We are looking for a Children’s Centre Worker to assist in the planning, delivery and evaluation of community and centre-based activities that support young children's learning, development and health, ensuring high-quality provision.
You will also contribute to the delivery of services aligned with the Start for Life programme, supporting families from pregnancy through the early years, with a particular focus on the first 1,001 days.
Please note: This is a frontline role and does not offer hybrid working. The role is essential to meeting Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) requirements, maintaining appropriate staffing ratios, safeguarding children, and delivering community-based services that support children’s learning, development and wellbeing.
You will work directly from our Children’s Centres and operate flexibly across the borough to meet the needs of families and the service.
You will:
- Support the development and delivery of universal and targeted services for children and families.
- Plan and deliver activities supporting the Start for Life period, including antenatal and postnatal support, infant feeding, early attachment and parental mental health.
- Deliver targeted group work and interventions for families with children up to 8 years old, supporting development and health in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage.
- Support community outreach events and activities.
- Create a warm, welcoming and inclusive environment for children, parents and carers.
- Provide attentive and responsive care to children in the crèche, including feeding, toileting and comfort.
- Support parents and carers with parenting skills, behaviour management and their understanding of child development.
- Assess family needs, identify appropriate services and work with internal teams and external agencies to provide support and signposting.
- Maintain strong safeguarding and child protection practice and report concerns appropriately.
- Ensure activities are appropriately set up, risk assessed and delivered safely.
- Record relevant information accurately on EHM and in line with GDPR and information-sharing requirements.
- Prepare healthy snacks and drinks and assist with maintaining the cleanliness of the centre.
- Contribute to service planning, evaluation and continuous improvement.
- Work collaboratively with Children’s Centre professionals, health services and voluntary sector partners.
- Complete other reasonable duties and operate flexibly across the borough as required.
About You
We are looking for someone who is passionate about supporting young children and families and can create positive, trusting relationships with families from a wide range of backgrounds.
You will have:
- An understanding of young children’s learning, development, health and wellbeing.
- Knowledge of safeguarding and child protection procedures.
- The ability to work sensitively with children, parents and carers from different social and cultural backgrounds.
- Good communication, organisation and relationship-building skills.
- The ability to assess family needs and identify appropriate support and services.
- The ability to work effectively with colleagues, partner agencies and the wider community.
- A commitment to inclusive, family-focused services and improving outcomes for children.
- The ability to work flexibly across the borough and as part of a frontline service.
Why Join Us?
You will have the opportunity to play a direct role in supporting children and families during the crucial early years, helping to create positive foundations for children’s learning, development and wellbeing.
You will be part of a team committed to delivering high-quality, accessible services that make a genuine difference to families across Hillingdon.
Please note that due to the frontline nature of this role, hybrid working is not available.
For further information, please refer to the full Job Description and Person Specification.
We value our employees and are committed to ensuring that they enjoy a fulfilling and rewarding career with us. We understand that a happy and motivated workforce is essential for the success of our organisation. That is why we offer a wide range of employee benefits to enhance your work-life balance, financial wellbeing, health, and professional development.
Here’s a comprehensive overview of the fantastic benefits we provide:
- Flexible Working Hours – We recognise the importance of flexibility in managing your work and personal life.
- 36 Hour Week – Enjoy a standard 36-hour workweek for all full time staff.
- Generous Holiday Entitlement – increasing with length of service (for non-casual roles).
- Hillingdon Sports & Leisure – Stay active and healthy with discounts at council owned leisure centres and swimming pools across the borough.
- Salary Sacrifice Schemes – option to join schemes for cycle purchase, electric vehicle leasing and additional voluntary pension contributions (subject to scheme rules).
- Cycle to Work – Eco-friendly commuting with our cycle purchase scheme. We also provide bicycle parking, lockers, and showers at the Civic Centre.
- Local Government Pension Scheme – access to Local Government Pension Scheme and membership to the Credit Union.
- Perkbox Benefits – Access a variety of offers and discounts through our Perkbox Benefits.
- Mental Health Support and Counselling Services – Our mental health first aiders are trained to identify, understand, and help employees experiencing mental health issues. Access free 24-hour confidential advice and counselling as well as a legal advice service for you and your immediate family.
- Travel Support – Make your daily commute easier with our season ticket loans and free car parking.
- Trade Union Membership – The Council recognises UNISON, Unite, AEP and GMB and supports employees’ freedom of choice in relation to trade union membership.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Statement
At the London Borough of Hillingdon, we are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace. This commitment means that all employees, job applicants and others who work for us will be treated fairly.
The aim is for our workforce to be representative of all sections of society and Hillingdon residents so we welcome applicants from a wide variety of backgrounds. We strive to ensure that our recruitment process is free from discrimination and bias, and we are dedicated to providing reasonable adjustments to applicants with disabilities.
Join us in building a workplace where everyone feels respected, able to give their best and be themselves at work, whilst contributing meaningfully to our organisation's success.
Recruitment Information
Hillingdon Council operates a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates with disabilities that meet the essential criteria for the role and wish to be considered under this scheme. We believe in the option to choose, so candidates declaring a disability have the choice to opt in for consideration under this scheme, on a ‘per application’ basis.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable groups and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
Some posts are subject to The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2019 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
In addition to verifying Right to Work in the UK and a new starter health questionnaire, the post is subject to the following pre-employment screening:
- Enhanced DBS Check
- Qualifications Check
- 5 years of Referencing
Please note: Priority will be given to those at risk of redundancy within Hillingdon Council. Current employees who are part of the redeployment pool must meet the essential criteria for shortlisting to be prioritised.
It may be necessary due to a high volume of applications to close this role early. We therefore recommend you apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
