A childcare assistant plays an important role in assisting in the care of young children. They plan and organise both fun and educational activities and take care of children’s personal needs. Penny’s House is open from 8.00 till 6.00.  Childcare assistants therefore, need to be punctual, reliable workers who are good at early starts.
Being a Childcare Assistant involves having extensive knowledge of children. It requires knowing what makes them happy; keeping them entertained and being able to teach them in a way that they can readily understand. A full understanding of Safeguarding issues is essential.
Providing professional childcare is the responsibility of a Childcare Assistant. These professionals take care of, play with or teach children while they are at the setting in the day time. They must be highly trustworthy and attentive to children’s needs. They must take care of their hygiene needs with dignity.  A course in paediatric first aid will be offered at the earliest opportunity.
A Childcare Assistant usually performs many of the following tasks:
• Supervising children play time
• Engaging children in learning and play activities.
• Keeping and updating records
• Working with team members
• Maintaining a high standard of operation.
• Attending staff meetings
Skills
• Working and playing with children
• Being pro-active and motivated
• Leadership and organisation
• Professionalism and teamwork
• Communication and listening
• Knowledge of children’s story and nursery Rhymes.
• Being flexible and understanding
• Being happy and funny
• Stress management and control
• Initiative and time management
Documenting progress of key children and communicating with parents on a daily basis is fundamental to the job.

Basic care tasks
• Changing nappies
• Food preparation
• Feeding
• General cleaning
• Tidying up
• Taking children to the toilet and cleaning afterwards.