Foundation Years Advisory OfficerNHS

Job summary

Foundation Years Advisory Officer Join Oxfordshire County Council's Foundation Years Team and help shape the quality of early years education and childcare across Oxfordshire. As a Foundation Years Advisory Officer, you will work directly with childminders, nurseries, pre-schools, out of school childcare providers and schools with nursery provision to support continuous improvement and high-quality practice. Using your expertise in early childhood development and the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), you will provide advice, challenge and professional support that helps providers improve outcomes for young children. You will deliver visits, create and develop resources, deliver high-quality training and professional development opportunities, and contribute to communications that support the wider early years sector. Working collaboratively with colleagues and providers, you will help strengthen practice, promote innovation and ensure children receive the best possible start in life. We are looking for a highly successful Early Years leader with experience as a childminder running a successful business or as a manager within a nursery or pre-school setting. A strong understanding of child development, the statutory EYFS framework and quality improvement is essential, alongside excellent communication, organisational and digital skills. This is an exciting opportunity to use your expertise to influence practice across Oxfordshire and make a lasting difference to children's learning and development.

Main duties of the job

As a Foundation Years Advisory Officer, you will support and challenge early years providers to improve the quality of education and childcare for children from birth to age five. Through visits, training, resource development and professional guidance, you will help strengthen practice and improve outcomes for young children across Oxfordshire.

Job description

About Us

We are a small advisory team working with early years providers to ensure high quality early education and childcare across Oxfordshire. We are part of the education team within Children and Family's Directorate.

About the Role

To support and challenge Early Years (EY) providers to improve their provision for all children from birth to 5. Please note EY providers includes childminders, Out of School Clubs (Childcare), day nurseries, preschools and schools with nursery provision.

You will do this through:

• visits
• development of resources including online resources
• delivering high quality CPD to upskill the workforce
• contributing to communications e.g. newsletters; briefings; networks

About you

We are looking for well-qualified and highly successful Early Years Leaders who are working as a childminder running their own successful business or a manager of a nursery or pre-school. A good knowledge of how young children learn and develop, and the Statutory EYFS Framework, is essential. Applicants should be able to work effectively within a team and should be competent in ICT; meeting deadlines; have their own car and be able to work from home.

Rewards and benefits

This post is rewarding in terms of the impact that you can have working with a provider. Oxfordshire County Council is a supportive employer and there are a range of benefits that employees can access.

Your office base may be subject to change as we are currently transitioning between temporary and permanent office locations due to the closure of County Hall. If this is applicable to you, you will be notified, but no reimbursement will apply in respect of travel.

Ourcommitment to:Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

At Oxfordshire County Council we are proud of our diverse workforce. Everyone is accepted for who they are, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or on maternity or family leave. We have a number of staff network groups which provide peer support, education and safe spaces for all.

Our commitment to:Guaranteed Interview Schemes

As a Disability Confident employer, we guarantee an interview for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the job. We also guarantee interviews to care leavers who have completed further education and who meet the essential criteria for the job. For those leaving care without any further education, we guarantee an interview for our apprenticeships. We are also committed to helping and supporting those transitioning from HM Armed Forces to civilian life and guarantee an interview for those demonstrating the essential criteria for the role, within three years of leaving the service.

Our commitment to:Safeguarding

Oxfordshire County Council are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect these commitments.

Our commitment to:Flexible Working

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which can include flexi-time, full time and part time working, job sharing, nine-day fortnights and annualised hours, depending on the requirements of the role and the service.

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If you encounter any issues with the application system, please contact:[email protected]

About us

Oxfordshire County Council's Foundation Years Team works alongside early years providers across Oxfordshire to ensure children receive high-quality early education and childcare during the most important stage of their development. As part of the Education Service within the Children and Families Directorate, the team supports continuous improvement across childminders, pre-schools, nurseries, out of school childcare providers and schools with nursery provision. Through specialist advice, professional development, quality improvement support and sector-wide engagement, the team helps providers create outstanding learning environments where children can thrive, develop confidence and build strong foundations for future learning.