JOB DESCRIPTION PERIPATETIC TI A FI OFFICER - TORFAEN

Mudiad Meithrin: A national voluntary organisation of cylchoedd meithrin, parent and child cylchoedd and Welsh-medium nurseries. Mudiad is the largest provider of Welsh-medium Early Years Care and Education in the voluntary sector in Wales. When Mudiad Meithrin was established in 1971 it included approximately 50 cylchoedd. Today, due to to substantial growth, Mudiad is now responsible for 550 cylchoedd meithrin and 500 cylchoedd Ti a Fi. These two categories offer early years experiences to approximately 19,000 children on a daily basis. Additionally, Mudiad works very closely with parents, providing them with support and advice and enabling them to develop and support the work of the cylchoedd in the home. In order to achieve this, Mudiad Meithrin is a registered charity employing over 200 people nationally, with an additional 2,500 working in the cylchoedd themselves. The cylchoedd are supported by a national network of professional Development Officers offering advice on matters relating to promoting good practice, staff training and links with Local Authorities.

The job and person: Mudiad Meithrin aims to ensure that parents and young children have easy access to cylchoedd Ti a Fi which are close to their homes and which provide quality opportunities to play and socialise. It also aims to ensure that every cylch Ti a Fi employs a leader which will be responsible for leading Welsh language activities for the children and their parents. This is already happening in a significant number of cylchoedd. However, in areas where there is difficulty in recruiting permanent Ti a Fi leaders, Mudiad Meithrin intends to appoint a team of Peripatetic Ti a Fi Leaders who will be responsible for leading up to 5 Ti a Fi cylch. We are therefore looking for an enthusiastic person to lead activities for children and their parents/guardians in 5 Ti a Fi cylch within the area. The person appointed should have previous experience in leading activities for pre-school children and also have experience in arranging a programme of supportive activities for parents/guardians. The person should be passionate about the Welsh language and be able to transfer messages to parents about the value of bilingualism and the importance of continuity from a cylch Ti a Fi to a Cylch Meithrin and on to Welsh medium education.

Car/Hours: The successful applicant must have access to a car which can be used for work. Hours off work will defined in the contract of employment.

Location: The successful applicant will be expected to work from home. Office facilities will be availabe in Mudiad Meithrin’s office within the region.

Making an application: All applicants will be expected to complete an application form for the job vacancy, it is not acceptable to send a CV in place of an application form. All applicants will have to show how they meet the essential and desirable specifications, as noted under the Person Specification.

Further information on Mudiad Meithrin: To discover more information regarding Mudiad Meithrin, visit our website www.meithrin.co.uk, follow us on ‘Twitter’ (@MudiadMeithrin) or visit our ‘facebook’ page.

Job Requirements:

Will be accountable to Mudiad Meithrin's Chief Executive, through the Regional Director, for undertaking the following duties:

• Work with the Regional Director to arrange a schedule of weekly visits to the cylchoedd Ti a Fi that form part of the project.
• Assume the role of Leader in 5 Ti a Fi cylch within the specified area.
• Conduct weekly sessions in the cylchoedd Ti a Fi and lead / arrange appropriate activities for the children and their parents.
• Ensure suitable play activities and appropriate resources are available for the age of children attending the cylchoedd.
• In consultation with parents, prepare a program of support activities for parents eg Welsh for the Family courses, talks by Health Visitors, Dental Health Nurses, Dietitians, etc,

• Ensure that the rooms and resources used for sustaining the cylchoedd are suitable and safe.
• Work with local Development Officer and Regional Director to promote the cylchoedd Ti a Fi and to increase their use by families living in the specified areas.
• Work with local Development Officer and Regional Director to ensure close contact between the cylchoedd Ti a Fi and the cylchoedd meithrin within the area.
• Liaise with relevant agencies eg Health Trust, library services, to promote the work and service provided by the cylchoedd Ti a Fi.
• Arrange suitable visits / trips for children and their parents eg a visit to the local park, leisure center etc.
• Arrange regular visits from local Welsh Primary Schools Heads to discuss with parents the benefits of bilingualism and explain the opportunities available locally for their children to receive Welsh medium education.
• Ensure that every cylch Ti a Fi has a management committee.
• Provide support to the management committees in order to maintain the sustainability and quality of the cylchoedd.
• In conjunction with the Regional Director, ensure that all the cylchoedd Ti a Fi register to receive the Ti a Fi Seal of Excellence.
• Attend team meetings, County Committees and other relevant committees.
• Attend in-service training as and when required.
• Any other general work relevant to Mudiad's function in accordance with instructions from the Chief Executive.

Job Details:

Job title:
Peripatetic Ti a Fi Officer
Working Hours:
15 hours per week
Salary:
NJC 7 (£12,915 Pro Rata)
Leave:
School holidays within the area
Expenses
35p a mile in addition to a monthly car allowance of £5.00 per month. Travelling costs will be offered from the boundary of the county in question.

Persons Specification

Skills / Experiences / Essential / Desirable
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with parents/guardians and young children / ü
Effective Welsh and English oral communication skills / ü
Effective Welsh and English written communication skills / ü
Able to work with adults in a sensitive and positive manner, without prejudice / ü
Experience of working in the early years field / ü
Experience of sustaining an early years provision / ü
Able to organise time and workload efficiently / ü
Experience of working in partnership with parents / carers to support child development / ü
Information / Qualifications / Essential / Desirable
Relevant level 3 qualification or above in the early years and / or an A level qualification or an equivalent qualification / ü
Knowledge of the Foundation Phase for 3-7 year olds / ü
Knowledge of the local area / ü
Knowledge of resources and programmes which support parenting / ü
Knowledge regarding developments and initiatives within the early years field / ü