Job Description: Childcare Business Development Officer

Transcription

1 Job Description: Childcare Business Job Title Location Hours of Work Responsible To Childcare Business, Bridgend (fixed term until ) Office based in Cardiff but with a local office base in Sunnyside, Bridgend 37 hours per week Team Leader, Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids Clubs Pay Scale 24,402 per annum increasing to 24,646 upon confirmation in post (6 months) Main Purpose of Job Main Tasks Essential Desirable To help communities by promoting, developing and supporting out of school childcare clubs. 1. Develop and set up new out of school childcare clubs and/or extend existing provision. 2. Identify, the help of childcare partnerships, areas for club development. 3. Support existing clubs and help them develop quality standards. 4. Identify training needs for out of school childcare needs and undertake training to enhance the ability to carry out the role. 5. Work in partnership with other childcare organisations whilst ensuring that our organisation s strategy is paramount. 6. Attend meetings internally and externally and play a positive and productive role. Understanding and awareness of childcare and play issues, and the role of out of school childcare clubs, within the economic agenda Good communication skills, verbally and in writing, and the ability to work with a range of different people from club leader and committee members to local authority personnel and fellow team members. Computer literacy Full driving licence Educated to degree level or equivalent and /or proven experience in business/playwork. Ability to speak Welsh Basic business skills-cash flow, projected income/expenditure Experience of delivering training to adults Training Qualifications

2 Job Specification: Childcare Business Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids' Clubs wishes to appoint a full time (37 hours) Childcare Business for Bridgend. The post is based in our office in Llanishen, Cardiff. The post will require a flexible approach to work. The salary of 24,402 per annum ( 24,646 upon confirmation in post) is based on a 37- hour week, payable monthly by credit transfer. The work demands flexible hours and may include evening, weekend and occasional nights away from home. There are 28 days holiday pro rata plus public holidays. The holiday year runs from 1 January to 31 December. Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids' Clubs operates a stakeholder pension scheme in conjunction with AVIVA. Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids Clubs pays a 6% contribution of salary monthly into the pension scheme. Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids' Clubs also provides corporate health cover through Simplyhealth, whereby after a six-month probationary period, employees who are confirmed in post receive Simplyhealth Cover free of charge and the option to pay for additional cover for spouse / partner and children. A car is essential and a mileage allowance is payable when on Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids' Clubs business. Out of pocket expenses incurred while on Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids' Clubs business are also paid for subsistence and travel, within a limit. Expenses are paid monthly in arrears. Background There are approximately 1300 out of school clubs across Wales, 46 of which are in Bridgend (as at 1 st April 2011). Each group is autonomous. The clubs come together to share experiences, training opportunities and to support each other at network / support evenings which the Childcare Business s and Support Worker organise pending funding being available. Four Regional Team Leaders line manage the Childcare Business s across Wales within the North, West and S E Wales Regions. In Cardiff there are 2 full time Childcare Business s and a 22 hour Support Worker. In some cases Childcare Business s can be responsible for the development of new childcare places within 2 counties. A voluntary Board of Trustees or Directors make the policy decisions of Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids' Clubs. These people are elected annually and are drawn from Out of School Clubs across Wales. Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids' Clubs was formed in October 2001 as an independent voluntary organisation. The work supporting the development of out of school clubs was previously hosted by Chwarae Teg and was funded by the former Training and Enterprise Councils in Wales.

3 The Childcare Business s play a key role in the development of Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids' Clubs, working closely with the Local Authorities under the guidance of our Regional Team Leaders. The regions are North, West and South East Wales. The Director of Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids' Clubs and a core team of staff are based in the Cardiff Office. There are regional offices in Swansea and Colwyn Bay. All Wales staff meetings are also held occasionally in Mid Wales. Administrative support is provided from the Regional Office. The Training Officers are also closely linked with this work. There is a need for ongoing support, help and signposting to new and existing clubs. Childcare Business s will need an understanding of spreadsheets, together with the ability to use Excel, in order to carry out their work. The post of Childcare Business is ideal for someone who has a belief in community development and in providing safe, happy environments for children through breakfast/before school clubs, after school clubs and holiday clubs. The post holder will need to work in partnership not only with the other Childcare Business Development Officer and Support Worker working within the county, but also in close harmony with the Team Leader, the local authority and will need the ability to work with different people in many different situations. Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids' Clubs is the only out of school childcare organisation in Wales which promotes, develops and supports communities to provide quality, affordable, accessible out of school childcare for 3-14 year olds, If you are keen to join our team and have initiative, enthusiasm and drive and are flexible in your approach to work, we look forward to receiving your application. All offers of employment are subject to satisfactory reference and a Standard CRB Check, and a six-month probationary period. Continuation funding is always a complex issue within the voluntary sector. Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids' Clubs has some core funding from the Welsh Assembly Government but most of the funding for staff working within counties comes from the Local Authority who commission the services of Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids' Clubs to develop out of school childcare within the county. This particular post is made up funding from Bridgend County Council using the Rate Support Grant (formerly Cymorth). The funding is for a period of twelve months and there is not guaranteed funding beyond the end date of the contract. Continuation of this post is dependent on continuation of funding which is normally decided on an annual basis.

4 Evaluation Criteria: Childcare Business Objectives 1. Develop out of school childcare 2. Identify areas for club development 3. Support existing clubs 4. Identify training needs & undertake training Performance Criteria a) Help develop new affordable, sustainable quality out of school childcare clubs (and/or extend existing provision) by advising and supporting management committees and others using Stepping Out, Nuts and Bolts and Ready Steady Go, childcare community business toolkit. b) Work with Bridgend Childcare Team to meet the identified gaps in out of school club provision. Identify need for development and support in applying for funds. c) Support clubs with funding monitoring as appropriate. d) Make presentations to Head Teachers and other interested parties re: Out of School Clubs as required. e) Provide guidance on regulatory and legal issues including making clubs aware of their responsibilities as employers and signpost club to the relevant agencies as necessary regarding personnel, PAYE, tax. f) Support all clubs to register with CSSIW, wherever possible a) Work with the Bridgend Childcare team, Bridgend Local Authority, schools, Communities First, and others to identify those areas most in need. b) Help clubs with grant applications for start up funding for new/extending clubs. c) Record enquiries for new clubs and childcare places on a monthly basis. a) Sustain 46 existing clubs b) Conduct business health checks with clubs where needed to ensure their long-term viability. c) Promote local and national funding opportunities to existing clubs and support with a minimum of funding applications d) Visit or contact the 46 existing clubs on a termly basis. e) Provide business skills mentoring to existing clubs where needed through Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids Clubs Ready, Steady, Go childcare business toolkit, Nuts and Bolts and other business skills courses which are key to ensuring clubs have the best chance of surviving long term. Sessions include: business planning; finance; monitoring and reporting; committee skills and governance; marketing; fundraising; staff management. f) Respond to queries and provide guidance on staffing, funding, marketing, sustainability, budgeting, monitoring and legal structure. a) Work closely with clubs, Training Officers, Team Leader and Bridgend Childcare Team to identify training needs in Bridgend and request training courses to meet the needs as appropriate. b) Ensure clubs are aware of Care and Social Services Inspectorate for Wales (CSSIW) procedures and advise them with policy development etc. using Stepping Out. and/or other recommended toolkits c) In liaison with the relevant Training Officers, encourage clubs to attend training. d) Conduct a training needs analysis with individual clubs and identify areas for business development training. Deliver business skills mentoring.

5 e) Undertake training to help with personal development in order to carry out the role. This training to include Induction training, First Aid, Health & Safety, Food Hygiene, Promoting Positive Behaviour, Child Protection and Equal Opportunities within the first year of employment. f) Make application to the Team Leader for training possibilities. 5. Work in partnership with other childcare organisations 6. Internal and external meetings a) Make contact and develop good working relationships with others in the childcare field such as Wales Preschool Playgroups Association, Mudiad Meithrin, Play Wales, National Day Nurseries Association and National Childminding Association on a county basis and work with them to develop childcare within South East Wales and in partnership with Local Authority personnel. b) Work closely with the Bridgend Childcare Team. a) The Childcare Business is required to attend Team and All Wales meetings, as these are paramount to the ability to represent the views of the organisation at external meetings and share information. These will include attendance at the Monday morning office meetings, Team, All Wales and training and development opportunities. If other meetings or training get in the way of attendance this must be discussed with the Team Leader and they will decide which takes priority. b) Attend meetings externally such as children s partnerships, partnership co-ordinators and others such as Job Centre Plus to further the growth of out of school childcare within a county. c) Promote the work of the organisation and the training programme. d) Attend monthly supervision sessions with the Team Leader and keep them in close touch with work and work priorities. Initially the Team Leader, Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids Clubs, on a one-month basis eventually on a termly and annual basis, will set the work priorities for new staff. e) Ensure the completion of monthly returns to the Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids Clubs Team Leader on a monthly basis by the 5th day of the month. f) Produce written reports for the Clybiau Plant Cymru Kids Clubs Team Leader as required. g) Report to Bridgend on a periodic basis as required re: budget and annually re: activities. Prepare report in liaison with Team Leader and check with the Finance Manager and Director prior to sending to the Local Authority.