Early Years Practitioner, First Steps Nursery (Ashford Hospital)

Job overview

The Trust nurseries are looking for kind, thoughtful, enthusiastic and loyal Early Years Practitioners to provide and enhance good quality care to an established and popular work place day nursery, within the grounds of Ashford Hospital. The Trust have two nurseries and you will be required on occasions to work across site, although the post will be primarily based at Ashford Hospital.

Ashford and St Peter’s NHS Trust is a forward thinking organisation which is part of the Government’s initiative to support parents who work within the NHS, by providing quality and affordable day care for their employee’s. Parents are able to return to work, knowing their children are being well cared for by a highly professional and approachable team.

Our Nurseries provides excellent day care for 158 children across sites per day aged between 3 months and 5 years. A playscheme runs for 24 children aged between 4yrs and 10 years 11 months during all school holidays on the St Peter’s site

We are continually reviewing our practice to enable us to provide a caring and stimulating environment for our children. Each dedicated team member is part of that by being involved with planning activities following The New Early Years Foundation Stage, caring for the children, relating positive feedback to Parent’s both verbal and written.

Main duties of the job

The postholder will be a Key worker to a designated group of children participating in their supervision, enabling them to thrive by providing a stimulating, caring and learning environment in which children of all ages may develop. Enabling you to give positive feedback to parents about their children’s development.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

To be aware of and act appropriately on Trust Safeguarding Children Polices and Procedures.

Under the direction of the Advanced Early Years Practitioner assist in the day to day running of the nursery in accordance with all Trust and Nursery policies and procedures.

Sustain and develop good practice within the nursery, by sharing responsibility in offering a stimulating environment for the children in your care by ensuring a contribution of ideas covering The New Early Yearly Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) ensuring that a child can develop to the appropriate age and stage of development. Through observations on your key children produce individual short and medium term development plans.

As a key worker to a designated group of children be responsible for the documentation of the children’s Learning Journeys, enabling you to provide positive feedback to parents.

Engage in all physical aspects of the children’s health, well being, care and play i.e. lifting, running, bending sitting on the floor.

Develop links with parents and encourage parental participation within the nursery. Be understanding and receptive to parent’s wishes. Offer encouragement and advice when appropriate.

Be aware of the confidential aspects of work, treating all confidential information relating to the children, parents, staff and professional contacts in a manner which will protect the individual.

Follow all guidelines with regards to the administration of medication as well as the daily health and safety checks made within the nursery.

Attend regular team meetings and annual staff training to maintain all annual statutory training including Safeguarding Children and Adults, Information Governance, Health and Safety, Manual Handling, Equal Opportunities, Hand Hygiene and Fire Training.

For further information about this post, please contact: Catherine Loughman, ext. 4757 / Kelly Chester, ext. 2192..