Job Details
ROLE DESCRIPTION
The Early Years Team in Children’s Services are looking for a highly motivated, experienced officer to fulfil the Teams role in principally managing the early years funding offers.
The role will focus on the programme to deliver funded nursery education to the most vulnerable 2 year olds and ensure the 3 and 4 year old funding is run effectively, achieving targets and maximising value for participating families.
You will be expected to liaise closely with the Children’s Service Finance Team including the Head of Finance to ensure that the statutory early years entitlements and other offers are delivered in line with national and local expectations and that delivery of the programmes are effectively communicated with providers.
ABOUT THE ROLE
You will need to:
• Support eligible 2 year old funded children into childcare places to support the employability agenda and to improve the school readiness of children.
• To oversee the programme to deliver funded nursery education to the most vulnerable 2 year olds and ensure the 3 and 4 year old funding is run effectively, achieving targets and maximising value for participating families.
• Support the tracking of these children who take up targeted places by reviewing their attainment in EYFS across the year
• Support the effective brokerage of Children in Need (CiN) provision in line with the service arrangements.
• To support all development initiatives within the early years field, including providers and childminders in the maintained, private, voluntary and independent sectors
• To advise and set up new providers coming into the market that wish to be part of the funded programme.
• To provide detailed reports to the Head of Early Years to inform the number of children taking up funded places across the borough.
• To work closely with other early years teams that provide a range of information services to ensure that a comprehensive service is maintained.
• To play a significant and specified role in the implementation of relevant identified targets and objectives.
• Lead on the development of the government’s free 2 year offer programme and its integration into the delivery unit. This will involve building relationships with key delivery partners (nurseries, pre-schools etc.) in the private and voluntary sector to ensure a good supply of childcare placements for providers rated as Good or Outstanding by Ofsted
• To establish and maintain a process for the allocation of these places to parents through the development of core criteria for Hammersmith and Fulham
• To maintain a detailed recording system (Synergy) for the allocation of the places and when vacancies will become available.
• To support providers with the 3 and 4 year old and 30 hours offers (universal and additional funding for working parents), through advice and payment process.
• Develop partnership arrangements with the Children’s Centre Outreach, Family Information Service, Data Analysis, colleagues, and other partners in co-ordinating activities relating to the requirements of the programme, providing effective support to meet the additional requirements of the DfE Guidance.
• To manage, maintain and review application, brokerage and claim processes for the 2 year old programme and other targeted childcare provision, dealing promptly with queries from colleagues, parents, and external partners.
• To provide estimated figures, validate and process payments for 2,3 and 4 year old and 30 hours funding, working closely with finance to ensure providers are paid.
• Lead on processes to provide robust financial management and monitoring of the programme, by providing monitoring reports as and when necessary.
• Produce reports and ensure effective systems are in place to identify outcomes of children who take up 2 year offer places and ensure interventions are in place if necessary.
• Support the communication strategy for parents, partners, and other professionals on the availability of targeted and free entitlement childcare provision ensuring that all key partners are aware of the offer.
• Develop links with all partner agencies that provide support services to vulnerable children and families i.e. Health, Early Help, Locality, and Social Care Teams.
• Ensure processes are in place to provide robust financial management and monitoring of the Child in need provision payments.
• To contribute toward the childcare sufficiency survey, advising new providers about funding process and encouraging participation. Setting up new providers to be part of the programme and therefore building capacity.
• Support the Family Information Officer to keep up to date records on childcare provision within Hammersmith and Fulham.
• To sort and classify the DFE list of eligible families for 2 year places and send to the children centre managers, so that they can carry out their outreach.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with partner agencies.
• Contribute to the effective and efficient management of resources, ensuring value for money and that all transactions are carried out in accordance with the council’s policies.
• Any additional duties as requested commensurate with post level.
• Ensure your actions and decisions align with the Council’s declaration of a climate and ecological emergency.
Pay rate: £300 per day umbrella
Five to six months contract with view to extend or make permanent
