Job Description

JOB DESCRIPTION

Key Information

Job Title

Support worker for weekend and school holidays

Hours

Zero Hour Contract for Weekends and additional hours in school holidays (negotiable)

Contract

Bank

Working Pattern

Monday to Sunday 08.30 - 18.30

Salary

Dependant on experience and qualifications

Location

15 Church Lane, Rochdale, OL16 1NR

Job Summary

We are looking for passionate and dedicated practitioners to join our friendly team at The Nursery. This is a unique role where you will work as part of a multi-disciplinary team with early years practitioners, a speech and language therapist and our resident paediatric nurse to meet the health and learning needs of our children across the setting.

As a practitioner you will support the team in caring for children aged 4 - 11years of age who attend our holiday and weekend provision. You will be creative, adaptable and use your initiative to widen the child's exposure to learning through a play-based curriculum. You will be a warm, caring, and inclusive professional, who takes responsibility for maintaining the safety and wellbeing of our children.

Main Duties

Care

*To provide personal care to our children, including nappy care and assisting with toileting.

*To assist our children with mealtimes and promoting self-feeding skills.

*To develop close attachments and foster trust in the children in your care.

*To provide comfort and reassurance to our children and be responsive.

*To provide learning opportunities for our children and participate in the planning and implementation of appropriate activities.

*To adapt learning opportunities and be inclusive to ensure that all children have fair and equal access to activities.

*With support, monitor children's progress, keep records and observations, and communicate progress to parents.

*To celebrate all milestones / progress that each and every child makes.

*With support, participate in multi-disciplinary meetings and contribute to the action plan / goals accordingly.

*To identify when a child may be acutely unwell, utilise skills obtained from paediatric first aid and escalate accordingly.

*With support, monitor the health needs of our children to ensure all interventions given are effective and necessary and review accordingly.

*To identify where additional referrals may be needed to improve the outcomes for our children and their families, for example to Early Help, Children's Social Care and Paediatricians and seek support to action accordingly.

*Be accountable for own actions, ensuring adherence to professional code of conduct and / or legislation.

*To be responsible for the safety and welfare of children, colleagues and yourself in accordance with professional standards and health and safety regulations.

*To highlight and escalate any safeguarding and / or welfare concerns to the designated officer/persons as soon as possible.

Communications

*To gain informed consent and negotiate agreed targets and goals with parents and families.

*To communicate sensitively and effectively with children, families and carers regarding their care.

*To communicate effectively with all other health sector and outside agencies to exchange and gather information and problem solve with guidance from line manager and / or senior leadership team.

*To be supported to attend and participate in multi-disciplinary meetings as required.

Policy and Service Development

*To have an awareness of national and local guidelines.

*To gain an understanding of departmental policies, protocols and procedures and with guidance, to implement and abide by these accordingly.

With support, comment on and /or actively participate in changes on policies, procedures or service developments.
*To embrace and support line management and the company in making service improvements effective within the workplace.

*To ensure attendance at all mandatory training and to attend regular team meetings with at least 75% attendance.

Leadership

*To motivate and inspire others to ensure early years excellence, promoting awareness and cascading information regarding best practice and research.

*To engage in conflict resolution matters, maintain professionalism and work cohesively with the team to create a harmonised and positive workplace.

*Report and escalate any concerns that arise via the appropriate pathways, whilst ensuring the health and safety of all involved remains the priority.

Teaching and Training

*To actively contribute to in-service training, peer group review and other internal learning opportunities.

To participate in training and development activities which are relevant to the job role.
*To attend and reflect on regular safeguarding supervision and to access additional supervision as needed.

*To gain an understanding of care pathways and protocols within the local child development service.

*To maintain own competency to practice through CPD activities and maintain a CPD portfolio which reflects personal development.

*To prepare for and participate in Personal Development Reviews (PDR) and complete targets as discussed.

Data and Information Resources

*To keep accurate records of assessments and care in accordance with company and professional standards.

*To maintain confidentiality when accessing records in accordance with the Data Protection Act.

*To adhere to company guidance on information governance including GDPR.

*To have good IT skills including the ability to learn to use appropriate management and clinical recording systems.

The above duties and responsibilities listed are not exhaustive and we reserve the right to amend as and when required due to operational and organisational needs.

About Us

Here at The Nursery, we provide a specialist day care provision for children aged 0-7years with complex medical and special educational needs. We also provide weekend and school holiday provision for children aged 4 - 11 years.

Our mission is to provide high quality, safe and effective care that meets both the child's health and learning needs simultaneously

. We will achieve this by using child centred approaches, promoting individual learning styles and providing opportunities for all children to reach their optimal growth and development whilst being cared for in a happy and effective environment. We have a core set of values and behaviours that all staff are expected to demonstrate: these are Inclusion, Compassion and Quality.

About You

The successful candidate for this role will have relevant qualifications and experience from a reputable training provider. Ideally you will have some experience of working with children that have complex health and / or learning needs or at minimum, an understanding of how disability impacts on a child and family. You must be willing to undertake further training specifically related to special educational needs and disabilities in children and any other identified learning needs.

You will demonstrate strong interpersonal skills (including observation, listening and empathy skills) that champion the individual needs of children and their families. You will advocate for the child, ensure that child centred approaches are utilised and that their voice is heard. You will support your colleagues with planning / implementing activities and offer ideas for upcoming themes. You work professionally and collaboratively to assist the setting in operating smoothly.

It is the intention of The Nursery that we will train and educate all members of our team to be confident and competent in assessing the development needs of our children, thus you will support your early year colleagues in the delivery and achievement of in-house competencies.

This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and we are committed to safeguarding and protecting the people within our care. Therefore, the candidate will be required to undergo an enhanced DBS check and an offer of employment will be subject to successful clearance.

Our Offer

We believe that the success of The Nursery is wholly dependent on the skills, dedication and wellbeing of our workforce. This is reflected in the competitive salary and benefits package that is offered to all employees, aswell as the wider values and behaviours that underpin all of our policies and procedures. We are passionate about continuous learning and development for all staff, including the upkeep of essential clinical and professional skills.

Benefits:

*Pension scheme via Nest.

*22 days annual leave plus 8 bank holidays (pro-rata) (rising by 1 day for each year of continuous employment with The Nursery, up to a maximum of 27).

*Employee Wellbeing & Assistance Programme via Zest.

*DBS

*Uniform provided and replaced.

*Hot beverages provided in staff room.

*Refreshments provided for monthly staff meetings.

*Company events, including team building day and festive celebrations.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Qualifications;

Essential

*Relevant training in working with primary aged children

*A current Paediatric First Aid and Food Hygiene certificate or willingness to undertake training.

Desirable

*Additional training in relevant areas for example, children with SEND, speech, language and communication strategies.

Experience;

Essential

Experience of working in an early years setting or with children aged 4 - 8years.
*Experience in safeguarding children and young people within a setting.

*Ability to prioritise tasks/interventions as necessary whilst maintaining the safety of all children.

*Ability to celebrate the progress and milestones of each and every child.

Desirable

*Awareness and understanding of the impact that disability has on the child and family.

*Experience of working with children with medical needs/disabilities.

*Experience of working with children with special educational needs and autism spectrum disorders.

*Experience in emotional regulation or behaviour management strategies for children with SEND.

*Experience of working as part of a multi-disciplinary team.

Skills;

Essential

*A developing knowledge and understanding of EYFS.

*Willingness to undertake additional training in order to fulfil their role and remain compliant with professional standards.

*Ability to manage own time, prioritise tasks and delegate accordingly.

*Ability to demonstrate strong written and verbal communication skills.

Desirable

*Basic understanding and awareness of non-verbal communication methods e.g. Makaton sign language, Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS).

*Previous moving and handling training.

*Knowledge of the referral process to the child development service and other agencies.

*Ability to teach and train other staff.

Job Type: Zero hours contract

Pay: 7.50-13.50 per hour

Expected hours: No less than 1 per week

Benefits:

Company events Company pension Health & wellbeing programme
Schedule:

Day shift Holidays Overtime Weekend availability
Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 28/06/2025
Expected start date: 21/07/2025