As a registered provider of Nursery education, we strive to provide the highest quality of care and education for all our children, ensuring that they are happy, safe, and secure within our setting. The role as a Key Person will:

• Work as part of a team and under the direction of the manager, to support the aims and objectives of the Playschool, and assist in the organisation of a high-quality establishment for the children.
  
  
• Provide high standards of childcare and education – to include the monitoring and reviews of provision, to provide a safe, caring environment to enable the emotional, social, and educational development of children, through individual attention and group activities.

Responsible to:

Child and Young Person Welfare Manager, Playschool Deputy Manager, Board of Trustees Maidstone Mencap Charitable Trust                     

Purpose of the Job:

• To ensure the provision of a high-quality environment to meet the needs of individual children from differing cultures and religious backgrounds, and their stages of development.
• To ensure that four overarching principles shape the best practice ethos within the Playschool, that:
  • every child is a unique child
  • children learn to be strong and independent through positive relationships
  • children learn and develop well in enabling environments
  • children develop and learn in different ways and at different rates
    
    

Roles and Responsibilities:

• To continuously seek personal development for a thorough understanding and knowledge of the Statutory framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) supporting the developmental needs of the children in our care
  
  
• To ensure the quality and consistency of care in our setting, supports all children to make good progress, in a safe, secure, and happy environment.
  
  
• To ensure that all the Policies & Procedures within the Playschool are complied with, supporting the Mandatory Welfare Requirements of the Early Years Foundation Stage.
  
  These are written under the headings:
  • Safeguarding
  • Health and Safety
  • Information and Records

(Ofsted and inspectorates have regard to the EYFS in conducting inspections and will report on the quality and standards of our setting.)

• To Act in the role of a Key Person for a key group of children. To ensure that every child’s care is tailored to meet their individual needs, to support each child to become familiar with our setting, to offer a consistent relationship for the child and their parent/carer.
  
  
• To provide a secure foundation for the children in our care, through well planned learning and development opportunities, supporting the needs and interests of each individual child which are assessed and reviewed regularly.
  
  
• To work in partnership with parents/ carers other practitioners and other outside support agencies, to share information to support each child in their learning and development.

Main Duties:

Children’s learning and development:

• Working with guidance from the EYFS learning and development requirements, ensure that the seven areas of learning and development shape the planning of activities and experiences for the individual children, support their achievements, curiosity, and enthusiasm for learning.
  
  
• To consider the individual needs of the children, reflecting on the different way’s children learn, (Characteristics of Effective Learning) to effectively guide and plan appropriate opportunities, resources, and activities.
  
  
• To support the Manager to ensure that the role of “Key Person” meets the safeguarding and welfare requirements. Parents/ Carers to understand the role and be encouraged to share information to ensure that the children’s learning and care is tailored to meet their individual needs.
  
  
• To ensure ongoing assessment (formative assessment) is an integral part of the planning for the children’s learning and development. Observations to understand the children’s level of achievement, interest and learning styles must be reflected on to the shape the learning experiences for each child. As a key person day to day observations about the children’s progress must be responded to as should the observations that parents share.
  
  
• Parents to be kept up to date with their child’s progress and development. Completion of a monthly “unique progress” record must show the children’s achievements and support the next step planning towards targeted outcomes of each child. Consultations with parents should encourage the sharing of information to support potential learning at home.

Children’s safeguarding and welfare:

• To support manager in ensuring are healthy, safe, and secure within the playschool setting. That their individual needs are met, and that they have positive relationships with all the adults caring for them.
  
  
• To understand our safeguarding policies and procedures. To have knowledge of safeguarding concerns to be able to identify signs of possible abuse and neglect at the earliest opportunity and be able to respond in a timely and appropriate way.
  
  
• To support manager to ensure that all practitioners working with the children or those who have regular contact with children are suitable to do so. All staff are expected to disclose any convictions, cautions, court orders, reprimands and warnings that may affect their suitability to work with children.
  
  
• To support manager in fostering a culture of mutual support, teamwork, and continuous improvement in attending and supporting supervisions. These provide opportunities for support, coaching training and promote the interests of the children, maintaining confidentiality and discussion of sensitive issues.
  
  
• To attend mandatory training including Safeguarding awareness and paediatric First Aid.
  
  
• To support manager to ensure that staffing arrangements meets the needs of all the children in our care. Children must be adequately supervised, and always within sight and hearing.
  
  
• To ensure that policy and procedures for the administration of medication is adhered too Training to undertake any necessary measures and procedures to support a child in our care must be attended to support the child, our understanding and knowledge.
  
  
• To ensure that Snack time is adequately equipped to provide healthy balance and nutritious choices for the children. To ensure that any specific requirements for children are met and that drinks are accessible at all times.
  
  
• To ensure all procedures for the recording of accidents injuries and first aid are followed.
  
  
• To ensure that the playschool environment is safe and fit for purpose. To ensure that Policies and Procedures to support Risk assessments, fire, health, and safety are complied with.

Information and records: 

• To ensure the maintenance of records that support the safe and efficient management of the Playschool are accessible and available to meet the needs of each child. To support the Manger in ensuring Confidential information and records are held securely and are accessible only to those who have a right or professional need to see them.
  
  
• To have knowledge and understanding of the need to protect the privacy of the children in our care. To ensure all information relating to each child is managed in a way that ensures and adheres to our policies and procedures regarding confidentiality and data protection.

Working as part of a team:

• To promote the high standards of the Playschool at all times to both parent’s staff and visitors.
• To lead and develop a team of professional workers and to ensure good practice at all times.
  
  
• To assist the manager in promoting, setting, and implementing aims, objectives, and policy for the Playschool.
  
  
• To assist with the planning and organisation of staffing schedules and holiday rotas to ensure adequate staffing levels are maintained in accordance with Local Authority guidelines and Playschool procedures.
  
  
• To assist with the implementation of administrative procedures involved with: – registration, place allocation, and other related matters.
  
  
• To ensure high standards of hygiene and cleanliness are always maintained.
  
  
• To assist with staff development and training.
  
  
• To assist the manager in the supervision of training of students in placement within the Playschool.
  
  
• To liaise with outside agencies as required.
  
  
• Assist the manager with the efficient upkeep of the building and maintenance /stock of equipment, furnishings, and fittings.
  
  
• Maintaining staff awareness of fire drill in accordance with the code of practice.
• To attend staff / planning meetings and training sessions outside working hours.
  
  
• To undertake such other duties and responsibilities of an equivalent nature as may be determined from time to time by the Playschool manager.

Working with parents / carers:

• To ensure confidentiality of information received.

• Liaise with parents and carers and staff to help ensure that the particular needs of children are met, and that parental choice is considered in terms of care given.

• Consult with and support parents and other family members.

• Always be approachable and professional when liaising with parents’ carers.

• Work with SENCO and parents of the children to give full integration in the Playschool.

• Ensure child is collected by someone known to Playschool.

This Job Description is not inclusive. It is issued in conjunction with a Staff Contract and Employee Handbook. The management structure at Cobtree Playschool and Maidstone Mencap Charitable trust will review at intervals to support any changes that reflect welfare requirements and changes to the job specifications.

This job description works alongside those of all other personnel. The manager’s responsibility is to ensure that the staff team are all working to their full potential.

The duties and responsibilities in this job description are not restrictive and the undertaking of other duties may be required from time to time. Any such duties should not, however substantially change the general character of the post.