Person Specification

An enthusiastic, energetic and dedicated individual will be required to take advantage of this challenging and exciting opportunity. The successful candidate will have to demonstrate a genuine passion for providing the highest standards in quality childcare and must enjoy the company of children. Strong communication skills and team-working abilities are essential.

• The successful candidate must have a good understanding of:

• Children’s needs and behaviour

• The need to set appropriate limits for children

• The need to help children respect people of different race, ability, gender, religion and culture

• The importance of and procedures to follow regarding Safeguarding children

• The importance of supporting children’s transitions

• The successful candidate must:

• Display honesty with self and others

• Be able to form warm relationships

• Maintain a professional approach at all times

• Have a clear understanding of the importance of confidentiality

 

Qualifications and Training

•  (NVQ3/NNEB minimum:

          as long as candidate is in process of studying for EY degree/EYP)

• Current First Aid qualification

• Equal Opportunities

• Child Protection

• Special Needs

• Behaviour Management

• EYFS

• PC skills

 

Experience

• 2 years post-qualifying experience in a day care setting

• 1 years experience in a senior position

• Working with babies

• Team management

 

Purpose

• To Manage the room in  a ‘hands – on’ capacity in order to role model best practice for the staff team.  Coach and develop the staff team through delivering praise and recognition and offering constructive feedback and monitor provision and deliver improvement.

• To ensure the highest standards of physical, emotional, social and intellectual education and care for children placed at Red Balloon.

• To supervise and support the staff team within Red Balloon therefore implementing the highest standards of quality practice.

• To maintain excellent relationships with parents / carers of children placed in the care of Red Balloon.

• To foster an ethos of continuous improvement thus ensuring the best outcomes for children, staff and parents are met cross setting.

• To monitor processes and implement evaluation tools within the settings. 

• To act as an Ambassador for Red Balloon and to ensure that the vision, philosophy and objectives behind Red Balloon are fulfilled.

 

Reports To

• The Manager, Deputy Manager and when needed the Group Manager.

 

Tasks & Responsibilities

• To provide the highest standards of quality care and education.

• To ensure that health and safety and security measures are constantly maintained e.g. completion of daily H&S records, reporting of risk to children, recording accidents/incidents, continuous monitoring of a safe environment, checking visitor ID, preventing entry to the premises of any unknown persons.

• To assess risk continuously and to take preventative measures to ensure the safety of children.

• To be aware of and act in accordance with current legislation, policy and procedures.

• To contribute to a programme of activities suitable to the age range of children in your area in conjunction with other staff.

• To keep a proper record of achievement file on your key children, for parents.

• Work alongside parents of special needs children to give full integration in the Nursery. Foresee the needs of Special Needs children and give physical, emotional, intellectual guidance as appropriate.

• Support all staff and engage in a good staff team.

• To work in close partnership and to develop and maintain good relationships with parents / carers and other family members.

• To attend ALL out of working hours activities, e.g. training, staff meetings, parents evenings, events etc.

• To be flexible within working practices of nursery.  Be prepared to help where needed, including to undertake certain domestic jobs within the Nursery, e.g. preparation of snack meals, cleansing of equipment, putting out the bins, doing the laundry etc. Also flexibility with regard to working in different rooms as and when required to ensure effective operation of the nursery.

• Work alongside the Manager and staff team to ensure that the vision, philosophy and objectives behind Red Balloon are fulfilled.

• To respect the confidentiality of information received.

• To develop your role within the team especially in your capacity as a key worker:
  - keep children’s files up to date including photographs
  - complete observations

• Specific Child Care Tasks:

• The preparation and completion of activities to suit the child's stage of development.

• To ensure that mealtimes are a time of pleasant social sharing.

• Washing and changing children as required.

• Providing comfort and warmth to all children.

• Providing conscientious and effective supervision of the children

• To interact and engage with the children

• To ensure the provision of a high quality environment to meet the needs of individual children from differing cultures and religious backgrounds, and stages of development.

• To be aware of the high profile of the nursery and to uphold its standards at all times. To be an ambassador for Red Balloon both within the nursery and in the wider community.

• To ensure good standards of hygiene and cleanliness are maintained at all times and be responsible for the health and safety standards appropriate for the needs of young children

• To give new staff members specific and detailed instruction when asking them to complete an instruction

• To be aware of the importance of safeguarding children in the nursery’s care and of following the correct procedures to ensure children are kept safe.

• To support children’s transitions. For example room to room within the nursery, nursery to other setting, nursery to school, change of family circumstances e.g. bereavement, divorce

 

Head of Room Additional Responsibilities

• To run the room smoothly and effectively.

• To ensure planning and observations are being completed

• Supervise, direct, support, motivate and performance manage the staff team

• To formulate and operate a programme of activities and daily routine in your base room and ensure that this is followed at all times

• To provide support to unqualified team members and students who are pursuing a childcare qualification.

• To give new staff members specific and detailed instruction when asking them to complete an instruction.

• To be present at mealtimes in order to supervise the mealtime processes paying specific regard to food temperatures and children with allergies.

• To have an awareness of the requirements of the nursery as a whole and to be familiar with the routines of each of the rooms

• To deputise as Person in Charge in the absence of the Nursery Manager

• To ensure planning and observations targets are being met. To ensure keyworker profiles are being maintained and next steps are being completed.

• To ensure daily Health & Safety sheets are being completed effectively and submitted to the Manager at the end of the week.

• To ensure new staff starters are appraised monthly during their probation period.

• To ensure staff team have monthly 1 : 1s with feedback on their current performance.

• To maintain the communal areas of the nursery to a high standard.

• To arrive punctually at the nursery for early opening. To make sure the locking up procedure is followed thoroughly and that the building is secure at night.

• To use Early Years resources to keep updated regarding current guidelines and legislation and to implement changes in to everyday practise.

• To keep children’s IEPs and care plans  up-to-date and to ensure these are reviewed on a regular basis.

• To support the Manager and wider staff team in our objective of achieving an Outstanding Ofsted rating.

• To make sure the room is set up daily with all areas of learning clearly defined.

• To make sure we are providing equal opportunities for all children at all times.

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