Job overview

Are you a compassionate and caring individual looking to grow your career as a Qualified Nursery Practitioner in a fun and nurturing environment? If so, then we are looking for an enthusiastic Level 3 Qualified Nursery Practitioner to join our friendly team.

We offer childcare from the ages of 3 months to 5 years in our bright and airy nursery. The nursery has a dedicated craft and messy play area and access to a large and secure outside space- so lots of opportunities for adventure for our children! We also have cosy sleeping areas for when they need to rest.

You will be looking after a group of children and ensuring that all their needs are met during the day and that they have fun and engaging activities planned.

Taplins operates two purpose built day nurseries supporting our local NHS staff, and being part of the UHS family means you'll have access to lots of great benefits such as generous holiday allowance, and a discount scheme.

We're open Monday- Friday from 7am to 6.30pm and closed on bank holidays

Main duties of the job

Attached you will find the person specification document which provides more detail about the essential and desirable skills and experience needed for this role. We highly recommend you review this document and use it when completing your application as these criteria are used by hiring managers as guidance during shortlisting. 

For an overview of the main duties of the role please see the ‘Job Description and Main Responsibilities’ section below. To understand the day-to-day responsibilities in more detail please read the full job description document attached. 

Working for our organisation

As one of the largest acute teaching Trusts in England, we offer learning and development opportunities to help you achieve the career you aspire to. UHS is rated ‘Good’ by the CQC and in the latest national NHS Staff Survey, we were in the top 10 acute trusts for staff engagement and for staff recommending the hospital as a place to work or receive care. 

Specific to this role we are open to discussing flexibility in the hours that you work. Please talk to us at interview about the flexibility you need, and we will explore what’s possible for the role and service.  UHS employees are able to access a range of NHS discounts, are entitled to a minimum of 35 days paid holiday (pro rata), and we offer a generous pension scheme.

Southampton is an attractive place to live and work situated on the south coast, with an international airport and direct trains to London. The New Forest National Park and beaches of the Jurassic coast are also right on our doorstep. The city offers living costs 20% lower than London and 14 schools rated outstanding by Ofsted.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Work as part of a vibrant and caring team meeting the needs of small groups of children.
• Promote each child’s development and have lots of fun doing this! Reading stories, giving cuddles, pretending to have tea parties, finding bugs in the garden, painting and lots more!
• You also need to be great at liaising with parents/carers
• Responsible for evaluating the activities, and for maintaining online learning journals via Tapestry.

What we're looking for 

• To be calm, kind and caring, and have an enthusiastic approach to working with children and their families.
• To be committed and reliable.
• We are a busy service and team working is essential to meet each child’s needs, so you’ll need to be ready to work closely with others.
• We’re particularly looking for proactive people with brilliant ideas to help us continuously improve our services.

If this is you, we’d love to meet you!

Person specification

Qualifications, knowledge and experience

Essential criteria

• Good standard of secondary education with literacy and numeracy skills demonstrable to GCSE pass level or equivalent standard
• Willingness and ability to undertake Food Safety training
• To hold a full and relevant Level 3 Early Years Qualification (in accordance with https://www.gov.uk/guidance/early-years-qualifications-finder ) or above. If level 3 qualified post June 2016, to also hold a full paediatric first aid (PFA) or an emergency PFA certificate
• Able to provide relevant activity ideas and ability to care for children
• Demonstrates enthusiastic approach to working with children and learning practically within nursery
• Recent previous experiences of working with 3 months – 5-year-olds within a childcare setting.

Desirable criteria

• Current paediatric and/or first aid at work certificate if qualified pre- June 2016, or if candidate holds a qualification higher than level 3
• Current food hygiene certificate

Values/Behaviours

Essential criteria

• Patients First
• Always Improving
• Working Together

Please be advised that this vacancy may close earlier than stated if large numbers of applications are received.

Due to the volume of applications we receive, we are unable to acknowledge receipt of your application. If you have not heard from us within four weeks of the closing date of this post, please presume that you have not been selected for interview.

Applicants from University Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation Trust whose posts are considered to be ‘At Risk’ will be given prior consideration for this post

Our Trust runs the return to practice course each year for nurses who have been out of the profession and wish to return. To find out more please visit our website:

http://www.uhs.nhs.uk/WorkingHere/Typesofjob/Nurses/Returntonursing.aspx

http://www.discoversouthampton.co.uk/   Information on Southampton as a place to live and enjoy

https://www.uhs-vle.co.uk/   See what fantastic training and development we have on offer at UHS

http://www.youtube.com/user/SouthamptonHospitals learn about the Trust through visiting our YouTube channel 

Getting to Work

Application can be made for parking on site at UHS or through one of the park and ride schemes. This will be based on specific criteria to determine eligibility for site parking as this can be very limited.  UHS encourages staff to utilise other green methods of getting to work such as cycling or walking where possible. UHS is well connected through bus services to the city centre and other areas.

Please note that we will not accept any applications or queries via agencies, under any circumstances.

Our staff are positive about working at UHS and rate us above average compared to other NHS Trusts in the Staff Attitude Survey. We are rated strongly on a number of areas including teamwork, communication and engagement.

Equality remains at the centre of all Trust policy making, service delivery and employment practice with all employees being given equality of opportunity to develop, apply for promotion and have working arrangements that enable them to achieve a manageable work-life balance.

The Trust actively promotes a work environment free from harassment and discrimination and provides training for managers and staff to ensure this happens. The Trust also closely monitors recruitment activity, training and development and employment practices to ensure equality of practice with regard to race, colour, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, disability, marital status and age.

As a service provider the Trust ensures equality of access and delivery of our services through the provision of interpreter services, facilities for the disabled and sensitivity for patients ethnic and religious differences and needs.

Relocating to Southampton

If you are thinking of moving to the Hampshire area, please find below a link to our website which offers guidance on finding accommodation:

http://www.uhs.nhs.uk/relocating-to-southampton

The Trust is under a duty to protect the public funds it administers, and to this end may use the information you have provided on this form for the prevention and detection of fraud. It may also share this information with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds for these purposes.