd.llyw.cymru or 01286 678824.
Interview date to be confirmed.
Application forms are available from Support Service, Gwynedd Council, Council Offices, Caernarfon, LL55 1SH 
Tel: 01286 679076 
E-Mail: Swyddi@gwynedd.llyw.cymru 
CLOSING DATE:  10:00 AM, 11/08/2026
The Council will request a Disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service for the successful candidate.
If you are successful to be short listed for an interview you will be contacted by E-MAIL using the address provided on your application form. You need to ensure that you check your email regularly.
                            

                
Personal attributes
Essential
•A positive attitude towards service users and colleagues.
•A person with the imagination to train individuals/groups in an engaging manner.
•A diplomatic and welcoming personality.
•A calm and flexible personality.
•Enterprising, confident and ready to take reasonable risks.
•The ability to work with a wide range and variety of people.
•Able to prioritise work and meet specific timescales.
•Able to work as part of a team.
Desirable
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Qualifications and relevant training
Essential
•A good standard of education up to A-Level or equivalent and a qualification that corresponds to NVQ/QCF Level 3 in Childcare or for support workers, or willing to work towards this qualification.
•In specific circumstances, due to the nature of the job, extensive and relevant experience in the health, education, or social care sector will be considered as an additional qualification.
Desirable
•Qualification in play work
•Qualification in Family Support
•Relevant Social Work Qualification in accordance with the Social Care Wales Qualifications Framework
Relevant experience
Essential
•Experience of play work and child development.
•Experience of promoting Language skills
•Experience of working effectively with others including children, parents, staff, and agencies
•Experience of running groups or sessions
•Experience of writing reports
Desirable
•Experience of engaging with children, young people, and their parents when planning, developing, and delivering services.
•Experience of providing professional advice and information to multiple audiences.
•Experience of assessing and responding to diverse and complex needs.
Skills and specialist knowledge
Essential
•Good organisational skills.
•The ability to work innovatively and creatively within a multi-disciplined context.
•Good computer skills and the ability to use Microsoft Office programmes (e.g. Word, Excel, Access, Outlook, PowerPoint).
•Understanding of child development.
•Contemporary knowledge regarding legislation relevant to the field of children, particularly within the early years sector, supporting families and childcare. Skills in preparing and creating clear, concise, and effective reports and documents. The ability to identify and assess needs using various methods.
•Ability to communicate effectively with a wide audience.
•Use of a car and clean current driving licence.
Desirable
Understanding of Health and Safety regulations
Language requirements
Listening and Speaking - Higher
Able to follow a conversation or discussion through the medium of Welsh and English on a professional level and discuss general day to day topics in the field in order to present information and express opinions.Able to give a pre-prepared presentation and respond to any comments and questions on it in Welsh or English.
Reading and Understanding - Higher
Able to understand standard written Welsh and English; both formal and informal.Able to gather information from various sources such as letters, reports, articles through the medium of Welsh and English in order to fulfil the post.
Writing - Higher
Present written information confidently by letter, more detailed and technical report formats, and respond to written requests conveying information, ideas and opinion in Welsh and English (help is available to check the work).
                

                
Purpose of the post
•Ensure that the people of Gwynedd are at the centre of everything we do.
•Ensure that the 'Voice of the child/family' is central to the support.
•Provide bespoke support packages to children and their families to promote language, play and early development at a one-to-one level or within regular groups, fun sessions or activities using strategies and suitable resources to promote developmental, play, sensory, language, communication and social skills.
•Support families with children who demonstrate additional learning needs by offering a one-to-one service that targets the child’s individual needs.
Responsibility for functions
•Group equipment.
•IT equipment and mobile phone.
•Access to confidential Children's files.
•Small budget for courses and activities, e.g. hiring facilities, resources, entertainer, etc.
Main duties
•Hold one-to-one sessions with families either at home or in Flying Start settings by implementing a structured plan that has been agreed with the parents and the extended team, e.g. Health, Language Therapy, Education and ALN.
•Offer a programme of intervention/s by monitoring the progress of each family and their children by writing regular case notes, end of support reports and frequently reviewing plans to correspond with the needs of the families.
•Responsibility for attending professional meetings about the family to report, review, monitor progress, and discuss individual family programmes if an invitation is received. Create reports/notes for and attend family meetings by the Social Services and the Children's Team.
•Hold and attend activities to promote the importance of Play and family time, having given due consideration to the interests and structure, age of the children of the families, i.e. Family Fun Sessions or Play Trailer Sessions.
•Promote and advertise the Teulu Gwynedd information service, Family Fun activities by encouraging and guiding parents to attend sessions.
•Motivate a provision of new groups in co-operation with the Senior Officer/Area Deputy and various partners by:
oIdentifying suitable locations (if required) to run new sessions by conducting appropriate risk assessments, e.g. in parks, at the seaside, etc.
oSupporting the Childcare and Play team with the Play Trailer.
oCollaborate to identify suitable parents/carers and market the sessions locally which includes promoting Information to Gwynedd Families, Health and the Team Around the Family.
oSelect and prepare necessary resources to lead play activities, taking the audience into account by addressing interests, language and cultural background of the parents/carers and their children.
oDisplay equipment safely at the locations, ensuring a suitable environment for various ages.
oGather feedback about the groups through questionnaires and comments book.
oEnsure that the current risk assessment is used in the activities.
•Work within the Quality Framework (Development Pathway 0 to 3 years old), when a child has additional needs by distributing the necessary resources and coordinating the support that is available for the child and coordinating with other agencies.
•Carry out thorough and specific assessments to identify the needs and strengths of children and plan interventions jointly with the family to support them to meet these needs. Use specialist skills, training and experience to support parents and children such ELKLAN and PORTAGE principles.
•Offer information to parents regarding various fields, referring to Teulu Gwynedd and other agencies as required.
•Responsibility for the implementation of groups and one-to-one work by working in an integrated way with various services, e.g. the Neuro Team to run an inclusive and quality service for families.
•Collaborate with the childcare settings to transfer children effectively and share information about the individual development plan targets and the one-page profile. Support the child as they transfer to the setting and offer expertise by contacting and discussing with new one-to-one staff at the setting to implement a bespoke plan for the child. Offer story telling sessions and sharing literacy resources i.e reading books and wallets.
•Hold various groups jointly with other agencies such as the Health Visitors including play and movement sessions, baby massage, sensory sessions, 'Playful Parenting' sessions with Supporting Families, etc.
•Identify any barriers, find solutions and report on barriers that cannot be overcome locally to the Senior Officer.
•Provide information and advice to children and their parents/carers about the support available from the service and also refer them (with permission) to suitable services in the community including local and national groups and organisations.
•Occasionally, it will be required to assist, collaborate and support other key co-workers on the Scheme by running sessions and visiting the homes of beneficiaries on a joint basis.
•Record case information and notes on the relevant data system such as WCCIS/MOSAIC and prepare reports including the assessments and evidence of the distance travelled.
•Ensure that family notes are completed effectively and in a timely manner using the 'voice of the family/child'.
•Record any concerns accurately and professionally, sharing concerns with the Unit's designated Safeguarding person and making referrals to the Children's Team when necessary. Comply with the Council's policies and procedures relating to any safeguarding concerns.
•Input into systems to monitor the provision to measure the impact of the programmes and ensure effective performance management systems. Record the monitoring information and data reports in a timely and organised manner and ensure that all requirements are met for all external agencies in relation to progress and monitoring of work programmes.
•Responsible for keeping and recording the monitoring, information and data about every session and producing statistical analyses and monitoring and performance reports to the Team Leader.
•Ensure careful spending on the budget and any other resources given to the team, e.g. hiring facilities or the costs of an entertainer. Keep a record of the groups' expenditure or fun days by reporting back to the Senior worker/Team Leader.
•Monitor and organise resource stock. Maintain specialist equipment, check quality/safety, and undertake specialist repairs/adjustments as required. Ensure that all resources are safe, clean and age and stage appropriate.
•Practise in an ethical manner in accordance with the Unit's code of conduct and present a professional image and work in a flexible manner.
•Attend staff, team and other working group meetings of the Early Years Unit as required.
•Use of a car is essential with a full driver's licence.
•Responsibility for self-development.
•Ensure compliance with Health and Safety rules in the workplace in accordance with the responsibilities noted in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Council’s Health and Safety Policy.
•Operate within the Council’s policies in relation to equal opportunities and equality.
•Responsibility for managing information in accordance with the Council’s information management standards and guidelines. Ensure that personal information is handled in accordance with Data Protection legislation and confidentiality.
•Commitment to reducing the Council’s carbon emissions in accordance with the Carbon Management Plan, and to encourage others to act positively towards reducing the Council’s Carbon Footprint.
•Undertake any other reasonable duty which corresponds with the salary level and responsibility level of the job.
•Responsible for reporting immediately any concern or suspicion that a child or vulnerable adult is being abused to a designated safeguarding person within the department.
Special circumstances
The officer will need to work unsociable hours from time to time.