Job Title: Nursery Manager (Permanent)

Job reference no: PENNM317

Job title: Nursery Manager (permanent)

Closing date: 10th March 2017

JOB ADVERTISEMENT

Nursery Manager

Pinocchio’s Nursery, Penicuik

We are seeking a Nursery Manager with at least 2 years recent management experience to lead our Penicuik nursery. The nursery has been open for 12 years and has an established team.

The hours are 37 – 40 per week, over 5 days.

The salary is £23,000 to £25,000 per annum pro rata for 40 hour week, plus a benefits package which includes 28 days holiday per year, increasing annually up to a maximum of an additional 5 days, private healthcare and a 25% childcare discount.

Applicants must be registered with the SSSC as a Manager and possess a knowledge and practical understanding on the Curriculum for Excellence and Prebirth to Three. If successful, offers will be conditional on satisfactory completion of safer recruitment procedures such as a PVG check, two written references etc.

Pinocchio’s Nursery was founded in January 1997, and offers care and education for children aged 3 months to 5 years. Since the first nursery opened, Pinocchio’s has extended to five sites across Edinburgh and Midlothian. Each nursery has top class facilities and offers the family the very best in childcare.

JOB PROFILE

Responsible to: Katrina Weir Quality Assurance and Director’s.

Responsible for: The management of Penicuik nursery team

Job purpose

The Nursery Manager is responsible for the effective management of their nursery and for ensuring they offer a high quality, caring and cost effective service within budget, legislative requirements and in line with governing bodies.

KEY WORK AREAS

Main responsibilities

·  To oversee the day to day management, staffing and organisation of the nursery and ensure it is in line with the company’s strategy.

·  To develop and maintain a family friendly environment.

·  To be responsible for high standards of care and education in accordance with the requirements of our governing bodies.

·  All legislative requirements are fully met in connection with the appropriate governing bodies responsible for this type of service especially in connection with Care Inspectorate standards, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education (HMIe) and the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC).

·  To ensure priority is given to filling available children’s sessions and maintaining occupancy levels at the agreed target.

·  Implementing agreed strategies, policies and procedures in line with the nurseries aims and objectives

Managing and developing people

·  Ensuring all staff are appropriately trained or are following an acknowledged training programme under supervision.

·  Identify any training needs and facilitate training opportunities.

·  Appraising and developing employees.

·  Carrying out monitoring and evaluation of practices and rooms within the nursery and giving feedback and ongoing development to employees to improve standards and practice.

·  Liaising with supervisors regularly, holding regular supervisors meetings to support and reflect on practice throughout the nursery .

·  Responsible for the recruitment and discipline of all staff and all HR issues in conjunction, and with support from the HR Officer.

·  Carry out return to work meetings and keep track of Bradford Scores in order to reduce absence in the nursery.

·  Create the staff schedules two weeks in advance.

·  Hold staff meetings/ training sessions out of nursery hours as and when necessary.

·  Ensure the uniform policy is followed and appearances are professional and of a high standard.

Finance and purchasing

·  To stay within budget and report any exceptions.

·  To order and maintain equipment and resources.

·  To be accountable and responsible for the day to day financial systems within the nursery.

·  To record and store any fees paid accurately and timely.

Children’s education and development

·  To have a working knowledge and understanding of the nursery curriculum.

·  To have a sound knowledge of child development and to be able to respond to the individual needs of children.

·  To support employees with delivering the curriculum

·  To communicate with parents as and when necessary.

·  To liaise with outside agencies where necessary and give support to teams in managing children who require additional support.

First Steps computer system

·  Ensure that all details are up to date and added in accurately when a new family joins the nursery or when any details are changed.

Customer care

·  Deal with all complaints as per our Complaints policy.

·  To consider and make recommendations for future service improvements and developments to meet the needs of the parent and child by analysing the areas complaints are occurring in and look for measures to reduce these.

·  Offer viewings of the nursery to prospective customers.

·  Speak to prospective and existing customers with their enquiries promptly and effectively.

·  Promote excellent customer care to employees and ensure they are offering this.

Working in partnership with parents

·  Build and maintain professional relationships with parents.

·  Send parents the monthly newsletter via email.

·  Chair and promote the Parent’s forum group. Ensure minutes are distributed to all parents.

Children’s care and wellbeing

·  Being the lead Child Protection Officer for the nursery.

·  Promoting and safeguarding the welfare of service users s/he is responsible for, or comes into contact with and ensuring others do so.

·  Ensuring all children are comfortable, safe and stimulated at all times.

·  Being aware of the social and emotional circumstances of children at all times and working to improve standards at all times.

Hygiene and Infection Control

·  Ensuring that hygiene standards are maintained throughout the nursery ensuring it is kept clean at all times.

Health and Safety

·  The safety of all children, staff and contractors is monitored and appropriate procedures maintained at all times

·  Responsible for all of the health and safety in the nursery.

·  Ensuring that accident forms are reviewed, ensuring any areas that accidents are frequently occurring in are analysed and the risks removed/ reduced.

General

·  Being able to critically evaluate yourself to enable you to support others.

·  Being proactive in your own personal development.

·  The goodwill and reputation of the nursery is maintained at all times.

·  Attending parent’s nights

·  Using correct English when within the nursery and maintaining a professional approach.

·  To undertake training, as necessary, to maintain high standards in the quality

of work, as outlined in the Job Description, including attendance at meetings.

·  To undertake any other duties within the scope of Nursery Manager as prescribed at your initial place of work or at any other of the Nurseries establishments.

·  To ensure that all aspects of the Nursery business are kept strictly Confidential

·  Adapting, responding or providing innovating working practices to meet changing demands or priorities.

CONDITIONS OF SERVICE

Location: Eastfield Drive, Penicuik, EH26 8BA.

Contract status: Permanent, with a probation period of 6 months.

Standard hours of work: 37- 40 hours, must be a minimum of 9 sessions per week.

Work pattern: Possible working hours include Monday 7.30am - 5.00pm, Tuesday 8.00am - 5.30pm, Wednesday 8.30am - 6.00pm, Thursday 7.30am-5.00pm & Friday 9.00am – 1.00pm. This is an example of 40 hours per week, with 30 minutes lunch break.

Holidays: 5.6 weeks holidays per annum pro rata are available. The holiday year runs January - December of each year. In the first year, holiday entitlement will be pro-rata. After each complete year of service you receive one extra days holiday up to five days pro rata. We are closed on Easter Friday, Easter Monday and for seven days at Christmas and New Year.

Training: Pinocchio’s are accredited with Investors in People for our dedication to training and development and career progression is encouraged.

Additional benefits: Managers enjoy a childcare discount of 25%. A detailed childcare contract must be signed in order to utilise the childcare discount.

You can apply via our online application system at

http://www.pinocchiosnursery.co.uk/careers-at-pinocchios-nursery/

Or

PRE-EMPLOYMENT CHECKS

Please note that if you are successful, our offer of employment will be conditional on satisfactory completion of pre-employment enquiries such as a Protection of Vulnerable Groups check, two written references of which must be from your last employer (if possible), verification of your original qualifications, Scottish Social Services Council or other register checks and your eligibility to work in the United Kingdom.

COMPANY INFORMATION

Founded in January 1997, Pinocchio’s is fully registered and HMIe approved offering full-time and part-time placements for children aged 3 months to 5 years and grant funding.

Stratos and Lewissa Koulis, a husband and wife team, opened their first nursery with the view to creating a nursery that they would be happy for their own child to attend. This vision still applies, and Stratos and Lewissa aim to make the nurseries an environment which is focused on the children’s social and emotional needs foremost and an environment they would be happy to place their own children in. Their concept is if the children are happy then they will develop.

The bright, homely atmosphere combined with the caring staff creates a friendly and stimulating environment, which meets the needs and challenges of growing, developing children.

Since the first nursery opened, Pinocchio’s has extended to five sites across Edinburgh and Midlothian. The original Nursery opened in Lasswade; this has been followed by planned expansion in these areas; Eskbank, Riccarton on the Heriot- Watt University Campus, Penicuik and Gilmerton. Each Nursery has excellent facilities and offers the family the very best in childcare.

The majority of our employees are qualified professionals in childcare; all are experienced in childcare and early education. Each nursery has a Manager and Deputy Manager, each room has a Supervisor, and regular staff meetings help generate new ideas and inspire and develop staff, creating a strong team spirit. We all work as a team to provide a friendly atmosphere, which creates a good, fun environment. Pinocchio’s staff are trained to recognise genuine effort; to know when a child is trying hard. Children’s own work is valued.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Area / Essential / Desirable /
Qualifications / training / Professional membership / ·  Professional qualifications in Early Years Care and Education appropriate to register with the SSSC as a Lead Practitioner or currently studying
·  Child protection / ·  Degree in Early Years/ teaching
·  Formal management or business qualification
·  Trained in lifting and handling techniques and H&S
·  Children’s first aid
·  Food Hygiene
Experience / knowledge / ·  At least 2 years experience in nursery management
·  First hand experience on the playroom floor to enable manager to support all staff effectively.
·  Experience in nursery management
·  A sound knowledge and understanding of the development and educational needs of children 0-5
·  Contribution to educational planning in a nursery
·  Knowledge, experience and the ability to interpret and implement Care Inspectorate, HMIe and quality assurance expectations and an understanding of performance standards
·  Capable of forging good relationships with parents and outside agencies
·  An up to date knowledge in childcare legislation / ·  Staff management, including motivation and development, planning, training and discipline
·  Communicating with parents and children and report writing
·  Experience of giving presentations
·  Knowledge of marketing and PR
·  Understanding of finance in a nursery setting
Skills / ·  Be a good role model and maintain a professional relationship at all times with employees
·  Be able to demonstrate good supervisory skills – including motivating, supporting and developing employees
·  Able to manage curricular changes in educational development
·  Be able to demonstrate a commitment to the development and maintenance of high standards of nursery care and service to parents
·  Demonstrate a high degree of accountability and decision making
·  Experience of report writing and drafting policies/procedures
·  Computer literate (able to use Microsoft Office)
·  Monitor and evaluate nursery standards / ·  Able to use First Steps
·  Experience in using Microsoft publisher
Personal attributes / ·  Child centred
·  Customer focused
·  Able to work well under pressure
·  Can deal positively with change
·  Excellent interpersonal skills and effective verbal and written communication
·  The ability to work effectively with others
·  The ability to plan, make decisions and take responsibility
·  Organisational and time management skills
·  Well presented, and able to promote a good image for the company
Other / ·  Ability to work flexible hours
·  To be proactive in enhancing and maintaining own personal and professional development

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