Crèche Manager - Part Time

Information

CrossReach recognise that having a baby is a challenging time in any parent’s life, with two in five parents experiencing emotional difficulties during pregnancy and early parenthood.  Left undetected and untreated the effects can go on for years and impact the whole family.

 

For over 30 years, our Perinatal Counselling and Therapy Service has provided a safe and welcoming crèche, where parents feel completely comfortable leaving their children whilst they receive the support they need in order to move forward.

Our crèche focuses on the therapeutic and holistic needs of each child and therefore we believe it is important to create a calm and fun environment for the children left in our care.  Therefore we usually have no more than six children at any one time (usually under the age of 2 but up to 5 years old) in our care.  

The successful Crèche Manager will be qualified to SCQF level 9 or above in a suitable subject(s) that immediately meets SSSC registration criteria for “Managers/Lead Practitioners of a day care of children service.”  You role will be to work with the Clinical Manager to continually review and develop the crèche facility so that this continues to add value to the therapies offered to its clients.  You may also be expected, depending on crèche needs, to participate in direct childcare delivery as part of the frontline crèche team.  

This role may best suit a Childcare professional who is now looking for a new challenge.  Perhaps moving away from a high volume nursery environment to a more specialist and holistic environment that maintains the highest professional standards of social care practice.  Similarly, this role may suit someone who now wishes to develop their skills, knowledge and experience within perinatal mental health with a view to developing their career in this area.

If you are suitably qualified and just wish to find out a little more about this role, please feel free to get in touch with Eilidh Macdonald-Harte (Clinical Manager) on 07968 26 0282.

Salary is pro rata of 38.5 hours per week.

Main Function

To be responsible for the provision and management of safe and creative crèches for babies and toddlers whose parents are attending CrossReach counselling services across various sites in Edinburgh and East Lothian, ensuring they are achieving the highest professional standards of social care practice and meeting regulatory requirements.

To provide support and supervision to crèche workers.

Main Duties

1. Children and adults using the service experience a high quality of care appropriate to their needs.
2. Children using the service are engaged in entertaining and educational play through a variety of activities reflective of their assessed needs and designed to help them fulfil their full potential.
3. Appropriately qualified and skilled senior crèche staff and volunteers are recruited for each crèche site.
4. Staff and volunteers understand perinatal mood disorders and attachment theory and are able to make links between practice, theory and policy guidance.
5. Crèche staff and volunteers are motivated and feel supported to carry out their role in a confident and sensitive way and regularly reflect on their practice.
6. Parents feel comfortable leaving their child in the crèche and their needs and anxieties are understood and responded to sensitively by crèche staff.
7. Ensure there is a nurturing ethos, and a strive for excellence, within a welcoming and friendly environment.
8. Ensure regulatory requirements are met and policies and procedures in relation to Health and Safety, and Child Protection are in place and upheld at all times.
9. Ensure there are appropriate feedback procedures of relevant information which are passed to parents/carers and management in relation to the child’s welfare and development.
10. Consistent evaluation methods are used, across all of CrossReach crèche provision in Scotland, to assess infant emotional development and wellbeing in accordance with GIRFEC guidelines.
11. Collaborative, supportive relationships are in place with Crossreach colleagues and with partners in health and social care teams.
12. To demonstrate and share Christian love and support including sharing with others the leading of worship in accordance with CrossReach policy and by ensuring all staff meetings are opened with prayer and Bible reading.

QUALITY ASSURANCE

You will be responsible and accountable for all aspects of crèche provision and for achieving the key outcomes. An internal audit will verify that the mandatory aspects of the job are being carried out.

You will seek to maintain the standards of the code of ethics and policies and procedures of CrossReach, including confidentiality, Health & Safety, etc.

You will undertake meetings, training courses and seminars as required to ensure continuous professional development.

You will work to the Care Inspectorate policy on peripatetic management, allocating sufficient time to each crèche to ensure effective management and leadership is in place.  You will work to relevant legislation and have the ability to develop policies/procedures consistent with legislation, best practice and regulatory expectations.

You will maintain an up to date working knowledge of procedures relating to Child Protection, GIRFEC, Additional Support Needs, Equal Opportunities and Child Development.

Qualifications

The Creche Manager will be registered with a professional body, for example SSSC or NMC and gain the relevant Management qualification within their specified time frame.

Essential:

• SVQ in Social Services (Children & Young People) SCQF level 7, or equivalent and an HNC in Childhood Practice, or equivalent.

Personal

As we do our work in Christ’s name the job you have applied for requires you to have a Christian faith and be able to work within and uphold our Christian Ethos.  This is an Occupational Requirement under Part 1 of Schedule 9 to the Equality Act 2010.

This post requires you to be a member of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme and undertake the necessary vetting checks.

Skills and Abilities

Essential:

• Have three years of post-qualification practical experience of which at least two years have involved managing and supervising staff.
• Experience of working with very young children, and have a mature and sensitive approach.

• Excellent knowledge of the Curriculum for Excellence and Birth to Three Curriculum.

• Knowledge and experience of Care Inspectorate Inspections.

• Experience of working with parents and children in crisis, and being able to work across a multi-disciplinary team would be an advantage.

• Experience of leading meetings and delivering training.

• Highly effective communication and leadership skills.

• Ability to work flexibly and adapt to change.

• A full driving licence.
• Possess basic computer literacy skills including use of Microsoft Office and the internet.