Early Years' Service, Thurles, Co. Tipperary General Information Why work at Barnardos? At Barnardos we seek to ensure that we have the best people working with us to support our work with children and families. The benefits of working with Barnardos are designed to promote continual professional development and a work-life balance for the most rewarding working experience. Barnardos offers a competitive salary - recognising the experience you bring to the role Generous annual leave entitlements plus discretionary Company days Positive working environment with family friendly ethos and work - life balance policy Tax saver and bike to work schemes in operation Employee pension scheme with employer contribution Company Sick Pay Scheme An opportunity to help improve outcomes for vulnerable children and families by working in a trauma informed way Access to regular trauma informed support and supervision Ongoing support and access to training and professional development opportunities An opportunity to be part of a supportive team Access to the Employee Assistance Program for employees and their immediate family members Regular Breath, Body and mind sessions to support staff well-being Location: Slievenamon, Road, Thurles, Tipperary E41AC97. What do Barnardos Early Years, and Early Intervention services do? Barnardos services have the goals of improving the emotional well-being of children, and improving their capacity for learning and development. Barnardos is committed to interagency working and embrace a compassionate and partnership-based approach with families. The Thurles project seeks to maximise the capacity of families to meet children's needs by offering an Early Intervention service with the aim of improving child development outcomes for pre-school children in the area. There is a wrap-around service of trauma-informed targeted support for individual children and bundle of integrated family support services for their families, which can include transport to and from pre-school daily. Specific attention is given to those families where child protection or welfare concerns exist, working with the most vulnerable and dis-advantaged families specifically focusing on parenting skills and child/parent relationships in order to reduce the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and subsequent difficulties for children. Services include: Early Years and Pre-school programmes for children based on the Ts Maith curriculum and High Scope approach, parent and child work, practical family support and parenting work. We work to provide a response that involves interagency collaboration to maximise positive outcomes for families. What will the Programme Assistant do? The Programme Assistant will work in the pre-school service, helping to provide a safe, child-centred environment. This position, through Access and Inclusion Model (AIM) funding, will specifically focus on supporting a child / children and their group, to engage in the daily routine and curriculum, while also focusing on and supporting the children's emerging interests. The Programme Assistant will work closely in partnership with the wider pre-school team to ensure that the pre-school curriculum is implemented and appropriate individual planning & support for children is provided Who do we work with? Barnardos works in partnership with children, families, and relevant statutory & voluntary services to provide the necessary opportunities for children to reach their potential Job Description Post: AIM Programme Assistant Location: Thurles, Slievenamon Road, Thurles, Co. Tipperary, Responsible to: Project Co-Ordinator / Project Leader Works with: Barnardos team and service users Job purpose To provide a safe, child centred environment/experience to children in the context of the service in which you work and appropriate to the role. This role will support a child/children to participate in our early years' service including working under the Access & Inclusion Model (AIM) Core Job Requirements To provide a safe and appropriate environment for children to participate in the service. To ensure all children attending the service receive an appropriate level of supervision. To support children attending to play and interact positively with other children. To be vigilant for signs of physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect and any concerns regarding the welfare of children. To immediately bring any concerns to the attention of the child's Key Worker and the Designated Person and in keeping with Barnardos Child Protection Policy. To record concerns promptly and accurately. Requirements Specific to this post Use knowledge and experience in the area of working with pre-school aged children with additional needs. To work with relevant staff to prepare and implement individual support plans for children who require additional support To provide appropriate levels of support to ensure the engagement of children with additional needs in our preschool curriculum. To provide a flexible service on a day-to-day basis within the Early Years' team. An experience or understanding of working with vulnerable children and families. To be aware of the needs of children in our service and, in line with our Promoting Positive Behaviour policy, provide appropriate Promotion, Induction or External strategies in accordance with the needs of the child. To become familiar with the High Scope approach and Ts Maith curriculum and to work with the wider team to support the implementation of this curriculum. To assist in general duties related to the preschool environment including planning, preparation, cleaning, and care of equipment & materials. Note: This Job Description will be reviewed and updated in line with the needs of the work. #Jobs Person Specification Personal Attributes Commitment to provide a quality service to children Good communication and interpersonal skills Awareness of confidentiality and the ability to deal with sensitive issues, including child protection concerns Ability to work as part of a team Flexibility and adaptability are essential attributes in this role. Experience Experience of working with children for a minimum of 6 months is essential. Relevant voluntary work may be considered. Qualifications Recognised qualification QQI/FETAC minimum level 5 that is approved under the Early Years' (Pre-school) Regulations. Barnardos is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all.
