JOB DESCRIPTION

POST TITLE

/

Manager for Hillbrook Primary School Children’s Centre

GRADE

/ PO4 - Scale 41 to 44. Full-time

RESPONSIBLE TO

/ Headteacher

Main purpose of the post

The Manager for the Centre is expected to:

  • work in partnership with the Headteacher ensuring effective delivery of integrated health and social care, education and family learning services in response to local community needs
  • be responsible for the day to day management of the Centre for Children and Families within the school
  • provide effective support for the development of integrated care and education for children within the Centre
  • work effectively with a wide range of partners
Main duties and responsibilities

Leadership

  • To develop, co-ordinate and run a programme of activities at the Centre in accordance with an agreed plan and within the context of multi-agency working
  • To work closely with the Headteacher to ensure the Centre fulfils its obligation under Every Child Matters outcomes for young children and their families and the Children and Young People’s Plan
  • To promote good team spirit by supporting and motivating parents/carers, children and staff, ensuring effective communication across all agencies
Management
  • To manage the service in light of changing demands and circumstances using flexibility and facilitation skills when necessary to ensure the Centre services are effective and purposeful
  • To have regular planned contact at managerial level with all agencies working in association with the Centre to ensure smooth running of the multi agency team
  • To ensure all staff are aware of and follow agreed policies for the Centre
  • To manage expenditure within an agreed budget for the Centre’s activities in consultation with the school’s Leadership Team and in line with financial regulations and policies
  • To represent the School at inter-agency meetings, working parties etc that relate to the Centre and Early Years where appropriate
  • To oversee the community learning programme and to supervise centre workers, volunteers and casual staff that may be working in the Centre
Outreach
  • To actively participate in assessing the needs of local families and reviewing and revising services in response to emerging information
  • To actively promote the Centre to the local community including ensuring the Centre is used by key target groups
  • To ensure parental involvement in all aspects of the planning and delivery of the Centre’s services especially ensuring that the diversity within the community is reflected at the Centre.
  • To extend and develop provision to ensure services are accessible to all families, including those who are ‘hard to reach’
Community links
  • To facilitate and co-ordinate multi agency working at the Centre, developing effective partnerships with appropriate agencies
  • To participate in developments across Wandsworth Children’s Centres.
  • To ensure the efficient and effective running of the parental information service at the Centre
  • To be first point of contact for families, local community groups, sector and other services who may wish to participate in the Centre activities
  • To ensure individual families receive appropriate support from locality services through the use of EHITS and Early Help
  • Plan and deliver appropriate publicity for the Children’s Centre
Record keeping and assessment
  • Establish and prioritise effective systems for collecting and collating management information across all services with the Centre
  • To develop and maintain client records and archive systems, in accordance with departmental procedure, policy and statutory requirements
  • To ensure adequate and appropriate monitoring and evaluation of centre programmes and activities
  • To work with individual families and contributing to family assessments through EHITS
  • To evaluate the services provided, in conjunction with the Headteacher
  • To act as Lead Professional where required

General

  • To undertake work during evenings or weekends where necessary
  • To undertake any other duties as may be appropriate to achieve the objectives of this post
  • To attend training and meetings as necessary

Equal opportunities and safeguarding

You will be expected to comply with all the school’s codes of practice, policies and procedures, including the code of conduct, and those relating to child protection, data protection and health and safety.

To be fully aware of and understand the duties and responsibilities arising from the Children Act 2004, the London Child Protection Procedures and Working Together in relation to child protection and safeguarding children and young people as this applies to your role within the organisation.

To also be fully aware of the principles of safeguarding as they apply to vulnerable adults in relation to your role.

To ensure that your line manager is made aware, and kept fully informed, of any concerns which you may have in relation to safeguarding and/or child protection.

It is essential when working with computerised systems that you are completely aware of your responsibilities at all times under the Data Protection Act 1984 for the security, accuracy, and significance of personal data held on such systems.

To carry out any other reasonable duties and responsibilities within the overall function, commensurate with the grading and level of responsibilities of the post.

Post Title:Manager for Hillbrook Primary School Children’s Centre

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential / Desirable
Qualifications
Relevant qualification (to Degree level) for example in Early Years and Childhood Studies, teaching, social work, health visiting or other relevant areas / 
Show a commitment to lifelong learning for yourself and to encourage others in their personal and professional development / 
Experience
Successful experience of working with pre-school children and their families in a relevant professional context such as health, social work, education, voluntary sector work, childcare etc / 
Experience of working in a Children’s Centre / 
Experience of management and leadership in a relevant context / 
Experience of budget management / 
Successful experience of planning, developing, monitoring and evaluating new services / 
Experience of initiating or setting up systems or services / 
Experience of working in similar type of setting including work in partnership with other professionals, agencies, voluntary groups and service providers / 
Experience of working in partnership with parents or other client groups to develop services / 
Experience of delivering training/adult education / 
Professional knowledge and understanding
Knowledge and experience of working within and to appropriate safeguarding children procedures / 
Knowledge and understanding of partnership and multi agency working / 
Knowledge of Every Child Matters and its significance in the development of the Centre for Children and Families and multi agency working guidelines / 
Knowledge and understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum framework / 
Knowledge of current issues in childcare and parenting / 
Personal qualities
A positive attitude and ability to motivate and enthuse staff / 
Ability to engage parents and other significant adults in supporting young children / 
Excellent communication skills both written and oral including a sensitive approach to adults and children / 
Confident in the use of a range of IT packages / 
Ability to prioritise and respond to demands of management as the occasion arises / 
Excellent organisational skills with the ability to prioritise and work to deadlines / 
A flexible approach to work and a willingness to work outside normal working hours on occasion e.g. weekends as the service requires / 
Ability to adhere to health and safety, child protection and other policies / 
Essential / Desirable
Safeguarding
To be fully aware of and understand the duties and responsibilities arising from the Children Act 2004 and Working Together in relation to child protection and safeguarding children and young people as this applies to your role within the organisation / 
To also be fully aware of the principles of safeguarding as they apply to vulnerable adults in relation to your role / 
Equal opportunities
Clear understanding of and commitment to equal opportunities and non discriminatory practice / 
Understanding of the multi racial community in Wandsworth and the implications for service delivery in general and for the post / 
Ability to demonstrate an understanding of the Centre and school’s equal opportunities policy in respect of service delivery and an awareness of the needs of differing cultural and other minority groups / 