Area Manager in Ashton-under-Lyne

Minimum level three in Childcare required. Minimum three years direct nursery management required.

Location: Multi-site across Greater Manchester

Driving licence & car: Essential

As the nursery area manager you will be expected to lead and maintain the standards set in the statutory framework whilst ensuring the EYFS and nursery curriculum is managed, maintained and reported on by each setting in the Little Giggles group. You will work with the managers and staff to maintain effective practices throughout the setting, lead risk management implementation and lead policy and procedure implementation and practice.

Key Responsibilities

• To oversee the managers and ensure they are abiding to the statutory handbook during their daily management.
• Observe staff members with managers using the Ofsted inspection handbook and take actions where necessary.
• Develop and implement the nursery curriculum and any new key roles that may sit alongside it.
• Keep up to date with any childcare/inspection legislation changes and communicate this to all managers.
• Develop and deliver a rich curriculum for staff and managers to follow.
• Complete all DBS applications and ensure all new staff have a DBS application no later than three days after their employment begins.
• Organise all first aid courses and communicate accordingly.
• Train, organise and implement new and existing nursery/legislation directives.
• Audit nursery statutory paperwork weekly including but not limited to – Medication forms, SEND log, RA log and send the nursery director a written report overview with any actions needed.
• Audit nursery paperwork monthly including but not limited to – Weekly planning, Monthly Planning, Focused activity plans, Room action plans, Peer observations, Staff supervisions and send the nursery director a written report overview with any actions needed.
• Audit the nursery cohort tracking and provide a written summary report to the nursery director with any actions needed and taken.
• Oversee cohort tracking and assist where needed to ensure deadlines are met.
• Oversee and implement any actions needed during the cohort process.
• Assist the nursery manager with any HR queries.
• Assist the nursery manager with any recruitment when they are unable to carry this out.
• Assist the nursery manager with any safeguarding issues and reporting procedures and provide a written summary to the nursery director on any information which could be deemed significant.
• Attend nursery board meetings and provide or help with any supporting documentation needed.
• Oversee the nursery maintenance man and advise the nursery director weekly on any outstanding maintenance that may need external contractors.
• Spend time on the nursery floor with the staff observing practice and feedback to the nursery manager as needed documenting any practice that needs highlighting and ensuring actions are carried out.
• Assist the nursery director where needed.
• Organise a policies and procedures auditing process to ensure all are not due within the same month and spread over the year and communicate with the nursery director as required.
• Organise own workload and communicate with the nursery director which tasks you will be completing and at which setting (by no later than noon the Wednesday prior).
• Audit the nursery rooms once a month with the nursery manager and address any problems, audit the action plan which is put into place and measure its impact.
• Deal with any expedited nursery complaints and communicate this to the nursery director once an outcome is reached.
• Audit the nursery complaints file at the end of every month and ask for further details if required.
• Audit the effectiveness of curriculum leads and provide additional training if required.
• Record any training videos needed for nursery staff/manager training and audit their impact and implementation across the company.
• Attend any additional training required relevant to your role.
• Ensure all settings are working to a minimum ‘Good’ standard and implement any actions needed to ensure this graded outcome is always achieved.
• Cover within the nurseries when needed.
• Oversee that all nurseries are health and safety compliant and communicate any actions that are needed.
• Give feedback to managers on how they can improve and manage action plans effectively.
• Audit statutory HR documentation and meetings are being set and carried out by nursery managers.
• Answer any payroll queries in the nursery directors absence.
• Answer any urgent emails in the nursery directors absence.
• Establish good professional relationships with nursery managers and senior staff members.
• Audit and oversee a thorough induction, mentoring and trainee staff programme.
• Provide constructive, honest feedback to ensure open communication to support all staff.
• Audit risk and lead in supporting documentation including training and implementation of systems and processes.
• Train managers thoroughly on procedures using online learning tools and face to face training ensuring evaluations are always completed and systems improved where needed.
• Ensure managers are aware of their own responsibilities as the nursery manager.
• Lead and motivate the nursery managers.
• Work in partnership with the local authorities and attend meetings where needed.
• Attend Ofsted inspections and support where needed.
• Communicate with Ofsted/the local authorities on any information in which they are required to be aware of.
• Audit staff meetings and record their impact with the nursery manager.
• Audit room meetings and record their impact with the nursery manager.
• Audit fire evacuations and mentor, help and support the process if needed.
• Audit indoor and outdoor equipment and communicate with the nursery director where appropriate.
• Take over some of the nursery directors roles and responsibilities in her absence.
• Audit kitchen paperwork on a monthly basis.
• Undertake supervisions with nursery managers and administrators on a 10-12 weekly cycle and document any actions with a clear timeframe which is followed and chased, communicate any significant actions to the nursery director.
• Organise three monthly manager meetings with clear agendas sent 5 days prior to the meeting, communicate openly with the nursery director in what the outcomes need to be and why.
• Research new and exciting ways of learning to keep Little Giggles relevant.
• Support new paperwork procedures by leading and delivering training events.
• Help to prepare settings for Ofsted inspections by doing on the spot walk arounds and observations and feedback actions to managers with lines of communication between the nursery manager, nursery director and yourself.
• Communicate any new and exciting incentives that could be used across the nursery group to improve attainment and staff satisfaction.
• Interviewing and inductions of any new or potential nursery managers.
• Oversee parental questionnaires and work with nursery managers on any actions needed providing a summary report for the nursery director.
• Attend PVI meetings and update the nursery director as needed.
• Deal with any complaints or serious incidents which may need reporting to Ofsted and communicate this with the nursery director once complete.
• Assist in marketing and advertising plans.
• Share staff ‘wow’ moments on the Little Giggles staff group.
• Assist in writing and planning new procedures as and when needed with the nursery director.
• Help devise waiting plans if occupation is reached within settings.
• Ensure consistency throughout each nursery setting and that the same high standard is kept by all.

This list is not exhaustive and may change from time to time in line with business needs.