INTRODUCTION
Grove Parish Church is lead partner and umbrella organization for GroW Families: a charitable community initiative to ensure the continuation of open access services for families with young children and their future development in response to locally defined priorities. These are the non-statutory services that were delivered by Oxfordshire Children's Centres until March 2017.
GroW's current core services are:
* Bumps and Babies sessions for expecting parents and those with babies not yet walking.
* Stay-and-Play sessions for parents and carers with pre-school children.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
Purpose
Session leaders work together to plan and run sessions for babies and toddlers and pre-school children in the community and their parents/carers (who are always in attendance). There are normally two session leaders at each group.
Main Responsibilities
* To plan activities that promote core EYFS areas of development for children attending the sessions.
* To give support to parents/carers and children attending the sessions.
* To safeguard and promote the welfare of all children in our care in line with GroW policies and procedures.
* To represent GroW positively at all times.
Main Duties
* Set up the room with resources/activities suitable to the age of the children attending the session and pack away after session.
* Welcome families to the session. Provide signposting as required. Facilitate social interaction amongst attendees. Model play with babies and children.
* Keep an accurate record of those attending the sessions.
* Supervise the session including leading the singing, craft and messy play activities where appropriate.
* Report back to Service Manager any issues or concerns regarding children, parents or other members of staff.
* To treat any information of matters relating to work within GroW as confidential.
* To undertake any other appropriate duties as agreed with the Service Manager e.g. cleaning of toys, updating inventory etc.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
Qualifications and Training
* GCSE's or equivalent (or higher)
* NVQ Level 2 or 3 qualification, relevant to Early Years or equivalent
* Evidence of commitment to ongoing professional development
Experience
* Experience of working with children and families in an Early Years setting
* Experience of planning activities to meet the requirements of the EYFS
* Accurate record keeping
* Managing own time and effective prioritisation
* Developing strong positive relationships with colleagues and service users
Knowledge, skills and aptitudes
* Passionate about supporting local children and families
* Ability to demonstrate a non-judgemental approach to working with children and families
* Ability to effectively communicate with families and other professionals in a variety of situations
* Creativity to inspire learning
* Knowledge of child development and the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
* Knowledge of and commitment to health and safety, risk assessment and good safeguarding practices
* Open to training and learning new skills
* A strong team player who values the opportunity to work with others
* Good sense of humour, with imaginative and positive approach to running sessions
* Well-organised, self-motivated and reliable.
* Willingness to work flexibly
* Able to maintain confidentiality
* Understanding of and commitment to equal opportunities, inclusive and anti-discriminatory practice
Other
* Able to travel independently to sites across Wantage and the surrounding area
* Demonstrates understanding and empathy for Christian values and the work of the Church of England.
Safeguarding
Due to the nature of work, we follow strict safer recruitment practices. This role is subject to an enhanced DBS, references and qualification checks.
If you are passionate about supporting local children and families, please email for a copy of the role description and application form. This role is advertised on a rolling basis and we reserve the right to close the advert once we have received sufficient applications.
Job Type: Part-time
Pay: £13.00-£14.36 per hour
Benefits:
* Company pension
* Free parking
* On-site parking
Application question(s):
* Are you able to travel independently to venues around Wantage, Grove and surrounding villages?
Experience:
* childcare: 1 year (preferred)
Work Location: In person