Nurture Lead Practitioner
Babies and Toddlers · 34 hours, 4-day week
Wildnest is a brand-new nursery opening in Laurencekirk this autumn - and we’re looking for a special someone to help us care for our very youngest children from the very beginning.
From the very first day, you’ll be one of the people who builds the culture here - shaping how we care for our babies and toddlers, and how it feels for families to walk through our doors. If you’re calm, gentle, and you believe that connection comes before everything else, we’d love to meet you.
The role
As our Nurture Lead Practitioner you’ll take the lead in our baby and toddler room, and supervise our Nurture Practitioners day to day. It’s a hands-on, people-first job. Day to day, you’ll:
- Lead the day-to-day care of our babies and toddlers, setting the tone for warm, responsive practice in the room
- Plan rich, playful activities suited to babies and toddlers, in line with the relevant curriculum
- Follow each child’s individual routines - feeding, sleep, and comfort - so babies and toddlers feel safe and known
- Support mealtimes and snack times with patience, warmth, and encouragement
- Build close, nurturing connections with children, acting as a key person families can trust
- Support children’s development and keep meaningful records and next steps up to date
- Communicate warmly with parents, sharing observations and the small moments that matter
- Help children settle and manage gentle transitions, including moving on to the 2-5 room as they grow
- Keep the environment clean, safe, and in line with relevant guidance, with safeguarding and child protection always followed
- Supervise and support our Nurture Practitioners, modelling great practice and offering day-to-day guidance
- Create a cosy, warm, and inviting environment that feels like a home from home
- Uphold our nurture principles - and help the team live them too
Our nurture principles matter to us
Nurture sits at the heart of everything we do. We work to the six nurture principles, and we want someone who already feels this deeply - or is excited to grow into it.
1 Children’s learning is understood developmentally
2 The environment offers a safe base
3 Nurture is important for wellbeing and self-esteem
4 Language is a vital means of communication
5 All behaviour is communication
6 Transitions are significant in children’s lives
Who we’re hoping to meet
Above all, we’re hoping to meet you. The right person will be:
- Calm, patient, and gentle, with a genuine love of caring for babies and toddlers
- Brilliant at building positive relationships with children, families, and colleagues
- Someone who understands early attachment and child development, and puts connection first
- Confident supporting and guiding others with warmth and kindness
- Comfortable and caring with the close, hands-on routines of caring for our youngest children
- Excited by the chance to help shape something new from the ground up
What you’ll need
- To meet the SSSC registration requirements for a practitioner role
- A relevant childcare qualification (SVQ / HNC Level 3 or above),
- Ideally nurture-trained, though full training will be provided if not
The package
Pay
Competitive depending on qualifications and experience (discussed at application)
Hours
34 hours per week over a 4-day week
Meetings
One monthly team meeting – out of hours
The best bit
The chance to help shape care for our babies and toddlers from day one
Sound like you?
If you’ve read this and thought “that’s me” - we’d genuinely love to hear from you.
Apply now → we will be in touch with next steps
If you want to chat about the role before applying call Caroline on 07933 806308 or email [email protected]
Work Location: In person
