Childcare Development and Sufficiency Officer

Wigan Life Centre South

College Avenue

Wigan

WN1 1NJ

Salary: Grade 7, £30,296 - £33,945 per annum.

37 hours per week

Previous applicants will not be considered

Your role:

The successful candidate will be responsible for supporting the team’s sufficiency activity in the planning and development of childcare places, linked to the expansion of the Early Education Entitlement and Wraparound programmes to ensure the Local Authority meets its statutory duties under the Childcare Act (2016 and 2006).  

Please note: (childcare in this job role context relates to nursery childcare and not children in care)

You will be required to work with a range of childcare providers to expand and develop new childcare places, where needed. You will support the development of grant funding applications, business plans, cash flow forecasts. You will provide Ofsted registration advice and guidance and responding to general enquiries from parents and childcare providers relating to Nursery Education Entitlement Funding.   

You will be responsible for validating grant funding applications and presenting to a funding panel for approval. You will provide direct sustainability guidance and support to successful grant funding applicants and will continue to work with them to monitor grant spending throughout the period of the grant funding contract.

You will work collaboratively with childcare providers, schools and childminders to overcome some of the key challenges currently identified within the sector.

About you:

This is an excellent opportunity if you would like a new challenge and feel you can contribute to the work of the Early Learning and Childcare Team in Wigan. Ideally you will have experience working as a childcare development officer, or manager/lead of a childcare service with knowledge of the nursery Education Grant Funding Entitlement, Wraparound childcare, childminding.  

You will be confident to deliver presentations, provide instruction how to develop childcare business models and use cash flow planning.

You will have sound knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage and Childcare regulations.

You will be confident in the use of Microsoft Office Suite, with specific skills and knowledge of Excel at a minimum Level 2 standard, including the use of functions such as Look Up Tables and ‘IF’. You will also have experience of creating databases, creating reports and presenting statistical data.

You can demonstrate a ‘can do’ attitude and are able to travel to meet partners located within the Wigan Borough. Please note occasional evening or weekend work may be required.

About us:

Wigan Council has been voted ‘Overall Council of the Year’ at the APSE (Association for Public Service Excellence) Awards and has recently published The Deal 2030, our ambitious plan for our borough. We are signed up to the Greater Manchester Continuous Service Commitment ensuring that your service will be continuous or 'unbroken' between the supporting organisations.

You will be joining a friendly, initiative-taking and passionate child and family centred team, who enjoy working with a range of stakeholders. Our main passion is to ensure we make a difference to young children in Wigan, giving them opportunities for the Best Start in Life and School Readiness.

Here at Wigan, we are proud to support flexible working patterns, when the service can accommodate this. We also take a blended approach to where we work, depending on the work we do. This may include working from home (My Place), the office (Our Place) or the community (Your Place). We like to thank our employees for their hard work and commitment by giving them the opportunity to access a range of exclusive rewards and benefits click here to find out more about working for #TeamWigan.

Wigan Council prides itself on equality, inclusion and promoting diversity within the borough and aims to recruit a workforce that reflects our diverse communities. We invest in training and developing our staff, in a positive learning environment, and aim to be a consciously inclusive employer. We welcome applications from everybody in the community and would particularly encourage applicants from our underrepresented groups to apply. At Wigan, it is really important to us that applicants demonstrate our Team Wigan behaviours, and we do all we can to make sure that everyone feels like they belong. We have guidance in place to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and consistently at every stage of the recruitment process.

To be appointable in this role you must be able to prove you have the right to work in the UK. If you are unsure, please visit the below link to check you qualify to apply. Please note, at present we are not a licenced sponsor. Prove your right to work to an employer: Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

If you would like to discuss the role with a member of the team, please email your request to leyep@wigan.gov.uk

To view the details relating to this position, please click the links below:

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Interview date: Monday 20^th May 2024 at Douglas Valley Nursery School