Job Opportunity

Senior Early Years Practitioner

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 and are looking to take the first step into management.

Hours: 34 hours per week or 9 day fortnight (week 1: 42.5 hours and week 2: 34 hours with a set day off in the second week)
Contract Type: Full-time or Part-time
Location: Jubilee Family Hub
Delivery Area: Children and Families
Deadline: 1st November 2024 @ 5pm
Salary: £25,846.49

We are looking for someone with:

A minimum Level 3 or above qualification in childcare, a level 6 qualification is desirable but not essential
Substantial and recent practical working knowledge of EYFS to include Statutory EYFS welfare requirements and tracking the development and progress of children
At least 3 years’ experience of providing high quality childcare within the community
Experience of line managing staff would be desirable but not essential
Excellent understanding of the developmental needs of young children
Experience of providing high quality childcare in a day care setting
Experience of partnership working with parents and carers

About the Role

Based at Jubilee Nursery rated “Good”, you will be leading a team of Early Years Practitioners to a provide a welcoming, secure and stimulating environment, for children aged between 2 – 5 years. You will have management responsibility for a small number of staff and will be leading the daily routine within the nursery room supporting children to reach their full learning potential.

Application Information and How to Apply

Job Description

Reports to:

Nursery Manager

Job Overview:

To provide leadership and management of a multi-disciplinary team, on a day-to-day basis in the Nursery by organising and contributing to the safe and efficient management, development and administration of the setting. This will include professional supervision and employment matters.

Responsibility and Duties:

To maintain and promote a child’s all-round development by planning and providing appropriate learning experiences in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage
To deploy staff as required to ensure adequate staff levels to cover for absences and peaks in workload in line with contract compliance
To carry out staffs’ appraisals and manage performance and behaviour
Delegate work to staff and manage their workload and output
To manage, oversee and promote the development and training of staffs to optimise staff competence
Recruit and induct new staff in line with policy & procedure
Delegated responsibility for volunteers and students, with agreed placements within the Nursery
To deputise for the Nursery Manager as and when required or in his/her absence
To undertake the role of Safeguarding Lead for the nursery when required
Optimise and oversee the Nursery rooms to ensure efficiency in service delivery, to ensure high standards of organisation care, learning and education within the Nursery, in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage.
To contribute to the creation and development of new initiatives to compliment the Nursery Core Purpose
Support the development and implementation of the Nursery business plan that will underpin delivery of the outcomes required against the Nursery Purpose
To clearly and concisely communicate objectives to Early Years Practitioners and support staff within the Nursery so that they remain informed of business activity and of their required contribution towards the business plan
Report to the Nursery Manager on progress and issues that may arise
To contribute to policy and procedural decision-making regarding the Nursery
Own and resolve customer enquiries and complaints and report on progress
To ensure high standards of organisation, care, learning and education within the Nursery that meet the Ofsted legal requirements and contract requirements, assisting to meet the targets set in the contract around 2,3- & 4-year funding
Promote and engage parent/carers in the successful admission and transition for children and families
Organise and chair 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
To ensure that the setting is inclusive, and 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
To actively promote the engagement of the local community in service design and delivery
To have delegated responsibilities for specialist areas and other duties as agreed with the Nursery Manager.
Support with the development of a cost-effective and sustainable strategy for the Nursery, monitoring occupancy, identifying income streams, efficiencies and implement improvements to make the nursery sustainable.
Structure, monitor and provide feedback on designated budgets
Support the development of protocols, procedures, processes and tools for data analysis
To oversee the performance management systems that are in place, measuring the outcomes against agreed Early Years Foundation Stage Performance Indicators and contract targets
In conjunction with Nursery staff, evaluate outcomes and lead the designated team to improve service delivery
To monitor data and information to support the Key Performance Indicators of the Contract
To assist in the preparation and delivery of progress reports and self-evaluation to the Contractor, Area Manager, Senior Management and Area Advisory Board regarding service delivery for the designated area within delegated timescales
To support the maintenance of the administration systems to collate data and evidence to demonstrate the impact of service delivery and audit requirements.
To support the updating of the Nursery action plan, and documents required for the Nursery Ofsted inspection
To support the moderation and tracking of children’s development and implement strategies to raise quality of learning and education
Assist in the management of the day to day occupancy and rotas, and support with effective monitoring systems
Attend meetings, briefings and training sessions relevant to Nurseries and share this information within your team
Support and oversee innovative methods of working with internal and external agencies for producing relevant outcomes
Ensure that data and information is shared between agencies appropriately to support positive outcomes for children and families in line with policies and procedures
Establish and develop collaborative relationships and effective communication within and across the organisation including attendance at appropriate meetings, including safeguarding.

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 leading on part of the early year’s foundation stage
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:

Previous supervisory experience
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 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:

Early Years Professional/Teacher status
Management qualification or training
Level 5 in childcare
Evidence of personal development and general education
First Aid qualification
Food Safety Certificate

Abilities and Skills

Essential:

Able to motivate and inspire team members
The ability to make day to day decisions on matters related to the areas of responsibility for this post
To take charge of the development of the day to day running of the centre and provide a welcoming and secure environment.
To make decisions related to the day care in the absence of the Deputy Manager
To contribute to decision making as part of the Children’s Centre team
Working Knowledge of the EYFS
Good oral and written communication skills
Good organisational skills
Creative & imaginative skills in planning & providing stimulating experiences
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

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

Desirable:

How to Apply

Closing date for applications is 1st November 2024 @ 5pm

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.