Download job description summary - North Edinburgh Childcare

NORTH EDINBURGH CHILDCARE ENTERPRISE LIMITED
JOB DESCRIPTION SUMMARY
JOB TITLE: Early Years Practitioner
SUPERVISOR’S TITLE: Manager/Deputy
PRIMARY PURPOSE — Briefly summarise the primary purpose of this position.
Provide a safe and nurturing environment for children which encourages their social, emotional, physical, and
intellectual development. Design and implement developmentally appropriate curriculum according to relevant
National Standards; the 0-3 Framework and the Curriculum for Excellence. Review important decisions with his or
her supervisor and maintain positive relationships with parents, children, and co-workers. Ensure safety and
supervision of children at all times by meeting the physical demands of the position.
MAJOR FUNCTIONS / RESPONSIBILITIES — Describe the major responsibilities of this job.
Staff/Child Interactions: Communicate and interact frequently, affectionately, and respectfully. Encourage and
model appropriate behaviour and expectations. Be attentive, flexible, and supportive of children and their families.
Promote positive behaviour.
Curriculum: Design and implement developmentally appropriate curriculum, materials, activities, and environments
on a daily basis that provides a balance. Demonstrate respect for diversity, independence, and creativity. Provide
choice and maintain flexibility. Create documentation of children’s accomplishments.
Staff/Parent Interactions: Acknowledge and respond to all parents and visitors in a friendly, courteous, and
professional demeanour. Invite input on child’s development and care. Communicate daily including events, and
meetings. Share resources with parents.
Health/Safety/Nutrition: Supervise and interact with children, following all safety and health rules and knowing the
number of children in group at all times. Maintain ratios and attendance records. Keep environment safe, organised,
and accessible to children. Complete appropriate paperwork.
Professionalism: Maintain confidentiality. Ensure continuity of care and attend all required meetings/training.
Demonstrate knowledge and flexibility of child care practices, continuing on going professional growth.
Teamwork: Establish and maintain a relationship of cooperation and respect. Participate in room and Centre
responsibilities. Participate in teaching team, communicating directly and resolving conflicts quickly and professionally.
DECISION MAKING AUTHORITY — Describe the types of major decisions this position is required to make,
and the types of decisions that are referred to a higher level of authority.
The Early Years Practitioner customarily and regularly exercises some discretion and independent judgment on a daily
basis. May take action but must inform Manager when caring for a staff member or child with a significant injury,
acknowledging and listening to a parent’s concern, record a neglect and abuse complaint, or recording an unusual
incident. Early Years Practitioner to assist Nursery Assistants/Support Workers as needed.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
Follow relevant National Standards and North Edinburgh Childcare Enterprise Limited guidelines. Ensure children’s
safety. Demonstrate full range of motion. Be able to lift up to 20kgs. Supervise and interact with children outdoors.
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.
RECOMMENDED EDUCATION / EXPERIENCE / SKILLS — List the minimum academic credentials and/or
professional certification needed to perform this job. Also indicate experience or skills required.
Early Years Practitioners must hold a relevant childcare qualification such as NNEB, SVQ Level 3 in Children’s Care,
Learning and Development together with relevant post-qualification experience within a day-care environment.
Where appropriate, Early Years Practitioners in their first year of service will be considered. For all posts, a current
first-aid certificate will be an advantage as will evidence of post-qualification training. Candidates will need to be able
to show a commitment to anti-discriminatory childcare practice, and be committed to high-quality childcare in
partnership with parents. All candidates must meet be eligible to register with the Scottish Social Services Council.
NORTH EDINBURGH CHILDCARE ENTERPRISE LIMITED
JOB DESCRIPTION
EARLY YEARS PRACTITIONER
Primary Purpose: Provide a safe and nurturing environment for children which encourages their social,
emotional, physical, and intellectual development. Design and implement developmentally appropriate curriculum
according to the relevant National Standards; Pre-Birth-3 Framework and Curriculum for Excellence. Review
important decisions with his or her supervisor, and maintain positive relationships with parents, children, and
colleagues. Ensure safety and supervision of children at all times by meeting the physical demands of the position.
INTERACTION BETWEEN STAFF AND CHILDREN
• Interact frequently, affectionately, and respectfully by smiling, and holding 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.
• Practice positive behaviour management strategies and techniques in guiding children’s behaviour
according to organizational policy and procedure.
• Be attentive, flexible, and supportive of children and their families during transitions to and from rooms.
CURRICULUM
• Implement a developmentally appropriate curriculum that reflects observations and assessments of
individual children and goals jointly developed with parents.
• Design an environment that responds to children’s individual developmental levels, physical and emotional
needs, and current interests.
• Provide a variety of developmentally appropriate materials and activities that foster social skills and
encourage children to think, problem solve, question, and experiment.
• Foster positive self-concept by supporting individuality, independence, and the ability to make choices.
• Encourage creative expression.
• Demonstrate respect for diversity by providing anti-bias, non-sexist language, images, and experiences
that reflect both Centre and global communities.
• Plan a daily schedule that provides a balance of activities: quiet/active, indoor/outdoor, fine/gross motor,
etc.
• Plan and implement child-oriented, self-initiated activities while limiting large group, staff-initiated
activities.
• Provide more than one option for group activity and maintain flexibility in changing planned activities,
according to children’s interests.
• Create documentation of children’s accomplishments through anecdotal notes, documentation panels,
and/or portfolios.
STAFF/PARENT INTERACTIONS
• Acknowledge parents and all room visitors. Demonstrate a friendly, courteous, and professional
demeanour.
• Respond to parents’ comments and concerns with sensitivity, interest, and respect. Maintain
confidentiality.
• Establish and maintain a Key Person relationship 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 daily regarding the development and specific activities
of the children in their key groups.
• Plan and facilitate in regular parent meetings to discuss their settling in process, transitions, and
developmental goals for their child based on appropriate assessment tools.
• Assist in planning and attend Centre/room events and meetings.
•
NORTH EDINBURGH CHILDCARE ENTERPRISE LIMITED
Share resources with parents through discussions, articles, parent boards, newsletters, and community
contacts.
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH, SAFETY, AND NUTRITION
• Maintain and follow all health and safety policies and procedures of the Centre.
• 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 organisation’s policies and
procedures including 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
• Maintain confidentiality about issues concerning other staff members, children and families, or the
organisation’s management and operations. Must not involve parents in Centre concerns.
• Demonstrate knowledge of ages and stages of development. Understand the general areas of physical,
social, cognitive, and emotional development for this age group.
• Support organisational mission, philosophies, values, goals, and policies to parents, colleagues, and
community.
• Ensure continuity of care for children by reporting to work on time and maintaining consistent
attendance, and arranging and communicating leave requests in advance.
• Respect and adhere to staffing rotas that may be adjusted as the room routine may change and may
include working in another room.
• Demonstrate flexibility and openness to new ideas in child care practices.
• Attend staff meetings, training sessions, and other Centre events.
• Respond to Centre and organisational needs by attending regional training, contributing to a newsletter,
serving on a working party, or cover at another Centre.
• Continue professional growth by attending courses, asking for feedback, and reading professional
literature.
• 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.
• Offer and share ideas and materials with colleagues.
• Participate actively in teaching teams through communication, collaboration, 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 programs.
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.
-
NORTH EDINBURGH CHILDCARE ENTERPRISE LIMITED
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.
REQUIREMENTS
Must be 18 years of age or over and have a recognised child care qualification and experience.
• Demonstrated knowledge of developmentally appropriate curriculum practice.
• Demonstrate experience and skill in communication.
SCOPE OF AUTHORITY
• Must have prior approval from Manager/Deputy to:
- take time off from scheduled work hours/days or alter schedule
- release a child to someone other than a known parent/guardian
- discuss behaviour or developmental concerns with a parent
- purchase supplies or spend petty cash
- contact a parent regarding a child’s temperature or illness
- administer medication (in compliance with state requirements)
- seek outside support services for individual children
- schedule a Centre outing
- transition a child into another room
• May take action, but must inform Manager when:
- caring for a staff member or child with a significant injury
- acknowledging and listening to a parent concern
- recording a neglect and abuse complaint
- recording an unusual incident