Colleague Planner
Location: Family Adventures Group Head Office, 27 Beach Road, Weston-super-Mare
Reporting to: Chief Quality & Operations Officer (CQOO)
Salary: £19,214 per annum (£30,742 Full-Time Equivalent)
About Family Adventures Group
Family Adventures Group operates award-winning nurseries and family leisure venues across the South West, Midlands and Wales. We are passionate about creating exceptional experiences for children, families and colleagues, and are proud of our people-first culture.
Everything we do is guided by our values, known as ARCH:
Accountable
We take ownership of our actions and deliver on our commitments.
Reliable
We can be trusted by colleagues, children, families and partners.
Caring
We put people at the heart of every decision we make.
Honest
We act with integrity and communicate openly and respectfully.
The Colleague Planner plays a critical role in ensuring our nurseries and support functions have the right people, in the right place, at the right time.
Working closely with operational leaders, nursery managers and support teams, you will coordinate staffing plans, monitor colleague availability, support workforce deployment, and help maintain safe staffing levels across the group.
As staffing decisions and operational requirements often arise early in the day, this role provides proactive support from 7:30am, helping managers respond quickly to absences, staffing gaps and changing operational needs.
This role requires exceptional organisation, attention to detail and communication skills, together with the ability to make informed decisions in a fast-paced operational environment.
The role requires a 7:30am start each working day, reflecting the need to support operational staffing requirements across the business during the early morning period.
The standard working pattern is 7:30am to 12:30pm, Monday to Friday (25 hours per week).
However, we recognise the value of flexible working and are open to discussing alternative weekly hours and working arrangements with the right candidate. The successful candidate must be available to start work at 7:30am, but there is flexibility around the total number of hours worked each week to suit individual circumstances and business needs.
Workforce Planning & Scheduling
Produce and maintain colleague deployment plans across the group.
Monitor staffing levels, occupancy forecasts and operational requirements.
Support nursery and operational managers in optimising colleague rotas.
Identify staffing gaps and arrange appropriate cover where required.
Ensure staffing plans align with regulatory requirements and operational needs.
Monitor annual leave, training commitments and colleague availability.
Resource Coordination
Maintain accurate records of colleague availability, contracted hours and working patterns.
Coordinate short-term and planned movement of colleagues between settings where required.
Liaise with agency providers and internal teams to source additional resource.
Support the onboarding of new colleagues by ensuring workforce planning systems are updated.
Reporting & Analysis
Produce regular reports on staffing levels, utilisation, absence trends and workforce requirements.
Highlight staffing risks, shortages and emerging trends to operational leaders.
Support workforce forecasting and planning activities across the group.
Assist the CQOO with projects aimed at improving workforce efficiency and colleague deployment.
Communication
Build strong relationships with nursery managers, operational leaders and support teams.
Act as a key point of contact for staffing and deployment queries.
Communicate staffing changes clearly, accurately and professionally.
Provide advice and support to managers regarding workforce planning activities.
Continuous Improvement
Identify opportunities to improve scheduling processes and workforce efficiency.
Support the implementation and development of workforce planning systems.
Promote consistent workforce planning practices across the organisation.
Essential
Experience in workforce planning, resource planning, scheduling, rostering or operational administration.
Strong organisational and time management skills.
Excellent attention to detail and accuracy.
Confident using Microsoft Excel and other Microsoft Office applications.
Ability to analyse data and identify trends.
Strong communication and relationship-building skills.
Ability to work independently and prioritise effectively in a fast-paced environment.
Desirable
Experience in childcare, education, hospitality, healthcare, retail or other multi-site operations.
Experience using scheduling or workforce management software.
Understanding of staffing ratios or regulatory workforce requirements.
Experience producing management reports and workforce analytics.
Behaviours & Values
Successful colleagues will demonstrate the Family Adventures Group ARCH values every day.
Accountable
Reliable
Caring
Supports colleagues with empathy and professionalism.
Considers the impact of decisions on children, families and colleagues.
Honest
Communicates openly, respectfully and constructively.
Acts with integrity and professionalism at all times.
As part of Family Adventures Group, you'll have access to a wide range of colleague benefits, including:
Competitive salary.
Flexible working opportunities.
Enhanced annual leave entitlement.
Pension scheme.
Life insurance.
Employee Assistance Programme, including access to GP and counselling support.
Discounted childcare.
Free lunches at work.
Colleague recognition programmes.
Ongoing learning and development opportunities.
Access to company-wide wellbeing, reward and benefits programmes.
Safeguarding Statement
Family Adventures Group is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expects all colleagues to share this commitment. Appropriate employment checks, including references and DBS screening where applicable, will be completed before appointment.
