Early Years Sufficiency Officer

Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council; Sefton; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Generous annual leave

LGPS

Learning & development

Wellbeing support

Family-friendly policies

Supportive environment

Job summary

Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council is seeking an enthusiastic Early Years Sufficiency Officer to join the Early Years and Family Hubs Team and help deliver the Best Start in Life agenda.

You will monitor demand, support place planning and drive the development of childcare provision across Sefton, working with schools, providers, parents and partners to meet statutory duties under the Childcare Act 2006.

Qualifications

• Three years' experience in the childcare sector.
• Sound understanding of childcare legislation, EYFS requirements and Ofsted expectations.
• Experience in building positive relationships with a range of stakeholders.
• Strong analytical, organisational and communication skills.
• Experience in project planning, business support or service development.

Responsibilities

• Support the delivery of Sefton's Childcare Sufficiency Assessment and Action Plan.
• Analyse childcare demand, sufficiency and market trends.
• Work with providers across maintained, private, voluntary and independent sectors to develop sustainable provision.
• Contribute to commissioning, place planning and service development.
• Provide business support, advice and guidance to existing and prospective childcare providers.
• Undertake financial assurance and compliance activities.
• Develop partnerships with schools, providers, families and key stakeholders.
• Help ensure provision meets the needs of all children, including those with SEND and vulnerable families.

Skills

Analytical skills

Organisational skills

Communication skills

Stakeholder engagement

Project planning

Service development

EYFS knowledge

Ofsted expectations

Childcare legislation

Education

NVQ Level 3 in Early Years/Early Education

Job description

Help shape childcare provision across Sefton

Sefton Council is seeking an enthusiastic, motivated and forward-thinking Early Years Sufficiency Officer to join our Early Years and Family Hubs Team and support our ambitious Best Start in Life agenda.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in ensuring that children, young people and families can access high-quality, sustainable and inclusive childcare provision across Sefton. Working closely with schools, childcare providers, parents, carers and partner agencies, you will help the Council meet its statutory responsibilities under the Childcare Act 2006 by monitoring demand, supporting place planning and driving the development of childcare provision across the borough.

About the Role

• Support the delivery of Sefton's Childcare Sufficiency Assessment and Action Plan.
• Analyse childcare demand, sufficiency and market trends.
• Work with providers across maintained, private, voluntary and independent sectors to develop sustainable childcare provision.
• Contribute to commissioning, place planning and service development.
• Provide business support, advice and guidance to existing and prospective childcare providers.
• Undertake financial assurance and compliance activities.
• Develop partnerships with schools, providers, families and key stakeholders.
• Help ensure provision meets the needs of all children, including those with SEND and vulnerable families.

About You

• A minimum of three years' experience working within the childcare sector.
• Sound understanding of childcare legislation, Early Years Foundation Stage requirements and Ofsted expectations.
• Experience of developing positive relationships across a range of stakeholders.
• Strong analytical, organisational and communication skills.
• Experience of project planning, business support or service development.
• A commitment to reflective, relationship-based and systemic practice.
• NVQ Level 3 (or equivalent) in Early Years/Early Education.

What We Offer

• Flexible and agile working arrangements.
• Generous annual leave entitlement.
• Local Government Pension Scheme.
• Extensive learning and development opportunities.
• Employee wellbeing support.
• Family-friendly policies.
• A supportive and collaborative working environment where you can make a real difference to children and families.

Key Dates

Closing Date: Sunday 8 November 2026, midnight

Shortlisting: Monday 9 November 2026

Interviews: Thursday 12 November 2026

Contract Type: Fixed Term until 31 March 2029

Equal Opportunities

Sefton Council strives to ensure that our workforce is inclusive and representative of our communities. A diverse workforce is important to us, our staff bring with them a wide range of experiences, views, ideas, and innovations, and we are committed to providing an environment that recognises, respects, and values everybody's identity, where individual differences are strengths and where everyone can thrive and maximise their potential. We are always open to learning and growing as an organisation, and we welcome new ideas and initiatives that promote equality, diversity and inclusion.

We are an Equal Opportunities Employer; all candidates will receive equal treatment. Our decision to appoint will be based upon whether an individual's skills, experience, qualifications, and abilities make them the most suitable candidate for the role.

GUARANTEED INTERVIEW SCHEME

Please note that all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for these jobs (as given in the Person Specification) and who want to apply under the Disability Confident Scheme will be invited to interview.

If you are currently in care or have previously been in care, we provide a guaranteed interview scheme for care experienced people if you meet the essential requirements for the role.

Consider registering for Sefton@work

If you're an unemployed Sefton resident, register with our Sefton@Work service for free support to help you into employment. You may be eligible for extra assistance such as funding for travel, work clothing, or vouchers to make starting your new job easier. Call Sefton@Work on 0151 934 2610 or visit seftonatwork.net to find out more and get started today!

Sefton Council values authentic applications that reflect your own experiences, skills and motivations and that sound like you.

AI tools can be used to support your application, such as helping you structure your answers or as a reasonable adjustment. However, your application should remain your own work and accurately represent your own experience and abilities.

To ensure a fair and consistent recruitment process for all candidates, applications that appear to rely excessively on AI-generated content may not be shortlisted.