Early Years Practitioner

Early Years Practitioner.

Salary: £25,949 per annum pro rata.

Location: Waterside, Londonderry, Northern Ireland.

Contract/Hours: Permanent, Part Time, (working 30 hours per week).

Benefits

• Over 7 weeks inclusive paid leave pro rata and the option to buy or sell leave.

• 1 well-being day per year.

• Cycle to work scheme.

• Excellent training and the opportunity to undertake professional training for some roles.

• Flexible maternity, paternity and adoption packages.

• Up to 7% employer pension contribution and life assurance cover.

• Blue Light Card eligibility with discounts at 15,000 national retailers.

Vulnerable children in the UK need your help

Wherever you work in the Action for Children family, you'll be helping to change the lives of the most vulnerable children in the UK.

Last year, we helped more than 687,000 children and families across the UK. From direct work in communities to national campaigning, we are focused on making sure every child has a safe and happy childhood, and the foundations they need to thrive.

Why Action for Children?

Every child should have a loving home, food, warmth, the chance to grow and learn - the support to cope with life's challenges. But too many children don't. By bringing your passion and unique skills and experience, you'll help us change that where it really matters.

We've been driven by love to take action for children for over 150 years, giving them the protection and practical help they need. A lot's changed since 1869. But what children really need, hasn't. So as long as children need us, we'll be here.

Will you join us?

About the service

Our Waterside SureStart service plays an essential role in giving children and families the early support they need. As a universal service we work in partnership with other agencies such as health visitors, midwives, and local schools.

To help 0-4-year-olds get ready for school our services include: child and family health services; parenting programmes and antenatal support; early year's education services, such as 'stay and play' sessions; speech and language support and family learning.

Core working hours for the service are usually between Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.

How you'll help to create brighter futures

As an Early Years Practitioner, you'll be:

• Working as part of a team within the creche and developmental Programme for 2-3-year-olds to support children's personal, social, emotional, cognitive and SLC skills.

• Using a range of tools to monitor and assess the children's progress and development.

• Providing support within group play sessions as well as undertaking a range of home visits to support with the development of play skills.

• Developing successful relationships with children and their families.

• Observing and tracking children's development and sharing this with parents/ carers and other professionals.

• Being responsible for the planning, development, and delivery of individual and group-based services, which support families in providing their children with the best start in life.

Lets's talk about you

As an Early Years Practitioner, you'll ideally have:

• A minimum Diploma Level 2 in Childcare or equivalent relevant qualification.

• Experience of working with children aged under 4 years.

• A genuine interest in childcare and a true passion and love for children.

• A thorough understanding of Child Protection and Safeguarding.

• Excellent communication skills and the ability to engage with people of all ages and backgrounds.

• An understanding of the physical, intellectual, linguistic, social and emotional growth as part of child development.

• Access to a car. The job requires the ability to travel according to the needs of the job, with reasonable adjustments, if required, according to the Equality Act.

Closing Date: Monday 23rd November 2026 at 5pm.

Please note: Interviews are planned to be held week commencing 30th November 2026 face to face at Waterside.

To be eligible for this position you must complete an Access Ni Enhanced Disclosure

Having a criminal record will not necessarily be a bar to obtaining a position.

A copy of the Access Ni Code of Practice can be found here.

Policies on Recruitment of Ex-Offenders & Access Ni Disclosure Handing Policy are also available on demand.

Our Commitment to Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism

At Action for Children, we are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels respected, valued, and able to thrive. We know that racism and discrimination create barriers, and we are taking active steps to challenge these inequalities in our organisation and in the communities we serve.

We strongly welcome applications from people who are Black, Asian, or from other racialised and ethnically marginalised communities, as well as disabled people, who are currently under-represented in our workforce. We are committed to removing barriers in our recruitment processes and ensuring fair access to opportunities.

We also encourage applications from men, who are under-represented in our Children's Services roles. We recognise that people hold multiple identities, and we value the richness this brings to our team.

Want to know more about Action for Children?

Find us on Linkedin, Facebook or YouTube to get to know us better.

Job Description

See below for further information about working with us:

AfC Commitment Statement

Action for Children Northern Ireland Booklet