North Edinburgh Childcare Enterprise Limited

NORTH EDINBURGH CHILDCARE ENTERPRISE LIMITED

JOB DESCRIPTION

POST: SENIOR NURSERY PRACTITIONER OR NURSEY ROOM LEADER AT VICTORIA QUAY
RESPONSIBLE TO: NURSERY MANAGER / RESPONSIBLE FOR: Nursery Practitioners, Nursery Support Workers & Students
PURPOSE OF THE JOB:
•  To deliver an efficient and effective high quality nursery service for children aged 0-5 years and their parents.
•  To assist in the provision of a safe and nurturing learning environment for children that encourages their social, emotional, physical, and intellectual development
INTERACTION BETWEEN STAFF AND CHILDREN
•  Interact frequently, affectionately, and respectfully with children. Speak in a friendly, calm, soft, courteous manner within close proximity of the child.
•  Respect and observe children's interests. Intervene when needed to maintain safety. Enhance children's play with language, toys, and activities.
•  Communicate directly with each child at the child's level.
•  Engage and communicate constructively with individual children during activities and routines. Take every opportunity to positively extend children's thinking and actions.
•  Be available and responsive to children's needs, questions, and requests.
•  Encourage and model social behaviour and expectations that are developmentally appropriate.
•  Acknowledge feelings with sensitivity and demonstrate appropriate expression of emotions.
•  Promote children’s wellbeing and positive behaviour according to organisational policy and procedure.
•  Coordinate transitions for children as they graduate to and from rooms with staff and parents. Ensure staff are attentive, flexible, and supportive of children and families during this time of change.
CURRICULUM
•  Supervise and lead team in implementing the relevant national care standards, national curriculum, and guidance on good practice contained in key documents relating to early years childcare and education.
•  Ensure staff design an environment and curriculum that provides choice and responds to children's individual developmental levels, needs and interests by undertaking regular observations and assessments, working in partnership with parents and supporting children to identify their own next steps in learning through personal learning planning processes.
•  Provide feedback to staff on the variety and developmental appropriateness of materials and activities offered. Ensure choices, foster social skills, and encourage children to think, problem solve, question, and experiment.
•  Provide a broad and balanced curriculum that supports children to develop as successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens and effective contributors.
•  Promote children’s participation and foster positive self-concept by supporting individuality, independence, creative expression and the ability to make choices.
•  Demonstrate respect for diversity by providing anti-bias, non-sexist language, images, and experiences that reflect both Centre and global communities.
•  Lead the team in planning a daily schedule that provides a balance of child-initiated and adult-led activities including opportunities for quiet/active, indoor/outdoor, fine/gross motor, etc.
•  Ensure practitioners provide more than one option for group activity and maintain flexibility in changing planned activities, according to children's interests.
•  Train and supervise practitioners as they document children's accomplishments through anecdotal notes, documentation panels, portfolios and personal learning plans.
STAFF/PARENT INTERACTIONS
•  Acknowledge parents and all visitors to the nursery.
•  Help to create a welcoming environment by demonstrating a friendly, courteous, and professional demeanour
•  Ensure all parents' comments and concerns are responded to with sensitivity, interest, and respect. Maintain confidentiality.
•  Establish and participate in a Key Worker system with individual children and their families that includes initial meeting with families during their settling in period. Invite input from parents regarding their child's development and care.
•  Communicate verbally and in writing with parents on a daily basis regarding the development and specific activities of the children in your group.
•  Oversee the planning and facilitation of regular parent meetings to discuss their settling in process, transitions, and developmental goals for their child.
•  Share information with parents through discussions, articles, parent boards, newsletters, and community contacts.
•  Arrange and lead meetings with parents to discuss unusual incidents, concerns, or sensitive information regarding the programme or their child, under the guidance of the Manager.
•  Address parent issues in a timely manner. Keep Manager informed of these situations.
•  Supervise staff in inducting new parents to room routines, curriculum, and communication systems.
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH, SAFETY, AND NUTRITION
•  Maintain and follow all health and safety policies and procedures of the Nursery
•  Supervise children at all times. Demonstrate awareness of entire group while working with a small group or individuals.
•  Participate in all Fire Drills.
•  Know the number of children in your group and maintain ratios at all times.
•  Maintain accurate attendance records throughout the day.
•  Complete appropriate paperwork (i.e., accidents, medication). Report any injury or accident and any suspicions of non-accidental injury following the guidelines laid down by the Child Protection procedures.
•  Encourage children to utilise appropriate health, safety, and nutritional practices.
•  Keep environment and equipment safe, clean, and attractive. Encourage respect for room materials. Notify designated individual in advance when supplies are needed.
•  Assist in arrangement of space into clearly defined, well-organised activity areas.
•  Organise a variety of materials on low, open shelves for children to use independently.
PROFESSIONALISM
•  Adhere to NECEL’s Policies and Procedures at all times
•  Maintain confidentiality about issues concerning other staff members, children and families, NECEL and NECs management and operations. Parents must not be involved in NECELs concerns
•  Demonstrate knowledge of ages and stages of development. Understand and guide the team in the general areas of physical, social, cognitive, and emotional development for relevant age groups.
•  Promote organisational mission, philosophies, values, goals, and policies to parents, colleagues, and community.
•  Model professional work ethic and ensure continuity of care by reporting to work on time and maintaining consistent attendance, and arranging and communicating leave requests in advance.
•  Respect and adhere to staffing rotas and demonstrate the flexibility to work across all of the playrooms in the nursery and with all age groups as required in order to meet the needs of the organisation.
•  Demonstrate flexibility and openness to new ideas in child care practices.
•  Attend administrative and staff meetings, training sessions, and other Centre events.
•  Respond to the Nursery and organisational needs by attending training, contributing to a newsletter, serving on a working party, or cover at another venue as and when required.
•  Continue professional growth by attending courses, asking for feedback, and reading professional literature. Share information with parents and colleagues.
•  Receive constructive criticism with an attitude that indicates a willingness to improve. Give feedback in a respectful manner.
TEAMWORK
•  Establish and maintain a relationship of cooperation and respect with colleagues.
•  Assume a fair share of work. Look for ways to be helpful. Demonstrate initiative.
•  Assume additional room and Centre responsibilities as needed: kitchen, pets, children's files, etc.
•  Ensure that daily responsibilities are completed, and jobs are shared and taught to each team member over time.
•  Offer and share ideas and materials with colleagues.
•  Lead and supervise teaching team through communication, collaboration, and discussion of individual children's needs, services, and curriculum planning.
•  Communicate directly, work to resolve conflicts quickly, and avoid gossip.
•  Exercise care in expressing views regarding the personal attributes or professional conduct of colleagues. Statements are based on first-hand knowledge and relevant to the interests of children and programmes.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
•  Ensure children’s safety while performing the following job functions:
-  Frequently lift, move, or hold children with a range of weight from 5kg– 20kg. (Occasionally lift, move, or hold weight more than 20kg).
-  Supervise and interact daily with children outdoors for extended periods in varied weather conditions.
-  Demonstrate full range of motion to lift, reach, squat, climb, sit, and otherwise fully participate in activities.
-  Respond immediately and appropriately to multiple or unexpected situations or emergencies.
-  Maintain mental and physical alertness and an appropriate level of energy to perform essential job requirements.
SUPERVISORY AND ADMINISTRATIVE
Staff
•  Support Management in the interview and selection process of new staff members as and when required.
•  Support induction of new team members to room routines, curriculum implementation, and parent communication.
•  Encourage and model positive, constructive communication, flexibility, and openness.
•  Oversee staff in conducting ongoing effective individual and room team meetings including goal setting and goal implementation. Lead meetings for own room.
•  Conduct regular observations of practice within the playrooms.
•  Under the guidance of the Manager, lead decision making regarding staff development, coaching, and personal development.
•  Enhance skills of team members through delegation as appropriate.
Parents
•  Lead team in developing positive relationships with parents with an emphasis on customer service.
•  Partner with parents to seek external support resources for children. Identify children with special needs.
PROGRAMME
•  Review all room programme and developmental records and ensure they meet NECEL’s guidelines.
•  Assess programme: curriculum, environment, and teacher/child interactions.
ADMINISTRATIVE
•  Ensure that proper room coverage and ratio are met, and under/over staffing is quickly remedied. Arrange temporary coverage under the guidance of the Manager.
•  Assist in Centre marketing through phone contact, Centre tours, staff rota updating, and settling in procedures.
•  Maintain all programme records and reports and submit them in a timely manner, as required.
•  Coordinate room extra-curricular activities, and outings, under guidance of Manager.
•  Supervise students and volunteers.
REQUIREMENTS
Minimum of 18 years of age have a recognised child care qualification and relevant experience.
• Demonstrated knowledge and ability to lead staff in implementation of developmentally appropriate curriculum.
• Demonstrated experience and skill in communication, leadership, organization, and supervision.
SCOPE OF AUTHORITY
•  Must have prior approval from supervisor to:
-  take time off from scheduled work hours/days or alter the routine; organise a Centre outing or plan enrichment activities; seeking outside support services for individual children
•  May take action, but must inform Manager when:
-  responding to a staff or parent concern; arranging to meet with a parent about concerns regarding his or her child's behaviour or development; implementing any significant change in the room, programme, or environment; attending meetings outside the Centre for the benefit of the Centre; organising staff shift changes or booking temporary staff; recording an unusual incident