Non-job of the week

When criticising big government, we often use the term “nanny state” to mean the government ordering us around like a nineteenth century nanny.  Like all other aspects of government modernisation, even the term “nanny state” has to take new meaning as Islington Council demonstrates this week with our non-job of the week, straight from the Guardian:

“Senior Play Ranger
£28,778 - £31,068 PRO RATA

Children's Services

Young People's Services

Islington is coming out to play!

It's exciting times for play in Islington, following our successful bid to the Big Lottery Fund.

We are now embarking on setting up our Play Ranger Teams. Play Rangers will work across the borough in parks, open spaces, estates and schools in developing play opportunities for children.

Play Rangers will respond to children's play needs and will primarily focus on delivering services during weekends and holiday periods and will carry out estate based work after school.

With initial two-year funding received from the Big Lottery Fund Islington, Children's Services and partners are seeking to recruit motivated play workers with a strong play ethos, who are able, willing and enthusiastic to work with children.

£28,778 - £31,068 PRO RATA REF: CS/0571/SG

2 YEARS FIXED TERM CONTRACT, 21 HOURS PER WEEK TERM TIME, 30 HOURS PER WEEK SCHOOL HOLIDAY PERIODS (SATURDAY / SUNDAY WORK ESSENTIAL)

As an experienced play worker who is level 3 qualified in play work, you will manage and lead a team of play rangers to deliver services across a range of play settings predominately at weekends.”

Seriously, is our society in such a state that local authorities have to pay people to play with children?  Do councils really need to pay someone to organise a kick around on the green?

I particularly like the part where the job specifies someone who is ‘level 3 qualified’ in play work.  Does that mean they can put together the more complicated lego sets or is it a qualification in meccano construction?

Either way, if you ever need to explain to someone how big our government has become, enlighten them to the sad fact that councils are now trying invade the family space, interfere and regulate children’s play time.

Comments

[Purple Scorpion]

This is the snowflake on the tip of the iceberg. Search Google for .uk sites which include the word "council" and the phrase "play ranger" and it offers you about 3,250 pages.

So it's not just Islington loonies, it's happening across the country. That suggests:

1. There's a 'national strategy'

2. There are doubtless guidelines and enablers and possibly inspectors

3. It's costing us a lot of money across the country.

More at You play, we pay (I would have posted my blog url, but this program rejects it as invalid).

[Simon Degerre]

"‘level 3 qualified’ in play work. Does that mean they can put together the more complicated lego sets or is it a qualification in meccano construction?"

I don't know - but perhaps if you took the 30 seconds it would take to find out then it would give your rant a little more credibility.

Googling for courses seems to reveal that they're about first-aid, child development, maintaining order in chaos and how not to be branded a child-molester.

From a quick Google search this looks like a job that, essentially, ensures that kids aren't out twocking, snorting coke or mugging grannies in the school holidays.
With so many parents working full-time, surely this isn't a bad thing? It looks like a lot more than "organis[ing] a kick around on the green." (Especially seeing as the council's probably sold the green off for housing anyway.)