Job Opportunity

Early Years Practitioner – Level 3 or Level 2

Job Description

Halifax Opportunities Trust is a large, local social enterprise and a charity with a broad portfolio of activities so people, families in Calderdale can thrive. This role is ideal for people who have experience of working in nursery settings.

Hours: Either - A 4-day week: 34 hours or a 9-day fortnight: week 1: 42.5 hrs and week 2: 34 hrs with a set day off in the second week
Contract Type: 1 Full-time and 1 fixed term contract until March 2026
Location: Jubilee Family Hub
Delivery Area: Children and Families
Deadline: Wednesday 27th November 2024 @ 5pm
Salary: Level 3 £24,383.99/Level 2 £23,463

We are looking for someone with:

A full and relevant level 2 qualification or level 3 qualification in Childcare.
Recent practical working knowledge of EYFS including Statutory EYFS welfare requirements and tracking the development and progress of children
Experience of providing high quality activities for young children
Excellent understanding of the developmental needs of babies and young children
Experience of partnership working with parents and carers

About the Role

Based within Jubilee Nursery, you will be part of a team providing a welcoming, secure and stimulating environment, for children aged between 2- 5 years. Working directly with parents, carers and children, you will be supporting them in reaching their full learning potential.

Application Information and How to Apply

Job Description

Reports to:

Senior Early Years Practitioner/Nursery Manager

Job Overview:

To deliver and monitor Early Years activities which focus on the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum that meet the needs of children, families and service users.

Responsibility and Duties:

To deliver high standards of organisation care, learning and education within the Nursery that meet the Ofsted legal requirements and contract requirements.
To support children to be school ready and improve their development across all areas of the EYFS curriculum, by completing observations, planning next steps and providing appropriate learning experiences in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage and tracking the outcomes.
To support an inclusive setting that allows everyone to be themselves (so far as this does not interfere with other individuals` rights to be themselves), and enables all children to develop to their full potential
Adhere to and assist with completing risk assessments
To assist in the contribution to policy and procedural decision-making regarding the Nursery
Promote and engage parent/carers in the successful admission and transition for children and families
To assist in the resolution of customer enquiries and complaints as delegated by the management team
Attend and contribute to delegated meetings with your team members and also with external partners
To attend and contribute to case conferences and professional meetings around the child as appropriate
Supervisory responsibilities for the children in the Nursery, whilst completing activities and supporting students in placement and volunteers
To participate in the development of the day-to-day running of the Nursery and provide a welcoming, secure and attractive environment for young children
To encourage the involvement of the local community in service design
To assist the administration systems to collate data and evidence to demonstrate the impact of service delivery
To assist with providing information for the Nursery Self Evaluation Form and documents required for the Nursery Ofsted inspection
Assist with the maintenance and development of administration systems to meet audit requirements and Ofsted regulations for EEF funding and supplements
Attend meetings, briefings and training sessions relevant to Children Service’s and share this information within your team
Produce reports as required within delegated timescales

General Responsibilities

All staff must comply with Halifax Opportunities Trust policies and procedures including Health & Safety, Safeguarding, equal opportunities, confidentiality and Data protection
Take responsibility for own personal and professional development, in line with agreed annual performance objectives
To undertake any other tasks and duties that may be reasonably requested by management
Support the development of collaborative partnerships outside the organisation that support Halifax Opportunities Trust brands, images and values

Person Specification

Experience and Knowledge:

Essential:

Experience of working within an early years setting/nursery or substantial experience of working with young children
Understanding of the developmental needs of babies and young children.
Substantial experience of working in partnership with parents
Understanding of Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum
Understanding of the developmental needs of babies and young children

Desirable:

An awareness of the needs of the local community
Experience of working in partnership with other agencies

Education and Qualifications:

Essential:

Full and relevant Level 2 or Level 3 qualification for the Early Years Workforce (NVQ/CACHE/NNEB or equivalent)
GCSE level C/5 or above (or equivalent) in Maths and English

Desirable:

Evidence of personal development and general education
First Aid qualification
Food Safety Certificate

Abilities and Skills

Essential:

Working Knowledge of the EYFS
Good oral and written communication skills
Good organisational skills
Creative & imaginative skills in planning & providing stimulating experiences
To provide a welcoming and secure environment
Ability to promote positive behaviour
Ability to promote an inclusive setting, which allows everyone to be themselves and enables all children to develop to their full potential
Ability to maintain accurate records and write reports
Knowledge of child protection
Effective use of ICT to support planning and record keeping

Desirable:

Traits and Characteristics:

Essential:

A positive, sensitive attitude towards working and communicating with children
A positive approach to difficult situations and challenges
Ability to work both on own initiative and co-operatively as part of a team
Ability to work in a non-discriminatory, sensitive and respectful way
Patience and consistency in working with children and adults
Commitment to the children’s centre policies and to developing quality services
Ability to regularly lift and carry resources as required

Desirable:

Circumstances:

Essential:

Ability to work flexible hours, which may include occasional weekends and evenings
Fit to carry out all tasks associated with the post
Ability to sustain regular attendance
A full UK driving licence and use of car for work

Desirable:

How to Apply

For an informal discussion regarding the above post please contact Emma Bruce on 01422 362120

To apply, please view the job description and personal specification and complete the online application form

Privacy Notice

Halifax Opportunities Trust is registered with the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) under the provisions of the Data Protection Act 2018. Halifax Opportunities Trust takes its responsibilities under the Act very seriously.

The information provided by you is collected for the purposes of processing your application for employment against the Job Description and Person Specification. Application forms are used to determine who to interview for the advertised position by way of shortlisting.

If you are successful in your application and are subsequently offered a position with Halifax Opportunities Trust, the data collected will be used to carry out pre-employment checks and ensure your suitability for the position. The data will then be transferred onto your personnel file.

You may withdraw consent at any time to recruitment@regen.org.uk. In addition you have the right to see what information is held about you, to have inaccurate information corrected, to have information removed from our system unless we are required by law or a statutory purpose to keep it and the right to complain to the Data Protection Officer if you feel that the data has not been handled in accordance with the law. Halifax Opportunities Trust Data Protection officer is Malgorzata Ciewiertnia and can be contacted at Privacy@regen.org.uk .

Application forms will be kept for a period of six months for unsuccessful candidates. For successful applicants, the information will be transferred to your personnel file and will be kept for a maximum of the individual’s employment with us plus seven years or as per recommended guidelines for jobs working with children and vulnerable groups, term of employment plus 25 years or until such a time as the data is reviewed.

What makes HOT a

great place to work?

We’re a Real Living Wage employer because we recognise the benefits of paying a decent wage to all our staff.

We are a Mindful Employer which means we take our employees’ wellbeing very seriously and find ways to promote good mental health within the organisation. We offer a dedicated, confidential phone-line support service (Mindful Employer Plus) through which staff can access practical advice and support 24 hours a day 365 days a year.

We are a Disability Confident committed employer.

The Trust offers a NEST auto-enrolment pension to all qualifying staff.

How we create opportunities

Pay

Perks

progression

People Powered

Purpose Driven

It's people who makes us great

As a charity, our day-to-day is underpinned by doing good. This doesn’t only apply to the 1,700 people we reach each day, it also applies to the 180 people who work at Halifax Opportunities Trust. We like to recognise the good things our employees do, which is why we celebrate when people go above and beyond to bring our values to life, with acknowledgement awards. Furthermore, we’re driven by the following three principles:

Our Values

In our daily endeavours to achieve our goals, we are guided by our values. They reflect our culture, the way we want things to be and our expectations of the people we work with.