Purpose of the Post
Ensure that the people of Gwynedd are at the heart of everything we do. 
Working as a Early Development  and  Play Officer with families  within Flying Start and Families First.
To work with Families First/ Flying Start Families that have children identified with additional needs or special needs by offering a 1:1 service in the home or another location.
Lead and conduct basic skills,  family support, play and communication, and leisure activities sessions on a regular basis with families individuallly or as a group.     
                            
Responsibility for functions  . e.g. staff, budgets, equipment
Equipment     
                            
Main Duties
To support families on a one to one basis either within the home or in a local location based on a structured plan that has been agreed with the Flying Start/ Families First team within the referral panels.
Providing an intervention programme and monitoring the progress of each family and their child by writing regular reports and reviewing plans to support families’ needs.
Responsibility to attend Family meetings to report, review, measure progress and to discuss individual family plans.
Arrange and conduct play, sports and leisure activities taking in to consideration families interests and age – Family fun sessions
Work within Early Support procedures when a child has additional needs by distributing the necessary equipment and to coordinate the support that’s available for the child by contacting all other agencies involved.
Conduct thorough assessments to identify children’s strengths and weaknesses and to design an intervention together with the family to support with these needs. To use skills, training and specialist experience when supporting parents and their children, using ELKLAN and PORTAGE principles.
Offer information to parents about varied agencies, so when needed you are able to refer the family on.
Collaborate with childcare settings to transfer children effectively by sharing information about targets and to offer expertise by mentoring 1:1 staff on delivering an effective plan for the child.
To arrange and conduct Basic Skills activities such as the Language and Play / Number and Play programme, story and sinning sessions and promoting use of the Library as stated in the Early Language Development guide lines.
Conduct a variation of groups alongside other agencies, such as Health Visitors such as Play and Move sessions, family support etc.
Coordinate an d promote Flying Start and Families First Family Fun Days. Motivate a variation of groups in cooperation with the Senior Play and Early Development Officer and other agencies by:
o            Identifying appropriate locations (if needed) to run new sessions, and to complete risk assessments when needed e.g Parks, seaside.
o            Identify the appropriate staff and agree on full commitment to run courses, e.g. Health visitors, Mudiad Meithrin, TWF etc.
o            Collaborate to identify appropriate parents/ carers and marketing session locally including notifying Gwynedd Ni and Gyda’n Gilydd.
o            Choose and prepare resources that are necessary to lead play activities, bringing attention to the service users by attending to the parents/ guardian and their language, background and cultural background.
o            Demonstrate resources carefully in their locations and to promote an appropriate atmosphere for the ages.
o            Keep a record of costings of the sessions, and report regularly to the Senior Early Development and Play Officer
o            Collect feedback regarding the groups and plays sessions via questionnaire.
 
Keeping a record and data of every session by producing a statistical breakdown and monitoring reports for the Co-ordinator. Reporting back to the Early YearsTeam by attending regular meetings and attending meeting to discuss the caseload
Comply with Child Protection procedures and to report when necessary.
Attend team meeting, supervisions and working group meetings within the Early Development Unit when necessary.
Monitor and organise stock within the budget, to catalogue resources and to undertake calculations when needed.
Sustaining specialised resources, to verify safety, undertake specialised changes when needed.
When necessary you will need to support other members of the team, by running coordinated groups.
Working in compliance with Gwynedd Council policies and strategies.
Play a full part as the service establishes what matters to the people of Gwynedd.
Play a full part in developing the team's operational principles together with personal responsibility for adhering to them.
⁠Operate flexibly within the Team's operational principles to deliver what matters to the residents of Gwynedd.
Continuously seek opportunities to improve the service and identify issues that prevent the team from delivering effectively and efficiently and take action to resolve these matters.
Ensure that the information required to prove how well we achieve what matters is retained and that the information is used to improve the service.
Contribute to and take appropriate decisions to deliver what matters to the people of Gwynedd.
Assist other teams to achieve what matters to the people of Gwynedd.
Work in a proactive manner; be open to a different way of thinking; energetic and committed with personal integrity to deliver the above functions.
Responsibility for self-development.
Ensure compliance with Health and Safety rules in the workplace in accordance with the responsibilities noted in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Council’s Health and Safety Policy.
Operate within the Council’s policies in relation to equal opportunities and equality.
Responsible for managing information in accordance with the Council’s information management guidelines. Ensure that personal information is treated in accordance with Data Protection legislation.
Commitment to reducing the Council’s carbon emissions in accordance with the Carbon Management Plan, and to encourage others to act positively towards reducing the Council’s Carbon Footprint.
Undertake any other reasonable duty which corresponds to the salary level and responsibility level of the job.
Responsibility to report any worry or suspicion that a child or vulnerable adult is being abused    
                            
Special Circumstances  . e.g. the need to work unsociable hours, special working arrangements etc.
To work within the school term time only with the need to work 15 days during the school holidays. Occasionally the officer will need to work unsociable hours