The Cottage Family Centre is seeking a caring and experienced practitioner to lead our Children’s Service. This rewarding role combines practical work with children and families, team leadership, partnership working and service development.

The role

You will lead a high-quality, child-centred service focused on early intervention and prevention. Alongside supporting staff, you will work directly with children and families, champion safeguarding, collaborate with partner agencies and contribute to the wider management of The Cottage. A key focus will be improving outcomes for children aged 0–3.

What you’ll do

• Lead the Children’s Service and maintain high-quality frontline practice.

• Provide staff supervision, guidance and professional development.

• Champion early intervention and support children’s development and wellbeing, particularly for ages 0–3.

• Build strong relationships with children, families and partner agencies.

• Promote safeguarding and respond appropriately to concerns.

• Monitor quality and contribute to planning, improvement and organisational projects.

• Contribute to management meetings, decision-making and wider organisational development, while ensuring compliance with policies, SSSC standards and regulatory requirements.

About you

• Experience of working with children and families, particularly children aged 0–3, in early years, childcare, family support, social care or a related field.

• Experience of supporting, guiding or leading staff.

• Sound knowledge of child development, early intervention and safeguarding.

• Strong communication, organisation, collaboration and professional judgement.

• You must hold SVQ 4 (Children and Young People) at SCQF Level 9, and either hold, or be willing to work towards and achieve, an SSSC-recognised management qualification within three years of appointment.

• Commitment to service development and better outcomes for children and families.

Additional experience we would value

Experience in management or coordination, supervision, quality assurance, service development or multi-agency working would be an advantage. Where required, support will be provided to work towards the SSSC-recognised management qualification.

Ready to make a difference?

If you can combine compassionate practice with confident leadership, we would be delighted to hear from you.

A vacancy has arisen for a Children’s Wellbeing & Development Workers at the Cottage Family Centre. You will have a range of experience working with children and knowledge of issues affecting families with young children.

You will have an ability to work creatively with play resources in order to provide young children with high-quality nurturing experiences within our playroom settings. You are also required to demonstrate an ability to work effectively and flexibly within a team.

You will be expected to have experience in a similar role and an HNC in Childhood Practice or HNC in Childcare and Education or SNNEB and/or SVQ 3 Social Services Children and Young People.

The post will be subject to PVG, References and SSSC Registration.

You will be expected to work a minimum of 16 hours per week but also have flexibility to work hours in addition to this where required.