Childcare Practitioner

**Job Purpose: to support and maintain well-organised, safe and stimulating environment delivering a flexible, high quality service which will meet the needs of children and their families. This will be in accordance with the policies, quality assurance guidelines and codes of practice adopted by CALA.**

**Leadership & Teamwork**
- Support senior staff ensuring a flexible, high quality service is being delivered. Ensure a positive role model is portrayed at all times.
- Communicate effectively with senior staff to ensure understanding of responsibilities on a day to day basis, carrying these out in a professional and effective manner.
- Work with senior staff to implement the quality systems within the centre, relating to Quality Assurance, Health and Safety and Data Protection.
- Support senior staff to plan and implement play activities appropriate to the needs of children, on an individual basis to promote and develop children’s learning and in line with recognised standards. Using current documents such as the Health & Social Care Standards and Realising the Ambition, being me supporting the quality of play within the centre.
- Support senior staff to ensure that children have the opportunity to play in a self-directed way and the staff team interact with them in a way which supports and promotes children’s confidence and individual abilities.
- Within the group support senior staff complete and ensure relevant planning, assessment, observation and record keeping documentation are kept up to date.
- Monitor and evaluate progress of individual children’s development against planned strategies. Implement and adhere to relevant action plans addressing the Care Inspectorate report and Quality Improvement report including planning to improve the service.
- Support the personal care and well-being of all children.
- Support the staff team to offer and provide induction meetings for parents/carers/children
- Ensure that parents, children and staff are fully consulted for their ideas and are valued for their contributions.
- Review CALA policies and risk assessments termly, to ensure knowledge and understanding of documents and update risk assessments as required.
- Support the staff team to complete and contribute to the process of self evaluation and in consultation with parents, children and the wider community where applicable.
- Establish and maintain positive relationships with parents/carers, volunteers/students and outside agencies.
- Ensure parents, children and the other staff are receiving appropriate information in line with organisational procedures and good practice.
- Support volunteers/students/modern apprentices on placement in the centre.
- Ensure that the staff and parents are aware of the requirements for the registration, booking and cancellation procedure for children. Support senior staff to ensure relevant information is being passed to the Dingwall Office and the Childhood Practice Manager as requested.
- Assist or support the senior staff to ensure all finance records are monitored and accurately maintained. Ensure that the CALA fee paying policy and procedure for Child’s Play/agency invoicing is adhered to ensuring relevant information is being shared with the Cashier /Childhood Practice Manager as applicable:

- The Child’s Play (CP) system should be updated daily with accurate bookings and payments in time for invoices being run by the Cashier.

Children’s attendance is tracked from daily register and information is entered on child’s play.

Invoices are issued in a clear timely manner in line with Procedure for Childs Play Invoicing.
The child’s status on the Childs Play system, to be checked daily before new booking is accepted. Reference Procedure for Childs Play Invoicing for full details

Receipts are issued in a clear timely manner in line with policies and late fee procedures;
**Professional Knowledge and Understanding of Health and Safety**
- Take responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of every individual child including early identification of additional support needs and with regard to keeping children safe. Concerns should be recorded as soon as possible on the appropriate CALA format.
- Ensure that the parents, children and the staff team are familiar with and adhere to the relevant policies and procedures that support the safe running of the centre.
- Ensure all food/snacks are prepared and served in accordance with appropriate food hygiene guidelines on a daily basis. Encourage the children to participate in the preparation of the snack provision.
- Maintain a safe environment for the children, ensuring that all equipment and resources are set out appropriately and monitor levels of materials and equipment in the centre and advise CPM of any requirements to maintain a stimulating environment.
- Ensure that care is taken to collect children from the local nurseries/schools on time with relevant CALA identification visible _(If applicable to