SPRINGBOARD OPPORTUNITY GROUP
Early Years Practitioner – 28 hours per week Term Time Only
JOB DESCRIPTION
Responsible to: Manager
Start Date: 6th January 2025
Starting Salary: From £13,746.88 per year (FTE £23,976.41)
to £14,747.04 per year (FTE £25,730.18) depending on experience.
Includes holiday increment
5 Inset Days will be paid in addition
Probationary Period: 3 months
Qualification: Minimum Level 3 childcare qualification & GCSE Maths & English Grade C or above.
Setting: Clevedon
Principal Responsibilities:
1. Work with Springboard team to provide a rich, stimulating environment and varied programme of play, based on the Early Years Foundation Stage, for children with additional needs
2. Work in early years mainstream settings helping them to provide an inclusive and varied programme of play for children with additional needs
Effective Practice
Help to run play sessions
• Listen to, encourage, enable, empower, value, and stimulate the children. Giving them time to contribute to any activity, valuing their contribution and allowing them sufficient time for a response.
• Help prepare and set out the playrooms before the children arrive and tidy them up after the children leave.
• Clean other areas of building where necessary, ensuring that there are adequate supplies of consumable items and report any shortages.
• Have input into curriculum planning.
• Help plan, organize and maintain the play environment.
• Be observant and aware of the children’s behaviour and safety at all times.
• Help support volunteers
• Take responsibility for session if Room Leader is not in playroom.
Act as key person
• Welcome child and parent / carer at beginning of each session
• Help child to separate from parent / carer and settle into the group
• Meet the needs of the child and respond sensitively to their feelings, ideas and behaviour
• Communicate with the parents / carers to make sure that the child is being cared for in the setting appropriately for each family
• Arrange home visits/reviews with parent / carers
• Ensure Health Plans are in place and effectively carried out wherever necessary, including the administration of emergency and daily living procedures.
• Encourage child to participate in activities in a safe and supportive environment
• Carry out observations and ensure planning of curriculum takes into account the child’s interests and needs
• Ensure child’s learning and development is recorded in a Springboard Learning
Diary / online learning diary e.g Tapestry and share with parents encouraging them to contribute
• Complete progress summaries
• Put together an IPP or behaviour plan when necessary and review
• Discuss a child’s progress with visiting professionals
• Write reports and attend multi-agency reviews
• Signpost parents to other services or make referrals as necessary
• Discuss any other pre-school and/or school placement with parent / carer and help work towards effective transfer
• Liaise with other settings that child may attend helping to ensure consistency of approach
Support children in their mainstream setting
• Encourage and seek parental involvement and advice on the child’s needs and abilities.
• With keyperson and other staff, encourage the child to participate whenever possible in all the group’s
activities
• Support keyperson and other staff with child’s personal care
• Help develop and follow an individual programme in consultation with the Early Years staff, Springboard staff and other involved professionals
• Provide support and guidance to Early Years staff. Model good practice and strategies
• Support Early Years staff to have effective IPP, Health Care Plan, Behaviour Plan in place as necessary
• Contribute to the mainstream setting’s daily records
• Attend review and or consultation meetings to discuss the way forward for the child as necessary
• Contribute to any reports as required
• Work alongside the Early Years setting and adhere to their policies and procedures
General
• Attend and take part in meetings as required
• Attend all Springboard inset days and any additional training courses at the request of your line manager
• Have an understanding of the structures and all services provided by Springboard
• Maintain an understanding of relevant national and local policy and practice
• Act at all times in line with the policies and procedures of the organization
• Undertake other duties as required commensurate with the post
• Work at other bases as required with the post
Skills, experience and personal qualities
• Minimum three years’ experience of working in an early years setting
• Good understanding of child development and children’s needs
• Sound knowledge and understanding of a range of special needs and disabilities
• Experience in or willingness to train in and administer medical procedures for daily living care or emergencies
• Ability to plan and implement the Early Years Foundation stage
• Basic knowledge of the SEN Code of Practice
• Ability to work as part of a team
• Ability to work with parents and to offer them support
• Ability to liaise with a range of professionals
• Ability to write clear reports and deal with the necessary level of paperwork
• Excellent communication skills
• Willingness to consider appropriate degree level qualification
Essential
• Ongoing commitment to training
• Must be committed to equality of opportunity
• Must be willing to undergo an Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau check
• Current Driving License and access to a vehicle
• Basic working knowledge of Microsoft Word and Outlook and other ICT programmes