Play Therapist
Children’s Well Being Hub – Bray
Hours: 20 hours per week
Contract: Fixed-term, subject to continued funding
Start date: As soon as possible
Closing date: 15th September’26
Location: Bray, Co. Wicklow
About the Children’s Well Being Hub
The Children’s Well Being Hub is a new, innovative early intervention and prevention initiative supporting children under 12 and their families in the Bray area.
The Hub was developed through collaboration between local community organisations and was created in response to the significant lack of accessible mental health and wellbeing supports for young children and their families, particularly within marginalised communities.
Our approach is different. We recognise that play therapy cannot work in isolation. Our Family Engagement Worker works alongside families to build trust, understand their needs and support parents and carers to be in a stronger position to support their children.
We are now seeking an experienced and passionate Play Therapist to join this developing model.
The Role
The Play Therapist will provide therapeutic play-based support to children while working as an integral part of the wider Children’s Well Being Hub team.
This is not a traditional standalone therapy role. Collaboration is at the heart of our model.
The successful candidate will work closely with the Family Engagement Worker and Hub Coordinator, as well as community partners and other professionals, to ensure that the child and family are supported as a whole.
We are looking for someone who understands that meaningful and lasting change for children often requires working with the child, alongside their family and in partnership with the community.
The role will involve:
- Providing play therapy and therapeutic interventions for children under 12.
- Developing safe, trusting and respectful relationships with children and families.
- Working collaboratively with the Family Engagement Worker to ensure family engagement and support are central to the therapeutic process.
- Contributing to assessment, planning, review and evaluation of children’s and families’ needs.
- Working as part of a multidisciplinary and community-based team.
- Contributing to the ongoing development of the Hub’s model of practice.
- Participating in team meetings, reflective practice, supervision and evaluation.
- Supporting the Hub to listen to and incorporate the voices of children, parents and the wider community.
- Building positive relationships with partner organisations and local community services.
- Contributing to learning about what works in early intervention and prevention for children and families.
A Different Way of Working
The Children’s Well Being Hub is still developing. We do not see this as a finished model; we are learning alongside children, families and staff about what works.
The successful candidate may be accustomed to working primarily within a traditional therapeutic role. However, the ability and willingness to work collaboratively is essential to this position.
You will be expected to work alongside the Family Engagement Worker rather than separately from them. The two roles are intentionally interconnected.
We believe this approach has the potential to create more powerful and sustainable change for children and families, by addressing not only the child’s needs but also the family and wider circumstances surrounding them.
About You
We are looking for a Play Therapist who is:
- Qualified and appropriately accredited to practise as a Play Therapist.
- Experienced in working therapeutically with children.
- Passionate about early intervention, prevention and improving outcomes for children.
- Warm, compassionate, non-judgemental and child-centred.
- Comfortable working with families experiencing multiple and complex challenges.
- Committed to inclusion, equality and community-based practice.
- A strong communicator and team player.
- Able to work collaboratively with colleagues from different professional and community backgrounds.
- Flexible, reflective and open to developing new ways of working.
- Committed to listening to children, parents and communities and incorporating their voices into practice.
Experience of working within community settings and/or with marginalised communities would be highly desirable.
What We Offer
This is an exciting opportunity to become part of an innovative model that is seeking to change how we think about children's mental health and wellbeing.
You will have the opportunity to:
- Be part of the development of a new and evolving service.
- Work within a genuinely collaborative team.
- Help shape a model of early intervention and prevention.
- Work closely with children, families and the local community.
- Contribute to evaluation and learning about what works.
- Make a meaningful difference to children and families in Bray.
Contract and Application
20 hours per week.
This is a fixed-term position subject to continued funding.
We are looking for someone who can start as soon as possible, so we will be progressing applications promptly following the closing date.
Closing date for applications: Friday 28th August 2026
Please send your CV and a covering letter outlining your suitability for the role and your interest in the Children’s Well Being Hub to:
[email protected]
Please note: Due to the nature of the role, Garda vetting and appropriate professional references will be required before appointment.
The Children’s Well Being Hub is committed to equality, inclusion and creating a safe, welcoming and respectful environment for all children and families.
Expected hours: 20.0 per week
Work Location: In person
