Sessional Child & Family Practitioner

GLL • 2d ago

GLL is currently recruiting Child & Family Practitioners to provide a safe, stimulating, educational and fun environment for children attending our nurseries and Children's Centres based in Thamesmead & Abbey Wood. If you have the skills and ambition to join us as a Nursery Practitioner, there has never been a more exciting time to join us. This is more than a Nursery Practitioner job, it's a career.

As a Child & Family Practitioner, you will be promoting the physical, social, emotional and intellectual development of children up to 5 years old through sensitive individual planning of each child’s changing needs whilst encouraging their independence and self-reliance. Child & Family Practitioners have excellent written and verbal communication skills as you’ll work with colleagues and partners to integrate the nursery with the wider children’s services brand to help identify and support the needs of local families with young children.

You’ll have experience of working with children under five years of age and their families with an NVQ Level 3 in Child Development (or equivalent) and be able to respond to both group and individual needs. Knowledge of the EYFS framework and principles plus safeguarding issues, procedures and an understanding of equality and diversity issues would be beneficial in this role. It goes without saying you’ll be a confident team member with a positive driven approach and attitude.

Our Nurseries provide childcare and welfare for children of up to five years of age, so it’s imperative that the facilities and surroundings provide a clean, safe and welcoming environment.

What you’ll do:

With members of the team, plan and participate in group led activities with individual and groups of children as appropriate to their development, age and interests, meeting their individual needs and supporting their access to a broad, balanced indoor and outdoor curriculum in accordance with the Early Years Foundation Stage.
To support Children's Centre Universal delivery e.g.: Stay & Plays and creches
To support staff to involve parents/carers in their child’s progress
To support and value each child’s home culture and language. To contribute to planning for children with English as an additional language to help their language development.
To contribute towards the provision and sustainability of a stimulating, secure, caring and learning environment that promotes equal opportunities and diversity for the children, and their parents, families and carers.
To take responsibility for children in both indoor and outdoor areas and on trips, providing appropriate levels of supervision and intervention to progress children’s learning.

What you need:

NVQ Level 3 in Child Development or equivalent
Experience of working with under fives.
Experience of planning and supporting play provision supported by evidence based approaches outlined in the Early Years Foundation Stage.
Knowledge of the revised EYFS September 2025 and understanding of safeguarding issues and procedures.
Understanding of the Ofsted Children’s Centre requirements/frameworks.
Knowledge and understanding of working with children and families from diverse cultural backgrounds, provision for disabled children and those with special needs
Knowledge of current relevant statutes, regulations, legislation, guidance and codes of practice as they affect the operation and delivery of a holistic support service for very young children and families.
A good knowledge and understanding of equality and diversity issues.

As a charitable social enterprise and cooperative owned by our staff, GLL is a unique organisation for you to have a career with!

The basics:

This is a Flexible position to cover staff absence/sickness and/or short sessions. Hours of work will be negotiated with you in line with the needs of the service, flexible working may be possible, working from home is not possible in this role. We are an accredited Living Wage employer with industry leading rates of pay We can offer a career, not just a job with extensive Learning & development support available. A uniform will be supplied and must be worn GLL is Values Driven, not Profit Driven. We work hard to benefit the communities we operate in. As a staff owned organisation you will be given the opportunity to join the Society and have a stake in your business

Additionally GLL offers employees a range of employment benefits:

Access to a pension scheme.
Health Assurance and access to Counselling services
Access to the tax efficient Ride to Work bicycle purchase scheme.
Free annual eye tests
Discounted nationwide (over 200 centres) inclusive leisure centre membership for you and your partner. This includes GLL Extras!

GLL Society benefits (if you choose to join the Society after your probation period) include:

The right to stand for the Society board and to vote for board members to represent you
Access to team building and fun events such as Treks, Concerts outings etc
Access to a range of benefits exclusive to our people – ask your line manager for details or check out the Intranet