LATIN AMERICAN WOMEN’S RIGHTS SERVICE

Tindlemanor, 52-54 Featherstone Street, London, EC1Y 8RT

CRÈCHE COORDINATOR

Job Description & Person Specification

Job Title:Crèche Coordinator.

Hours of Work:To work 10.5 hours per week, with flexibility to work extended hours.

Salary:£12.24 per hour.

Annual Leave:13% pay added to hourly pay or equivalent entitlement.

Purpose of the job

The Latin American Women’s Rights Service (LAWRS) is a human rights, feminist organisation led by and for Latin American migrant women in the UK. We provide a range of one-to-one and group activities. Many of our service users have children and bring them along to our offices when accessing services. LAWRS provides a crèche to ensure children are safely looked after while mothers/carers attend activities, in order to ensure an environment of confidentiality and space for themselves when receiving a service.

The Crèche Coordinator is responsible for ensuring that children are safely and appropriately looked after during the periods in which their mothers/carers are using LAWRS’ services and for providing them with a stimulating and varied programme of play.

A Crècheis provided along services and activities at LAWRS three current locations (Islington, Southwark and Haringey) with prior arrangement:

●Weekly drop-in surgeries held every Monday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

●Service users’ appointments for advice and counselling.

●Organisational events and celebrations (International Women’s Day, Annual General Meeting, End of Year Celebration and others).

●ESOL and other English classes.

●Workshops, seminars and meetings with beneficiaries.

●Ongoing groups (yoga, community activist groups, group work activities, etc.)

The duration of crèche sessions will vary. This role will require administrative work, and you will also be required to work some weekend days.

Main responsibilities:

●Taking care of LAWRS’ beneficiaries children while they attend LAWRS activities.

●Organising the crèche service, its rota and activities.

●Coordinating and supervising Crèche Assistants’ work.

●Ensuring that the team and the mothers/carers understand relevant issues regarding child protection and gender equality.

RESPONSIBILITIES

General:

  1. Overall responsibility for the smooth operation of LAWRS’ crèche.
  2. Ensuring a safe environment for children, to comply with health and safety and child protection regulations, including keeping a register and accident book.
  3. Responsibility for the maintenance of the playroom and its contents, preparing the playroom before children arrive and ensuring it is clean and tidy.
  4. To carry out your duties in accordance with LAWRS’ policies (e.g. Confidentiality and Data Storage Policy, Conflict of Interest Policy, etc).
  5. Assisting with other tasks as requested by the organisation in the event that there are no children coming to LAWRS at times when a crèche service is provided.
  6. To keep abreast of safeguarding legislation and attend safeguarding training to improve your knowledge, skills and performance as agreed with your line manager.
  7. To ensure that Child Protection legislation and policies are applied at all times during the course of your duties.
  8. To liaise with mothers/carers and other LAWRS’ staff, when appropriate.
  9. To prepare and coordinate activities for children aged 5-12 attending larger events.
  10. To keep confidential any information about the children or their families gained in the course of your work.

Personnel:

  1. To recruit crèche workers and ensure that selected candidates are appropriately trained, DBS checked and in accordance with LAWRS recruitment policies.
  2. To ensure the appropriate ratio of personnel to children at each session and allocate hours to workers accordingly.
  3. To be responsible for organising and coordinating the work of other crèche staff in events where large numbers of children come to use the crèche.
  4. To ensure that crèche workers comply with Child Protection legislation and policy and access developing training when appropriate and with the approval of your line manager.

Activities:

  1. To liaise with your line manager to ensure there is adequate play equipment.
  2. To organise a programme of creative activities providing good quality childcare and age-appropriate stimulating and developmental activities/games.
  3. To design activities for children that challenge gender stereotypes.
  4. Make relevant room and facilitators bookings in good time for events; fundraise where relevant, and look for donations and/or arrange purchase of presents for the End of Year Celebration.

Administration & Evaluation:

  1. To manage crèche bookings and organise the crèche rota weekly.
  2. Ensure the database and paper files are kept up-to-date by crèche workers on duty, with children’s names, ages and relevant notes /activities from each session.
  3. Ensure timesheets are prepared monthly & signed off by your line manager; and ensure activities are kept within the crèche budget.
  4. Monitor children’s activities in line with evaluation procedures and assist your line manager in preparing reports to funders of the crèche programme.
  5. Prepare reports to the management committee when required.

Child Protection Information:

  1. To assist the Child Protection Officer in ensuring that LAWRS’ Child Protection Policy is updated and responsive to legal and organisational requirements in consultation with other staff members.
  2. To act as Deputy Child Protection Officer.
  3. With the Child Protection Officer, to train and/or organise staff training on Child Protection issues, and that crèche workers undertake training on working with child witnesses of domestic violence.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

The following experience, skills and knowledge are requirements of this post. You should demonstrate in your application how you meet each of these requirements.

ESSENTIAL

Skills/Knowledge/Experience

  1. NVQ Level 2 or equivalent qualification in childcare.
  2. Sound understanding of child development issues and experience of organising activities for young children.
  1. Demonstrable ability to organise activities which promote learning, integration and equality in relationships (including gender relationships).
  2. Awareness of how domestic violence impacts on children and families and the actions that should be taken.
  3. Excellent spoken and written English and Spanish, or English and Portuguese.
  4. Line management or volunteer management experience.
  5. Excellent knowledge of the Children’s Act and Child Protection legislation and issues.
  6. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and ability to establish good rapport with children.
  7. Good ICT skills and use of relevant IT packages.

Personal values and attitudes

  1. Preparedness to work flexible hours, at different venues and on an on-call basis.
  2. A commitment to secure and uphold children’s and women’s rights and a commitment to adhere to and promote LAWRS’ ethos and values with regard to the empowerment of Latin American women.
  3. Alert, observational and responsible attitude.
  4. Highly organised, pro-active and able and meet deadlines.
  5. Collaborative and willing to work as a team member.
  6. Initiative, resourcefulness and a “can do” attitude.
  7. Commitment to integrate equal opportunities principles in all aspects of the work.

DESIRABLE

  1. Ability to speak English, Spanish and Portuguese.
  2. Attainment of a valid first aid certificate (training will be offered).

1