Early Years and Childcare Advisor

About Us

Early Years and Childcare Advisors (EYCAs) work within the Children, Young People and Learning directorate, which groups all services including Early Help, Children's Social Care and Education and Skills, that work together to put children first and improve outcomes for children and families across West Sussex.

The Early Years Foundation Stage covers the statutory duties that all settings must adhere to and sets out the fundamentals of childhood learning and development. Evidence shows that access to high quality early years education and childcare provision improves children's learning outcomes and contributes to future success.

The local authority has a statutory duty through the Childcare Act 2006 to secure sufficient, high quality, affordable and sustainable childcare places to meet the needs of parents. In turn, this supports a sustainable and prosperous economy across the county, enabling families to fulfil their potential.

About The Job

Grade: 10

Salary: £35,411 to £38,296

Working pattern: Full - time

Contract length: Until the 31/07/2024

Locations: Mid Sussex

You will be working with early years and childcare providers, which include pre-schools, day nurseries, childminders and out of school provision. You will provide support, guidance and information to potential, new and existing childcare providers in order to secure sufficient high quality inclusive early years and childcare places in West Sussex (aged 0-14 or up to 18 for SEND).

You will spend time in a range of different early years and childcare provision including early years groups settings, childminders and out of school provision, and will need the ability to travel independently across the county, including to rural areas which may not be easily accessible by public transport.

The role involves providing challenge and professional support to early years and childcare providers, enabling them to deliver sustainable high quality, inclusive practice. The role will support leaders and practitioners to improve the quality of their provision to ensure that all children achieve the best outcomes with a safe and secure learning environment. EYCAs will work with providers to take a sustainable business approach to planning and signpost providers to resources to support them.

Experience and Skills

Key Skills:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills to provide specialist advice, guidance, challenge and support and is adapted to the audience as appropriate, capturing key points in a succinct and clear way, focussing on impact and outcomes.
• Ability to work independently, prioritise own workload, adapt and respond quickly, flexibly and in a measured way to changes in national, local and service priorities.
• Ability to contribute ideas and creative solutions to effect change, when working to improve the quality of provision and outcomes for children adapting appropriately to a setting's individual needs and level of experience.
• Ability to work collaboratively with all relevant stakeholders to share best practice, knowledge and learning in order to drive forward improvement showing tact, diplomacy and empathy while offering challenge to drive forward improvement as well as supporting providers with their financial management systems including cashflow forecasting and budgeting.
• A good level of IT skills to effectively and efficiently complete work tasks using Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams) and other bespoke databases, complying with General Data Protection Regulations.

Qualifications and/or experience:

• Degree or other relevant level 6 qualification.
• Qualified Teacher Status with Early Years Specialism, Early Years Professional Status or Early Years Teacher Status - Desirable
• A minimum of five years' recent experience of leading early years practice in either maintained or non-maintained early years provision.
• Current knowledge of early years and childcare legislation and understanding of how this impacts on practice, as well as current GDPR legislation in order to maintain data accurately and confident
• Knowledge of child development, early years pedagogy and effective practice
  to improve outcomes for children and narrow the attainment gap in the early
• Experience of leading change by applying specialist knowledge and providing advice, guidance and challenge to other professionals.
• Experience of leading support to children with SEND within an early years and childcare setting.
• Experience of financial management and business organisation.
• Experience of community involvement and/or development - Desirable
• Experience of Project Management - Desirable

Rewards and Benefits

For a full list of the benefits offered to you as a West Sussex County Council employee you can find them on our Rewards and Benefits page.

Further Information

The reference number for this role is CAFHE04346 .

For an informal conversation or for further information regarding the role, please contact Sue Woods at for issues or queries regarding your application please contact .