Early Years Lead

Position – Early Years Lead

Hours – 25 hours a week Term Time Only (39 weeks + 5 days)

Salary  – £15,538 (Actual) (£22,500 FTE)

Alice Charity supports disadvantaged and vulnerable families in our community by providing essential help and support. Our free Big Cup Parent and Toddler groups offer a safe space for parents and carers to meet up with other local families, engage in educational activities with their children and access support from other parents and professionals. We currently run 9 successful groups across Newcastle and Stoke for families with children under 5 and are looking for an experienced Early Years Professional to manage the continued delivery and ongoing development of our groups.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Leading on the coordination and planning of Big Cup activities and events that support and inspire parents/ carers and children to engage in and explore imaginative and educational play, develop mutually beneficial social relationships, and develop confidence and skills.
• Delivering Big Cup sessions and events including the setup of sessions, sourcing of resources and equipment, welcoming of parents/ carers and children, delivery of activities, preparation of refreshments and cleaning and tidying away after the session
• Overseeing the safety and welfare of children and parents/ carers during sessions, including health and safety at sessions and providing first aid and emotional support and signposting where required
• Maintaining accurate and timely records relating to the groups, including registers of attendance
• Working with the wider Alice team to identify the needs of families in the local community and facilitating access to appropriate support
• Building and developing relationships to support effective working with other professionals and services, including venue providers
• Promoting and marketing of our Big Cup groups across Newcastle and Stoke on Trent
• Managing and monitoring the budget for Big Cup
• Line management and supervision of Big Cup staff, volunteers and placement students
• Supporting the Operations Manager with monitoring and evaluation activities to evidence the impact of the groups
• Supporting the Operations Manager to identifying and pursue funding and fundraising opportunities to ensure the sustainability of the service and complete reports for funders

Qualifications and Experience

• NVQ Level 3 or equivalent qualification relevant to working with children and young people
• Good standard of education with a GCSE in English and maths or equivalent
• Experience working with children and young people or families, ideally in a community setting
• Knowledge of the EYFS framework
• Training or experience that demonstrates professional/personal development within Early Years/Community development.
• Awareness of relevant legislation such as safeguarding, health and safety, fire regulations, food hygiene requirements, data protection and the Equality Act.
• Full driving license with access to a vehicle for work purposes.
• Willingness to undergo a DBS check every three years

Skills

• Ability to work co-operatively within a team and maintain good relationships
• Ability to work effectively with external professionals and agencies.
• Ability to communicate with and build trusting relationships with parents and carers
• Ability to work flexibly (our offices are open 8.30-4pm Monday to Friday. There is a requirement for this role to be able to start work at 8.30am at least 3 days a week)
• Ability to create ideas and use initiative.
• Ability to provide effective support and supervision to staff, volunteers, and students
• Practical and resourceful
• Strong communication skills
• Enthusiasm and a sense of humour.