Relief/Seasonal Early years assistant
| Posting date: | 28 April 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £12.71 per hour |
| Hours: | Part time |
| Closing date: | 05 May 2026 |
| Location: | Belfast, Northern Ireland, BT8 6BT |
| Company: | Mencap |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 59793628 |
Summary
Job Advert
We have an exciting opportunity for enthusiastic and caring individuals to join our team at the Mencap Centre Belfast, supporting our Early Years and Summer programmes.
We are seeking enthusiastic and committed staff to support children and young people aged 2–18 with learning disabilities and/or complex medical needs across a range of Mencap Early years and Summer programmes throughout the academic year. This includes term-time activities, Saturday programmes, and extended summer provision.
About the Role
As a Relief Early Years Assistant, you will help create a stimulating, nurturing, and therapeutic play environment. Working alongside a multidisciplinary team, family support colleagues, and other professionals, you will support children through care, play-based learning, and therapeutic activities to help them reach their full potential.
You will play a key role in creating a safe, engaging, and supportive environment, helping young people to learn, develop, and thrive. Flexibility, energy, and a genuine passion for working with children and young people are essential.
Key Responsibilities
- Support a safe, caring, and stimulating environment for children and young people
- Deliver play-based learning and therapeutic activities
- Assist with summer programmes and inclusive leisure activities
- Work in line with all safeguarding and organisational standards
- Build positive relationships with children, families, and colleagues
About You
- Passionate about supporting children and young people
- Caring, reliable, and enthusiastic
- Strong communication skills and ability to use initiative
- Flexible and willing to support across programmes, including summer schemes
- Committed to inclusion and Mencap’s values
Hours of work include full days (8:30am–4:00pm), Saturdays (9:00am–12:00pm), and summer provision (8:30am–4:30pm).
If you’re looking to be part of a supportive team and make a real difference in the lives of children and families, we would love to hear from you. In return, we offer valuable training, skills development, and experience to help you build a career in care.
*All roles are subject to an enhanced Access NI check and suitable references.
If you're interested, please fill out our application form, sharing your experience and a covering statement. We are using blind recruitment for this role so we will not be able to see your CV until interview stage.
Job ID: 35893
Benefits
Why join Mencap?
- Flexibility to work the hours you choose
- Annual leave entitlement based on hours accrued
- Ongoing training and development opportunities to enhance your skills.
- A supportive and inclusive work environment where your contributions are valued.
About Mencap
Our vision is for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives. We're here to support people with a learning disability, their families and their carers. We fight for a kinder, fairer and more inclusive society for people with a learning disability to live in. At Mencap, everyone works with people with a learning disability either providing support or advice, or alongside one another as colleagues. Belonging at Mencap is for everyone, every day, everywhere. · Everyone is expected to treat people well and make Mencap an inclusive organisation. · Every day we grow and learn. It’s okay to make mistakes but we learn from them and make changes · Everywhere people will feel respected, valued, and safe to be themselves. We have Belonging network groups that meet online and are open to all colleagues. The groups include
people who identify as Black and Asian, LGBTQIA+, disabled or with a long- term health condition, women, parents and carers, and their allies. We want to encourage everyone to apply to work at Mencap and we offer a variety of different contract types and working patterns. We’re not looking for specific experience. It is your personality and values that will make you a great colleague. We will train and develop you to succeed in the role you’re applying for.
We have an exciting opportunity for enthusiastic and caring individuals to join our team at the Mencap Centre Belfast, supporting our Early Years and Summer programmes.
We are seeking enthusiastic and committed staff to support children and young people aged 2–18 with learning disabilities and/or complex medical needs across a range of Mencap Early years and Summer programmes throughout the academic year. This includes term-time activities, Saturday programmes, and extended summer provision.
About the Role
As a Relief Early Years Assistant, you will help create a stimulating, nurturing, and therapeutic play environment. Working alongside a multidisciplinary team, family support colleagues, and other professionals, you will support children through care, play-based learning, and therapeutic activities to help them reach their full potential.
You will play a key role in creating a safe, engaging, and supportive environment, helping young people to learn, develop, and thrive. Flexibility, energy, and a genuine passion for working with children and young people are essential.
Key Responsibilities
- Support a safe, caring, and stimulating environment for children and young people
- Deliver play-based learning and therapeutic activities
- Assist with summer programmes and inclusive leisure activities
- Work in line with all safeguarding and organisational standards
- Build positive relationships with children, families, and colleagues
About You
- Passionate about supporting children and young people
- Caring, reliable, and enthusiastic
- Strong communication skills and ability to use initiative
- Flexible and willing to support across programmes, including summer schemes
- Committed to inclusion and Mencap’s values
Hours of work include full days (8:30am–4:00pm), Saturdays (9:00am–12:00pm), and summer provision (8:30am–4:30pm).
If you’re looking to be part of a supportive team and make a real difference in the lives of children and families, we would love to hear from you. In return, we offer valuable training, skills development, and experience to help you build a career in care.
*All roles are subject to an enhanced Access NI check and suitable references.
If you're interested, please fill out our application form, sharing your experience and a covering statement. We are using blind recruitment for this role so we will not be able to see your CV until interview stage.
Job ID: 35893
Benefits
Why join Mencap?
- Flexibility to work the hours you choose
- Annual leave entitlement based on hours accrued
- Ongoing training and development opportunities to enhance your skills.
- A supportive and inclusive work environment where your contributions are valued.
About Mencap
Our vision is for the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives. We're here to support people with a learning disability, their families and their carers. We fight for a kinder, fairer and more inclusive society for people with a learning disability to live in. At Mencap, everyone works with people with a learning disability either providing support or advice, or alongside one another as colleagues. Belonging at Mencap is for everyone, every day, everywhere. · Everyone is expected to treat people well and make Mencap an inclusive organisation. · Every day we grow and learn. It’s okay to make mistakes but we learn from them and make changes · Everywhere people will feel respected, valued, and safe to be themselves. We have Belonging network groups that meet online and are open to all colleagues. The groups include
people who identify as Black and Asian, LGBTQIA+, disabled or with a long- term health condition, women, parents and carers, and their allies. We want to encourage everyone to apply to work at Mencap and we offer a variety of different contract types and working patterns. We’re not looking for specific experience. It is your personality and values that will make you a great colleague. We will train and develop you to succeed in the role you’re applying for.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.