Job Description

The Early Years Practitioner will work as an effective member of the team supporting the Senior Practitioner(s) and Childhood Practice Manager (CPM) within the site.

Job Purpose: to support and maintain a well-organised, safe and stimulating environment delivering a flexible, high quality service which will meet the needs of children and their families. This will be in accordance with the policies, quality assurance guidelines and codes of practice adopted by CALA.

Leadership & Teamwork

Support the senior staff ensuring a flexible, high quality service is being delivered. Ensure a positive role model is portrayed at all times.

Communicate effectively with the senior staff to ensure understanding of responsibilities on a day to day basis, carrying these out in a professional and effective manner.

Work with senior colleagues to implement the quality systems within the centre, relating to Quality Assurance, Health and Safety and Data Protection.

Support senior staff to plan and implement play activities appropriate to the needs of children, on an individual basis to promote and develop children's learning and in line with recognised standards. Using current documents such as the Curriculum for Excellence, Health & Social Care Standards, Realising the Ambition, being me and Pre-birth to three, supporting the quality of play within the centre.

Within the group support the senior to complete and ensure relevant planning, assessment, observation and record keeping documentation are kept up to date. Take responsibility for completing information for the key worker group of children.

Monitor and evaluate progress of individual children's development against planned strategies. Support the staff team to adhere to relevant action plans addressing the Education Scotland report, Care Inspectorate report, Quality Improvement report including curriculum planning to improve the service.

Support the personal care and well-being of all children.

Support the staff team to produce appropriate progress reports for individual keyworker children to be shared with parents/carer and transition to other centres.

Support the staff team to provide induction meetings for parents/carers/children along with individual parent/carer meetings to discuss children's progress.

Support the staff team to provide transition support working in collaboration with the Primary Schools/Early Learning and Childcare staff/parents and the wider school community as required.

Review CALA policies and risk assessments termly, to ensure knowledge and understanding of documents and update risk assessments as required.

Support the staff team to complete and contribute to the process of self evaluation using 'How Good is Our Early Learning and Childcare' Framework and in consultation with parents, children and the wider community where applicable.

Establish and maintain positive relationships with parents/carers, volunteers/students and outside agencies.

Ensure parents, children and the other staff are receiving appropriate information in line with organisational procedures and good practice.

Support volunteers/students/modern apprentices on placement in the centre.

Assist/support the senior staff to ensure all finance records are accurately maintained.
Children's attendance is tracked from daily register and information is entered on invoices daily (fee paying or eligible 2 year olds)

Childs Status on Childs Play to be checked daily before new bookings are accepted. Reference Procedure for Childs Play Invoicing for full details.

Professional Knowledge and Understanding of Health and Safety

Take responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of every individual child including early identification of additional support needs and with regard to keeping children safe. Concerns should be recorded as soon as possible on the appropriate CALA format.

Ensure that the parents, children and the staff team are familiar with and adhere to the relevant policies and procedures that support the safe running of the centre.

Ensure all food/snacks are prepared and served in accordance with appropriate food hygiene guidelines on a daily basis. Encourage the children to participate in the preparation of the snack provision.

Support the staff team to maintain a safe environment for the children, ensuring that all equipment and resources are set out appropriately and monitor levels of materials and equipment in the centre and advise the Senior or CPM of any requirements to maintain stimulating environment.

Assist the Senior staff by ensuring daily safety checklists, attendance registers, maintenance repair records, etc are being completed accurately.

Professional Learning and Development

Meet with the Senior/CPM for support and supervision meetings on a regular basis.

Meet with the CPM for formal staff review and mutually agree a staff development plan for the year ahead followed by a 6 month review to discuss any progress made on reaching objectives.

Take responsibility for your personal learning and participate in training and personal development opportunities as agreed with your line manager, ensuring continuous professional development in line with the needs of SSSC requirements in relation to the ongoing work of this post.

You may be required to perform duties, appropriate to the post, other than those provided in the therefore this is not exhaustive and will be subject to amendment.

This post is exempt from the

Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exclusions and Exceptions) (Scotland) Order 2013 and the

Amendment Order 2018. The successful applicant will be required to become a member of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme & register with the SSSC.

CALA is an Equal Opportunities Employer.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: 12.60-12.87 per hour

Expected hours: 40 per week

Benefits:

Childcare Company pension Cycle to work scheme Free parking
Ability to commute/relocate:

Inverness IV2 5NA: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Experience:

Childcare: 1 year (required)
Work authorisation:

United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person