Choose Play is a dynamic, local charity working across East Lothian. We believe in children’s right to play, as stated in article 31 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child - the right to rest, play and recreation. Play, especially active outdoor play, is a vital element of childhood, contributing to the immediate wellbeing and happiness of children and making an essential contribution to health and development in the long term.

Choose Play has progressively built more inclusive practice into all our provision for play in East Lothian, addressing the play rights of all children and in particular the right to play of disabled children and children with additional support needs (ASN).

We help to address barriers to play through our community-based play programmes and we recognise that families with children with ASN and disabilities face many additional barriers to accessing outdoor play.

Our Community Play (ASN) sessions mean that more children with ASN will have play opportunities to meet their needs. Whole families including parents, carers and siblings benefit from being able to play together.

The successful candidate will work alongside our Development Team & Delivery Team to:

• build on Choose Play’s work on inclusion with children and families
• plan, organise and lead on delivery of our play opportunities for children with ASN
• support sessional Play Rangers to deliver our PlayCan sessions and our sessions for families with neurodivergent children
• involve children in designing, documenting and evaluating services, and help to share their views and ideas.

The successful candidate will be someone with practical experience in play, arts, creative fields, or place-based projects, and experience of working with children with additional support needs.