This document discusses the wide range of opportunities available within the children's workforce in England. It estimates that around 3 million people, or 10% of the English workforce, work to improve outcomes for children and young people across all sectors of the economy. Examples are provided of the size of the children's workforce in different areas such as education, health, social services, and leisure. The document encourages readers to consider the variety of job roles that exist within different sectors and tiers of children's services and reflects on next steps one could take to explore opportunities within this large and diverse workforce.

1. THE WIDER CHILDREN’S
WORKFORCE – A WORLD
OF OPPORTUNITY!!
Dr. Ali Body

2. WHAT DO WE MEAN BY THE CHILDREN’S
WORKFORCE?
• All individuals who work to secure better outcomes for children and young people
• Estimated around 3million people in the England alone (that’s around 10% of our
workforce)
• Includes every sector in the economy - public, private and third

3. ESTIMATE OF THE SIZE OF THE WORKFORCE
• Schools & Education - 1.2m
• Early Years, childcare and play – 500,000
• Social, community, family support- 170,000
• Youth 31,000
• Health 115,000
• Managers and Leaders 52,000
• Justice and Crime Prevention 18,000
• Leisure and Sport* 750,000*

4. HOW MANY EXAMPLES CAN YOU COME UP
WITH?
• Consider jobs roles under the headings
opposite
• Come up with as many as you possibly
can think of?
• Write them on the flip chart paper in
your groups
• Education
• Health and Wellbeing
• Social, Family & Community Support
• Youth
• Justice and Crime Prevention
• Sports and Culture
• Early Years and Childcare
• Managers and Leaders

5. Education Health and wellbeing Social, Family &
community Support
Youth Justice and Crime
Prevention
Sports and Culture Early Years and
Childcare
Managers and
Leaders
Headteachers.
Teachers.
School support staff.
Providers of
extended schools’
activities.
Learning mentors.
Behavior and
educational support
teachers.
14-19 providers.
Educational
psychologists.
Educational welfare
officers.
School meal staff.
Forest school and
outdoor education
staff.
Health visiting teams.
School nurses.
Community children’s
nurses
Children’s nurses
Child psychologists.
CAMHS.
Paediatricians and
sub-specialists.
Children’s mental
health professionals.
Teenage pregnancy
support workers.
Children and family’s
social workers.
Foster carers.
Children’s homes
Children and family
support services.
Early intervention
and prevention
projects.
Managers and staff
in family centres, day
centres, residential
children homes.
Play workers.
Participation
workers.
Staff and
management of
youth services.
Careers advisors.
Youth workers.
Youth support
workers.
Specialist youth
service provision.
Youth workers in
voluntary, community
and faith sector.
Young people’s
housing and
accommodation
support workers.
Youth offending
teams.
Staff and
management.
Youth offending
institutions.
Secure training
centres.
Secure children’s
homes.
Police/ support
workers in school
liaison/ child
protection roles.
Sports coaches and
officials.
School coordinators.
Sport development
officers.
Competition
managers.
School library
services.
Extended educational
support (museums,
cultural engagement
etc).
Outdoor education.
Voluntary sector
providers
Managers, deputies
and assistants.
Playgroups
Children’s centres.
Day nurseries
Nursery schools
Nursery classes/
groups.
Registered
childminders.
Foster carers.
Play workers.
Early intervention
workers
Strategic senior and
middle managers in
local authorities,
borough councils and
public sector bodies.
All commissioners of
children and young
people’s services.
Social policy decision
makers and support
staff of children’s
services in public
sector bodies.
Staff and Leaders of
FE colleges.
Adult and
community
education providers.
GPs.
Dentists.
Primary and
community health
practitioners.
Clinical Practitioners.
Hospitals. Community
Health Advisors.
Drug and Alcohol
Services.
Adult mental health
services.
Parenting
practitioners.
Adult social workers.
Supporting people
teams.
Drug and alcohol
workers.
Housing officers.
Job centre staff.
Child support agency
staff etc.
Community
managers, policy
makers and decision
makers.
Housing association
support staff.
Job centre and
careers services.
Probation officers.
Multi agency public
protection teams.
Policing and law
enforcement.
Prosecution service.
Custodial Care.
Health and fitness
providers.
Outdoor education
and experience
providers.
Staff in cultural
heritage, museums
and galleries.
Performers in visual
and literacy arts.
Performing arts.
Library staff.
Early intervention
support services.
Wider family support
services.
All relevant staff that
support and indirectly
support children’s
services.
Planners.
Housing planners.
Public officers and
political members.
Community planners
and decisions makers.

6. THINKING ABOUT TIERS AND SECTORS?
Across all of the different areas of working with children there are opportunities in
different sectors and different tiers of services….

7. SECTORS
Private Public Third (Voluntary
Sector)
Overview Prime purpose is to
generate profit – often
aim to be ethical and
socially responsible
Prime purpose is to
provide public services
in line with the
political ideology
Prime purpose is
about mission (often
social justice in
children services and
supporting
disadvantaged)
Examples Children’s play
centres, private
fostering agencies,
private nurseries
(Academies?)
Schools, most health
provision, public
sector services.
Early intervention
projects, NSPCC
(child protection
services), some
nurseries, etc
Who do you need to
keep happy?
Customers (the people
paying), shareholders,
owners
The average median
voter
Beneficiaries, funders

8. TIERS OF PROVISION
Tiers exist across all service
areas – consider education or
mental health for example – can
you give examples of services
and job roles at different levels.
Reality is many jobs work across
2 or 3 tiers – but often require
different or specialist skills

9. WHAT NEXT?
• Think about this in terms of where you at now?
• Are there any opportunities you would like to explore further?
• Consider work experience or volunteering to gain a greater insight?
• Talk to your Employability link and the careers advice service to explore your
options further