CM Club: Quite sad, not many people have applied for my job

[KatyMac]

I didn't put a wage in so it's not that

I feel a bit sad tbh - I thought it was a lovely job

What was your ad. How many applicants did you have. Having read your posts over last 6mths, if I lived near you I would have applied like a shot

"This is a part time position working within a well-qualified team in a small and friendly childminding setting.
Latest OFSTED grading: Outstanding
Hours will be Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays 8am - 1pm and Thursdays 8am - 2pm with very occasional Saturday or Evening work.
This post can be flexible and may occasionally need additional hours to cover sickness/holidays but would give as much notice of this as possible.

Applicants must be enthusiastic about working with children and also be able to assist with some administrative duties. There will be a comprehensive induction program and necessitates a CRB check which employer will arrange.

This is a great opportunity for someone with a natural flair for childcare who wishes to develop their career through training at NVQ level with the support of a friendly, outgoing staff team. Your role will be to help maintain a safe, secure and happy environment, help children achieve early learning goals and build positive relationships with parents."

I thought it was quite a good ad

I would be confused whether you were looking for someone who is already registered as a childminder to come and work with you or whether you are looking for a playworker/keyworker type person. What you do seems quite unique. Is it an other assistant you are looking for?

I'd take on an assistant but ideally I want someone to register then train to NVQ3

I think the person is more important than their qualifications

The job title is childcare practitioner/assistant

Is the saturdy and evening work essential? Thats the bit that would put me off as I would have to get childcare, lots of people work in childcare because it fits around their family. Otherwise it does sound lovely

1 Saturday a year conference
2 Saturdays (or 4 evenings) every 3 yrs First Aid
1 Saturday (or 2 evenings) every 3 yrs Food hygiene

2 or 3 Saturdays (or 4-6 evenings) a year extra training - EYFS/Behaviour Management etc

2 or 3 Saturdays a year (maybe) events

I need that level of commitment unfortunately

Evenings for NVQ as well

But you get time in lieu (except for NVQ)

& I'll babysit if necessary

I didnt read it as that, I thought you wanted people to work saturday and evenings and assumed (for no good reason) it would be every month or two. Maybe I read it differently to everyone else but the way you have just phrased it wouldnt put me off applying whereas the first ad would

I think you need to say how many children you care for and how many other members of staff. It is hard to see exactly what the position actually IS! Also, as it is only 4-5 hours per day, 4 days per week, it might be hard to combine with other work, and too few hours to be somebodys "main" salary?

Tricky isn't it - morally I feel I needed to mention the Saturday/evening work even if it doesn't come across well

I thought 26 hrs a week was a nice p/t job

5 other staff (incl me) & up to 9 under 5's a day

I don't know how to phrase it

I think I would phrase it as 'occasional additional hours may be required to attend training sessions' and then explain more fully in person. I think anyone remotely clued up about training in childcare would expect to do training evenings and weekends. It is certainly standard practice in my area, almost all the courses run outside office hours.

Personally I would also struggle with the 8 oclock start as I have a million children of my own. But thats just me. Other than that I would apply

Where are you based KM?

Rural Norfolk.....not far from Great Yarmouth

Yes agree with QS about the hours - a bit erratic and maybe only helpful for somebody who hasn't any children of their own I suppose. Is that what you're looking for because once they had done all this training on a Saturday etc. then they could just swan off and become a registered childminder in their own right!

Why don't you just advertise for an assistant from the start and then see how it goes? As you say, the person is more important than their qualifications. I think the ad sounds a bit too intensive and maybe puts people off.

Sorry I must have counted up the hours wrong, I got it to be around 20.

But still, I think you need to ensure you phrase it correctly regards to members of staff. I dont think it sounds like a small childminding setting. A childminder is usually thought of as a one person business. If you have 5 members of staff, looking to recruit number six, i would say something like:

This is a part time position working within a well-qualified team of 6 childcare practitioners in a small and friendly childminding setting .....

I hope....4x5hrs plus 1x6hrs is 26hrs.....maybe

We are a small setting although we are large for childminding. There aren't many childminding settings around.

I have generally done better with 'returning to work after children' and 'retiring but not ready to give up yet' than a youngster

My last member of staff to move on became a nursery manager

So maybe:
"This is a part time position working within a well-qualified team of 6 childcare practitioners in a small and friendly setting.
Latest OFSTED grading: Outstanding
Hours will be Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays 8am - 1pm and Thursdays 8am - 2pm with occasional additional hours may be required to attend training sessions. This post can be flexible and may occasionally need additional hours to cover sickness/holidays but would give as much notice of this as possible.

Applicants must be enthusiastic about working with children and also be able to assist with some administrative duties. There will be a comprehensive induction program and necessitates a CRB check which employer will arrange.

This is a great opportunity for someone with a natural flair for childcare who wishes to develop their career through training at NVQ level with the support of a friendly, outgoing staff team. Your role will be to help maintain a safe, secure and happy environment, help children achieve early learning goals and build positive relationships with parents."

Why haven't you put the salary in? I think you should. It always irritates me when adverts lack basic but useful information. The advert itself is informative and well written, and the lack of a wage would definitely put me off.

I agree, the salary is a vital piece of information. If you have put it, but prefer to leave it out for MN purposes, that is understandable. But I would like to know the salary before I apply for a job, as I would need to know if it was worth my time writing an application.

Cos it's not great.....it's only just above minimum wage £6, £6.50 when qualified

But I do a nice lunch & you can bring your children with you in the holidays as we have a holiday play scheme (or if they are only a little bit poorly)
& it's 7 week leave (6 weeks paid)

Life is crap isn't it

Application is CV by email

I send back a job description by return

In which case I would mention Great Perks.