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Achieving for Children is a Community Interest Company that has a public sector ethos, combined with the freedom to innovate enabling us to do things differently. As a not-for-profit social enterprise owned by three local authorities (Windsor & Maidenhead, Kingston and Richmond), we offer the freedoms of a social enterprise with the employment benefits of local government. To find out more about us click here.
Early Years Business and Funding Support Officer
Join a team that’s making a real impact. Achieving for Children’s Windsor and Maidenhead Children’s Services have been rated Good by Ofsted, reflecting our strong leadership, commitment to children, and a culture of learning and improvement.
We’re proud of our supportive environment, where passionate professionals are trusted to do their best work. If you’re ready to make a difference in a team that values progress and purpose, we’d love to hear from you. Find out more and join us today.
Facilitate the administration of Early Years funding streams including entitlements for Early Learning for 2YO, 3 and 4-year-olds Universal Entitlement, and 9 Months plus Working Parents Entitlement ensuring all eligible providers receive accurate and timely disbursements. Provide comprehensive financial administrative support for various budgets managed by the Early Years and Childcare Team. Coordinate the collation and synthesis of departmental data to meet diverse internal and external reporting requirements.
A role requiring a flexible and proactive approach to ensure the Local Authority fulfills its statutory obligations regarding Early Years funding. The post-holder will be instrumental in maintaining the financial integrity of the service, ensuring that childcare providers receive accurate funding entitlements through efficient and transparent administrative processes.
Core Responsibilities:
- Funding & Compliance: Administration of Early Years funding streams
- Financial Administration: Provide comprehensive support for diverse budgets managed by the Early Years and Childcare Team, maintaining accurate records.
- Operational Support: Deliver high-level administrative assistance to the wider team
This is a hybrid role, with flexibility required around office presence in line with service needs.
About the role
Skills and experience Provide help and support to private, voluntary and independent childcare providers and childminders, and parents with regard to all matters relating to all areas of Early Education Funding (keeping providers and parents up to date with changes in the funding and aware of actions they need to take and when through timely communications via all appropriate methods)
- Assist in all tasks relating to the administration of Early Education Funding including managing the termly data collection for all eligible children and payments to providers as appropriate
- Maintain all systems and records relating to Early Education Funding in order to respond to queries from providers and parents
- Maintain accurate systems to ensure an effective audit trail that can be scrutinised as required by both internal and external contracts
- Assist in the timely and accurate completion of the Termly Early Years headcounts and censuses and other reports/surveys requested by the DfE and other childcare organisations
- Assist in the gathering, collating and review/assessment of data for use in the annual review of the Early Years Funding Formula
If you wish to have an informal discussion about this role please contact the hiring manager Clive Haines on clive.haines@achievingforchildren.org.uk.
About you
We are looking for a successful candidate with the qualities below:
- Educated to a minimum of Level 2 with broad experience of administrative/Finance procedures
- Provide help and support to private, voluntary and independent childcare providers and childminders, and parents with regard to all matters relating to all areas of Early Education Funding (keeping providers and parents up to date with changes in the funding and aware of actions they need to take and when through timely communications via all appropriate methods)
- Assist in all tasks relating to the administration of Early Education Funding including managing the termly data collection for all eligible children and payments to providers as appropriate
- Maintain all systems and records relating to Early Education Funding in order to respond to queries from providers and parents
- Maintain accurate systems to ensure an effective audit trail that can be scrutinised as required by both internal and external contracts
- Assist in the timely and accurate completion of the Termly Early Years headcounts and censuses and other reports/surveys requested by the DfE and other childcare organisations
- Assist in the gathering, collating and review/assessment of data for use in the annual review of the Early Years Funding Formula
- Assist in the gathering, collating and review/assessment of data to monitor take up of the free entitlement and sufficiency of childcare places in the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead
- Keep up to date with all relevant Early Years legislation, attending relevant external events/seminars as appropriate
- Respond to telephone calls from the general public or partners and stakeholders, in a calm, efficient way to promote an efficient but confidential service
- Keep accurate records of all correspondence and key contacts for all aspects of the service delivery
- Maintain all systems and records relating to Early Education Funding in order to respond to queries from providers about the administration of the above
About our benefits
We are focused on creating a positive supportive environment, where you will have access to a really wide range of resources, as well as a competitive salary and all the perks to enable hybrid working. In AfC you will also have access to:
- 29 days annual leave, increasing to 33 days after 2 years and 35 days after 4 years with an additional day off in your birthday month (Or for term-time workers, your leave entitlement consists of the non-working periods in your contract)
- Tailored induction sessions commencing on the date you start working for AfC
- Local Government salary and pension scheme (LGPS or Teachers Pension)
- Flexible working options - helping to keep a good work life balance
- A comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
- A range of staff benefits and discounts
- An excellent learning and development offer to support your career pathway
To find out about all of the breadth of benefits of working for Achieving for Children click here. For our social work offer click here. For our Recruitment Journey, click here.
Important Information
Start dates: Achieving for Children have set start dates meaning successful candidates join on a set date in each month. Candidates are advised to prepare for this should a job offer be accepted to ensure eligible continuous service is not affected.
Right to work: The UK has introduced a new points-based immigration system affecting EU and Non-EU workers and sponsorship requirements. We advise checking the GOV.UK website for right to work guidance.
Equality: We particularly welcome applications from sections of the community who are currently underrepresented within our teams. Achieving for Children are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions and can improve the way we deliver services. We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer.
Safeguarding: We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).
We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and return your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
