Permanent senior role in Families, Children and Wellbeing at Brighton and Hove City Council, leading early years and childcare strategy. The post leads delivery of the free entitlement from nine months to four years, childcare sufficiency, early years funding, out of school care and the Holiday Activities and Food programme. It pairs financial planning and business systems for early years funding with policy, projects and work alongside schools and childcare providers. Applicants need significant children's services management experience and strong knowledge of childcare legislation and funding.
What the job involves
- Provide strategic leadership for early years and childcare across the city
- Lead statutory delivery of the early years free entitlement for children from nine months to four years
- Lead childcare sufficiency work
- Lead early years funding arrangements, including the local early years funding formula
- Lead out of school childcare and the Holiday Activities and Food programme
- Lead financial planning and business systems for early years funding, including budgets, data, provider payments, compliance and assurance
- Manage complex budgets
- Lead service reviews and projects related to early years and childcare
- Develop local early years and childcare policy
- Support delivery of capital and revenue programmes that strengthen childcare provision
- Use data, consultation and local intelligence to identify need and gaps and improve take-up of entitlements
- Work with schools, providers, finance colleagues and partners to strengthen provision, while supporting and developing staff
Experience
- Significant management experience in children's services, early years, childcare, education or a related field
- Experience of managing complex budgets
- Experience of leading service reviews and projects
Skills & knowledge
- Strong knowledge of childcare legislation, statutory guidance, early years funding and local and national policy
- Strong financial, analytical and project management skills
- Strategic thinking
- Turning detailed information into clear advice, decisions and action
- Relationship-building, negotiation and problem-solving skills
- Confidence to influence change across internal and external partners
What’s offered
- Wellbeing support
- Leave and pension benefits
- Training and development
- Flexible working arrangements agreed with manager
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Contact Details:
The Methodist Church in Britain Recruitment Team
