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Job description

As Creche Co-Ordinator you will ensure the delivery of high-quality childcare provision for babies and young children aged 1-4 years. You will ensure a safe, welcoming, child-centred and inclusive environment that supports the physical, emotional, social and intellectual development of babies and toddlers. You will manage our creche team and work together to play fun and stimulating play experiences, promoting positive strategies, and providing opportunities for children to develop and make decisions and choices. You will work in partnership with parents to meet the needs of children both individually and as a group and to ensure children have the best experience and outcome from their time in our creche setting. At Derry Well Women, you will be part of a supportive team committed to empowering women and families. This is a rewarding opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of mothers and young children in our community.

Responsibilities

• To provide the children with life enhancing experiences which contribute to a positive start in their lives.
• To ensure children are safeguarded through systems and practices that are consistent with the Regional Child Protection Policies and Procedures
• To assist children to develop a sense of their own identity and positive self-regard.
• To support the emotional, social, intellectual, and physical development of children aged 0-4 years.
• To support the positive development of the mother/baby relationship.
• To manage and support a team of workers (including volunteers and students) through training and supervision to ensure provision of a high-quality childcare service.
• To ensure a strong focus on children with additional needs by liaising closely with parents, professionals and organizations who work with children with additional needs.
• To write reports for funding bodies, management, committee, and WHSCT Inspectors.
• To manage the day to day running of the Creche and ensure that there is a safe, clean, caring and welcoming environment for children and their families.
• To ensure that planning and preparation is conducted and that the activities offered throughout each session provide the children with the opportunity to develop emotionally, socially, intellectually and physically.
• To organize individual meetings with parents and children at Enrolment Days and Introduction Days to Creche providing Information Packs on Policies and Procedures.
• To develop, in partnership with parents, agreed format for completion of baseline assessments of children’s emotional health and wellbeing.
• To develop and facilitate a programme of structured play to include creative, imaginative, sensory, social and physical play both indoors and outdoors.
• To ensure that the creche environment is fully set out to meet both the needs of individual and groups of children.
• To ensure excellent standards of hygiene, including food hygiene, are followed and that equipment including the First Aid box is regularly checked and safe to use.
• To organise and take part in special events for both the Creche and the organisation
• In partnership with parents, agree a process for supporting children with additional needs including dedicated key worker and observational records.
• To identify any additional needs of the children attending the centre and that a wide choice of sensory and special needs equipment is provided for babies and toddlers.
• To promote language and communication needs for all children in an inclusive and diverse environment.
• To oversee the delivery of a toy exchange project for parents.
• To work in partnership with parents to meet the individual needs of each child and children as part of a group.
• To consult with parents on appropriate settling in period, children's medication, toileting arrangements etc.
• In consultation with mothers and children, develop and support a range of services specifically aimed at promoting attachment and mother/child relationship.
• To devise and implement a system for monitoring and recording the emotional, physical, intellectual and social development of the children and discuss this with the mothers/carers, maintaining ongoing record of same.
• To evaluate, using questionnaires and meeting with mothers/children, the creche provision.
• To co-deliver two "Stay and Play" programmes annually for mothers and children together.
• To liaise with other agencies such as health visitors, social workers and allied health professionals as appropriate in the best interests of each child.
• To ensure that all children are safeguarded through Regional Child Protection Policies and Procedures and those of Derry Well Women.
• To ensure all safeguarding training (to include Child Protection and Designated Officer training) is up-to-date.
• To ensure that the Creche practices and procedures are compliant with the DHSS Childminding and Day Care Minimum Standards and are regularly reviewed and updated.
• To carry out risk assessments on all creche activities, including trips.
• To ensure overall safety and wellbeing of the children, compliant with current legislation and alongside Derry Well Women Health & Safety Policy and Procedures.
• To review and update (for Management Board approval) relevant Policies and procedures for the creche and ensure these are implemented accordingly in the creche setting.
• To ensure that mothers and carers are informed of playroom Policies and procedures.
• To ensure that all appropriate arrangements are made to accommodate the annual inspections as required by WHSCT and Early Years.
• To ensure maintenance of up-to-date records i.e. daily register of attendance, children's progress sheets, registration and evaluation forms, authorisation forms (when applicable) and Accident Book.
• To always adhere to Derry Well Women Confidentiality Policy.
• To supervise creche staff and volunteers, ensuring effective team working and professional standards.
• To advise Derry Well Women Management of Creche staffing requirements and to be centrally involved in all recruitment.
• To ensure all staff (including volunteers and students) are vetted through AccessNI.
• To develop workplans for Creche Assistant and volunteers/students.
• To ensure ongoing training is provided for all childcare staff, based on their particular needs.
• To ensure compliance for Creche volunteers with Derry Well Women Volunteering Policy.
• To attend regular staff meetings and Management Board meetings as and when required and provide Quarterly and End of Year Reports to Derry Well Women Management Board and Funders.
• To regularly liaise with WHSCT and Early Years.
• To assist management and other staff with funding proposals and fundraising.
• To advise the management of the need to replace/acquire new equipment, materials and resources.
• To write regular monitory and narrative reports for funding bodies, management, committee meetings or WHSCT Early Years team.

Skills and Qualifications

Essential Skills

• Level 5 Diploma in Leadership in Children’s Learning, Care and Development. 2 years’ (within the last 5 years) experience of working in an Early Years setting, with children aged 0-4 years.
• 2 years’ (within the last 5 years) experience of working in an Early Years setting, with children aged 0-4 years. 2 years’ experience of Supervision and Line Management of staff.
• Current Paediatric First Aid training qualification. Current Child Protection/DCPO training.
• Experience of working to the DHSS Minimum Standards including Safeguarding Children and Health and Safety Standards.
• Experience of developing new childcare programmes and individual plans.
• Experience of supporting children with disabilities or additional needs.
• Excellent IT Skills
• Strong organisational and planning skills; strong understanding of child development and play based learning; excellent record keeping and report writing
• Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion; excellent knowledge of safeguarding, child protection and Health & Safety regulations to include risk assessments.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills for engaging with children, parents, carers and colleagues.
• Excellent knowledge of varied play skills i.e. music, arts, sensory play and crafts.
• Group skills.
• Awareness of Children's Nutrition.

Desirable Skills

• Training in Additional Needs.
• Experience of budget management.
• Knowledge of funding applications and fundraising activities.
• Understand the importance of children's involvement and ways of including children in the design of programmes.
• Any extra interests related to childcare, voluntary or community groups.

Further Information

Location - 17 Queen Street, Derry/Londonderry. Please note that the deadline for completed applications is Wednesday, 21st January 2026 at 12.00 midday. Late applications will not be accepted. Interviews are scheduled to take place in-person at Derry Well Women, 17 Queen Street, Derry between 27th to 30th January 2026. We will confirm this, if appropriate, following our shortlisting process. Applications or enquiries should be emailed to Rhonda Murphy, General Manager, at rhonda@derrywellwoman.org. Derry Well Women is an Equal Opportunities employer committed to finding the very best candidate for this position. We aim to create an equal and fair recruitment process open to all. We commit to being accessible and welcoming to all the diverse communities and partners that we engage with. If there is anything that we can do to help you throughout this process, please let us know.

Application Information

Please email Rhonda Murphy, General Manager, at rhonda@derrywellwoman.org to request an Application Form and Candidate Pack. The Candidate Pack outlines the roles and skills that we are looking for as well as the selection process and timelines you can expect from us.