Job Description

Early Years Supervisor.

Salary: £26,849 per annum pro rata.

Location: Waterside, Londonderry, Northern Ireland.

Contract/Hours: Permanent, part time (working 30 hours a week Term Time only)

Benefits:

• Over 7 weeks inclusive paid leave pro rata and the option to buy or sell leave.
• 1 well-being day per year.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Excellent training and the opportunity to undertake professional training for some roles.
• Flexible maternity, paternity and adoption packages.
• Up to 7% employer pension contribution and life assurance cover.
• Blue Light Card eligibility with discounts at 15,000 national retailers.

Vulnerable children in the UK need your help

Wherever you work in the Action for Children family, you'll be helping to change the lives of the most vulnerable children in the UK.

Last year, we helped more than 687,000 children and families across the UK. From direct work in communities to national campaigning, we are focused on making sure every child has a safe and happy childhood, and the foundations they need to thrive.

Why Action for Children?

Working here is more than a job. Everyone in the Action for Children family is passionate about protecting and supporting children. It's the sense of purpose that drives us every single day. Because we know that, when we work together, we can make a huge difference to bring lasting improvements to vulnerable children's lives.

About the service

 Our Waterside SureStart service plays an essential role in giving children and families the early support they need. As a universal service we work in partnership with other agencies such as health visitors, midwives, and local schools.

To help 0–4-year-olds get ready for school our services include: child and family health services; parenting programmes and antenatal support; early year's education services, such as ‘stay and play' sessions; speech and language support and family learning. 

Core working hours for the service are usually between Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.

How you'll help to create brighter futures

As an Early Years Supervisor, you’ll be:

• Working as part of a team within the creche and developmental Programme for 2–3-year-olds to support children's personal, social, emotional, cognitive and SLC skills.
• Using a range of tools to monitor and assess the children's progress and development.
• Providing support within group play sessions as well as undertaking a range of home visits to support with the development of play skills.
• Developing successful relationships with children and their families.
• Observing and tracking children's development and sharing this with parents/ carers and other professionals.
• Being responsible for the planning, development, and delivery of individual and group-based services, which support families in providing their children with the best start in life.

Lets's talk about you

As an Early Years Supervisor, you'll ideally have:

• A minimum Diploma Level 5 in Children’s Care, Learning and Development is a requirement.
• Certificates in Food Hygiene Level 2, Paediatric First Aid and level 2 in Safeguarding are desirable or willing to attend training.
• Experience of working with children aged under 4 years.
• A genuine interest in childcare and a true passion and love for children.
• A thorough understanding of Child Protection and Safeguarding.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to engage with people of all ages and backgrounds.
• An understanding of the physical, intellectual, linguistic, social and emotional growth as part of child development.
• Access to a car. The job requires the ability to travel according to the needs of the job, with reasonable adjustments, if required, according to the Equality Act.

Closing Date: Thursday 22nd October 2026.

Please note: Interviews are planned to be held on Thursday 29th October 2026 face to face at Waterside.

Please note we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.

To be eligible for this position you must complete an Access Ni Enhanced Disclosure

Having a criminal record will not necessarily be a bar to obtaining a position.

A copy of the Access Ni Code of Practice can be found here.

Policies on Recruitment of Ex-Offenders & Access Ni Disclosure Handing Policy are also available on demand.

Our Commitment to Equity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism

At Action for Children, we are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels respected, valued, and able to thrive. We know that racism and discrimination create barriers, and we are taking active steps to challenge these inequalities in our organisation and in the communities we serve. 

We strongly welcome applications from people who are Black, Asian, or from other racialised and ethnically marginalised communities, as well as disabled people, who are currently under-represented in our workforce. We are committed to removing barriers in our recruitment processes and ensuring fair access to opportunities. 

We also encourage applications from men, who are under-represented in our Children’s Services roles. We recognise that people hold multiple identities, and we value the richness this brings to our team.

Want to know more about Action for Children?

Find us on Linkedin, Facebook or YouTube to get to know us better.

Job Description

See below for further information about working with us:

Action for Children Employee Benefits

AfC Commitment Statement

Action for Children Northern Ireland Booklet