The Inclusive Play Development Officer will be responsible for delivering an inclusive play programme within schools across Northern Ireland as part of the Department of Education’s SEN Reform Agenda.

  • Salary: Pts 23-25 £30,151 – £32,020
  • Hours per week: 35
  • Closing date: Friday 4 September 2026 at 5:00pm

This programme will have a specific focus on children with Special Educational Needs (SEN). 

The Inclusive Play Officer (IPO) will work with school settings (including children, staff and parents) regionally, to deliver PlayBoard’s Inclusive Play Project and contribute to improved well-being outcomes for children and young people.

Key tasks include

Programme Delivery

  • Via PlayBoard’s Inclusive Play Project, deliver a suite of play-based programmes focused on enhancing inclusion, across identified schools, throughout Northern Ireland.
  • Plan, coordinate and deliver inclusive play sessions for children and young people, with a particular focus on children with SEN.
  • Support schools and settings to embed inclusive play practices which promote wellbeing, participation and inclusion.

Training and Capacity Building

  • Develop and deliver training workshops for school staff, parents, carers and practitioners on inclusive play principles and practices.
  • Provide practical guidance and resources to support inclusive play in educational and home environments.
  • Adapt training materials to meet the needs of diverse audiences and settings.

School and Stakeholder Engagement

  • Work closely with identified schools across Northern Ireland to assess needs in the context of the play experiences of children with SEN etc. and their parents/carers; plan play based interventions and deliver inclusive play initiatives.
  • Build and maintain positive relationships with schools, parents/carers, statutory agencies and voluntary sector partners.
  • Represent PlayBoard and the Inclusive Play Programme at meetings, events and networks as required.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting

  • Collect, record and analyse monitoring and evaluation data to evidence impact and outcomes.
  • Prepare reports, case studies and feedback summaries as required by PlayBoard and funders.
  • Use evaluation findings to inform continuous improvement of programme delivery.
  • Adhere to the requirements of confidentiality and GDPR in dealing with potentially sensitive information.

Safeguarding, Health and Safety

  • Maintain strict adherence to PlayBoard’s safeguarding, child protection, equality and health and safety policies at all times.
  • Ensure inclusive play activities are safe, accessible and responsive to the needs of all participants

Apply now

For enquiries please contact Lauren Robinson – email lauren.robinson@playboard.co.uk or telephone 028 9080 3380.