Senior Childcare Worker

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About The Role

We are seeking a passionate Senior Childcare Worker to lead in providing a safe and stimulating environment where children aged 3 months to 5 years can learn through play. In this role, you will inspire our children to socialise, dream, and realise their potential by supporting them in a creative and exploratory setting.

What's in it for you?

• A vibrant learning community of 13 practitioners working across three rooms
• an opportunity to work closely with our setting SENCO to support children with additional needs
• access to Dorset Council's employee benefits, including generous annual leave and a pension scheme
• a supportive environment where technology enhances communication with team members and families

We pride ourselves on respect, responsibility, and recognition. We operate as OneTeam, fostering a collaborative and supportive atmosphere.

What you will be doing:

You will play a crucial role in the preschool provision, helping children develop by planning activities tailored to their unique needs alongside another Senior Childcare Worker. Your efforts will ensure a nurturing environment that encourages children to engage and explore confidently.

• collaborate with a dedicated team to lead and support developmental activities
• create and maintain a dynamic learning environment, assessing risks and adapting spaces to fit the needs of the children
• engage with parents and carers daily, sharing updates and milestones
• design and implement nutritious menus for snacks and participate in adult-led activities like sports, arts, and cookery
• provide occasional staffing support at Blandford Children's Centre and Oscars, our after-school and holiday provision (rated 'Good' by OFSTED).

About you:

• minimum of a Level 3 qualification in Childcare or related field, additional certifications such as Safeguarding, Paediatric First Aid, Childcare, or Food Hygiene are highly desirable.
• a supportive mentor capable of challenging and guiding others
• patient, enthusiastic, and motivated, with a knack for initiating activities
• organised and proficient in documenting observations and communicating effectively with parents to enhance learning at home
• a valid driver's license and access to a vehicle are necessary

If you are a self-motivated individual ready to make a difference in children's early educational experiences, we would love to hear from you. Join us in shaping the futures of the youngest members of our community.

Further Information

This post involves working with children and/or vulnerable adults and/or having access to significant information about them. It will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check. See our policy on the employment of ex-offenders.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of the children, and we expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Please be aware this post is subject to a satisfactory DBS disclosure application and other safer recruitment checks including 2 references.

About Us

We're passionate about making Dorset a great place to live, work and visit. Working for us should be no exception.

At Dorset Council we:

• provide more than 450 services to over 300,000 residents
• have ambitious aspirations
• are excited about our future
• care about Dorset and all the people who live here
• know that all roles make a difference and that our employees are key to our success
  You will:
• have access to a range of employee benefits
• be part of an organisation that supports each other to grow and succeed
• have access to range of training opportunities which will help with your personal development and career progression

We are challenging ourselves to become a more diverse and inclusive organisation. We recognise that recruitment and inclusion of individuals with diverse skills, perspectives and backgrounds will bring real strength to the council and our communities. We have a commitment to equality and welcome applications from everyone.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. We offer an interview to everyone who declares a disability and meets the essential criteria for the role.

We are keen to make our interviews accessible. Let us know on your job application if you have a disability and need any reasonable adjustments.

We also look for applicants who share our commitment to our behaviours . We will ask you to evidence when you have demonstrated them as part of the selection process.

If appointed, the personal information we collect from you will be shared with Cifas who will use it to prevent fraud, other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. If any of these are detected, you could be refused certain services or employment. Your personal information will also be used to verify your identity. Further details of how your information will be used by us and Cifas, and your data protection rights, can be found at https://www.cifas.org.uk/fpn .

This role is UK based and we will need to establish your Right to Work as part of the appointment process.

We use generic job descriptions and person specifications. This means the job title on any attachments may differ from the job title in the advert. We may provide specific information in a context statement if relevant.

Find out more about how to apply .