Senior Early Years Officer

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Job Description

Proposed Interview Date: Thursday 5 December / Friday 6 December 2024

Closing Date: Sunday 17 November 2024

Contract Type : Permanent

Salary : FC7 £32,437.03 - £40,358.57

Working Pattern : 36 Hours per week, 39 weeks per year

Location : Kirkcaldy West Outdoor Nursery (Beveridge Park)

Purpose and Values of Education Directorate

The Education Directorate is committed to Improving Life Chances for All through a wide range of direct services which support our children, young people, families and the wider Fife community. Our approach to improvement is rooted in our core values: Compassion, Ambition, Respect and Equity which reflect the ethos, culture and practice principles of all staff across the directorate. We strive to ensure that our attitudes and behaviour reflect these core values in all our dealings with children, young people, their families, and the wider community in partnership with those who support them.

Supporting Statement

As part of your application, you must provide us with a Supporting Statement which outlines to us how your skills and experience make you a good candidate for this vacancy. For more information, check out the How to Apply section of our Career Site. Without a Supporting Statement, your application will not be progressed. Please upload your Supporting Statement at the section marked 'upload resumé'. Your Supporting Statement must not be a CV. More information is available on our Career site at www.fife.gov.uk/jobs/supportingstatement

Please consider and demonstrate the following when completing your Supporting Statement:

• Working Together - Please give examples of when you have worked with others to lead team work and how you influenced those you were working with.
• Delivering Results - Please give examples that demonstrate your ability to organise and solve problems to achieve results.
• Personal Ownership - Please give examples of situations in which you have used your initiative to make improvements and used your skills to deal with challenges and change.
• Customer Focus - Please give examples of when your skills and knowledge have helped improve the learning and development of children.

Job Details

The outdoor nursery is based in Beveridge Park, Kirkcaldy. It will utilise a container within the grounds of Kirkcaldy West (Beveridge Park) Nursery as a pickup/drop off point and staff base. The container may also be accessed during inclement weather. However, practitioners and children will benefit from being outside for almost all of each session. Everyone will be outside in all weathers all year round, engaging in stimulating and challenging outdoor learning activities, utilising CfE and Realising the Ambition to plan appropriate learning opportunities across the curriculum.

Practitioners should have a keen interest in outdoor play and learning and appreciate the challenges working outside in all weathers can bring, including the likelihood of getting wet and muddy on a regular basis! All practitioners will be expected to develop their knowledge and skills at working in an outdoor environment whilst always promoting the health and safety of children.

The post requires a significant level of physical exertion to set up and pack away camp materials each day, in all weather conditions.

As a Senior Early Years Officer in Fife you will be responsible for promoting children's learning, development and welfare within an outdoor setting, promoting inclusion, diversity and equality, communicating with other stakeholders and for contributing to and leading on wider development, where appropriate.

A link to the role profile is included below, where you will find more information about the role, with specific reference to essential and desirable criteria for applicants

Qualification, Registration and Skill Requirements

You are required to hold one of the following practitioner level qualifications (or equivalent):

• HNC Childhood Practice OR
• SVQ Level 3 Social Services, Children and Young People.

Experience of working with young children in a formal setting.

Before confirming your appointment, you will be required to obtain Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme membership through Disclosure Scotland and become a member of the relevant PVG scheme.

You are also required to registered with SSSC at practitioner level within 6 months of taking up employment in this role and must complete the required post registration training and learning (PRTL) over the registration period.

You should have a working knowledge of the Curriculum for Excellence, Realising the ambition and child development from birth to 5 years.

You are required to have high levels of interpersonal skills and abilities which will enable you to lead on aspects of team work within the nursery to ensure positive outcomes for all children and young people in your setting.

Further Information

• Role Profile - When preparing your supporting statement, review the role profile and think about how you meet the essential criteria Role Profile
• How We Work Matters - Our employees are expected to display and promote certain behaviours in the workplace. See our How We Work Matters behaviour framework for more information.
• Employee Benefits - Employees have access to a benefits package that offers discounts on a wide range of products and services
• Directorate Information - Council Department information
• Social Media - Search for more 'Fife Council Jobs' on Facebook or follow us on X

For Further Information Please Contact: Elaine Thomson - Elizabeth.Thomson-bk@fife.gov.uk