Nursery Practitioner

Who are we?

YMCA North Tyneside is a Voluntary Sector Organisation undertaking youth and community programme work in areas of North Tyneside, South Tyneside, and Teesdale. We are part of the worldwide YMCA movement, which started in London in 1844 has grown to become the world’s largest and oldest youth movement.

Now, more than 175 years later, YMCA is operating in 119 countries, with 64 million people reached annually around the world. Guided by our Christian values, we believe everyone has potential, and we serve our communities so that all can hope, belong, contribute and thrive. 

Interested in making a difference?

As we embark upon a period of growth for the organisation this is a great time to join a team where our values of Believe, Inspire, Serve and Thrive aren’t just words on a wall but the foundation of our culture and everything we do as a charity. 

We’re passionate about delivering exceptional HR customer service and creating a workplace where every individual feels valued and empowered. We’re currently seeking an experienced HR Advisor to play a key role in our ambitious 5-year People Strategy.  This strategy is designed to ensure our employees flourish by 2030 and you’ll be instrumental in bringing that vision to life.

About the Role: 

We are looking for someone with a passion to ensure children have the best start in life. Something the team at YMCA Day Nursery believe should be the case for every child placed in their care. 

Ideally you would have an existing Childcare qualification, but if you have experience and you can do the following this could be the role for you:

Could you read stories upside down, with at least 10 interruptions per minute?

You would preferably have a quirkiness-if a child requests you to be a bus driver, police officer or even an astronaut, could you take them on an imaginary journey through space? 

You can’t be afraid to dance in the rain, explore in the mud kitchen or build a snowman in the depths of winter.  

Having the skills to count quick moving heads of small people is a must have skill. 

 Finally, you must be prepared to feel appreciated, loved and have essential bonds with young children and their families.  

There is not a better feeling in any workplace than meeting a small 6 month old baby who you will support and watch them grow and develop into a member of the preschool room being ready to begin their school journey…

Key Responsibilities:

• To deliver high quality provision within the setting 
• To have high expectations of all children and have commitment to them achieving their potential 
• To provide a safe, welcoming, purposeful, stimulating and encouraging environment where children feel confident and secure and are able to develop and learn 
• To provide safe, appropriate, child-led and adult initiated experiences, activities and play opportunities in indoor, outdoor and in out-of-setting contexts, which enable children to develop and learn 
• To organise the environment inside and outside to ensure that resources and equipment are available and appropriate to meet the needs of the individual children in the group. 
• To actively support the development of children’s language and communication skills 
• To monitor and evaluate children’s learning through a range of assessment and monitoring strategies. 
• To promote positive behaviour, self-control and independence through implementing our behaviour policy 
• To promote children’s rights, equality, inclusion and anti-discriminatory practice in all aspects of the setting 
• To maintain a safe environment and employ practices that promote children’s health, safety and physical, mental and emotional well-being 
• To recognise when a child is in danger or at risk of harm and know how to act to protect them 
• To ensure that any identified development needs are raised with the Management team

 The perks of the job:

• Competitive salary
• 5 Weeks Holiday + Bank Holidays
• Your Birthday Off!
• Flexible Public Holidays
• Free Gym Membership to YMCA Gym for you and a loved one
• Discounts at our Cafe’s, including Cafe 1879 and our Community Cafe
• Discounted fees at YMCA Day Nursery
• Discounts to holidays at our Patterdale Estate in the Lake District
• Access to a free and confidential Employer Assistance Programme (suite of legal and health advice)
• Access to 24/7 GP Helpline
• Access to Salary Sacrifice Schemes 
• Access to Reward Gateway providing 100’s of retail discounts
• 2 x Paid Volunteering Days
• Life assurance of 2x annual salary
• Group Pension Contribution Scheme
• And more!

Want to find out more about the job? 

Please feel free to contact Ian Pearson (Nursery Manager) for an informal chat about the position by email at Ian@ymcanorthtyneside.org

To Apply:  

Visit this link below for our online application form http://bit.ly/YMCAonlineapp 

Closing date: Please apply ASAP as we will be interviewing as we go

Interview process: One stage interview

Start date: ASAP

Safeguarding

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

We strive to create a safe and supportive environment where everyone feels protected from harm. We have robust procedures in place to prevent and address any concerns about abuse or neglect. All staff and volunteers have a responsibility to report any concerns about the safety or welfare of children, young people, or vulnerable adults. We have clear reporting procedures and we will take all concerns seriously. 

As part of our commitment to safer recruitment, all roles that involve working with children, young people or vulnerable adults will require a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check at the appropriate level including checks against the relevant Barred Lists. We are committed to thorough background checks to help ensure that those whom we employ are suitable to work with these groups.

Equal Opportunities

YMCA North Tyneside is committed to eliminating discrimination and encouraging diversity amongst the workforce. We aim to be an equal opportunities employer and we are determined to ensure no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of gender, age, disability, religion, belief, sexual orientation, marital status or race, or is disadvantaged by conditions or requirements which cannot be shown to be justifiable.  Flexible work is supported, and applications from people with disabilities are encouraged. We strive to create local employment opportunities for all

Recruitment of Ex-Offenders

We believe in providing equal opportunities for all qualified individuals, regardless of their background. We recognise that people can change and we are committed to giving individuals with criminal records a fair chance to demonstrate their skills and abilities. 

We assess each applicant based on their qualifications, experience, and suitability for the role, taking into account the nature of the offense, the time elapsed since the conviction, and any evidence of rehabilitation. 

We are dedicated to creating a workplace that fosters inclusion and supports the successful reintegration of individuals into the workforce. We comply with all relevant legislation and guidelines regarding the employment of ex-offenders and we are committed to maintaining a safe and respectful work environment for all employees.