Centre Cook

• Part time 22.5hrs a week – 5 days per week @ 4.5hrs per day
• Band 3 Salary from $32.06 per hour, plus statutory super
• Fixed term contract until December 2026

The Role:

Rowan View Children’s Centre (City of Ballarat, COB) is partnering with Parkville Institute (PI)  and the Victorian State Government to implement and evaluate the replication of the Early Years Education Program (EYEP), an intensive, high-quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) program that achieved remarkable learning and developmental outcomes for children in the original trial. EYEP was initiated by Kids First, previously the Children’s Protection Society (CPS), an independent not-for-profit child and family services organisation based in the northeast of Melbourne which was founded in 1896. The program was designed and implemented by CPS in collaboration with Associate Professor Brigid Jordan AM and Dr Anne Kennedy.  

The Safe Haven program is a high-quality childcare program designed around a set of core integrated elements that work in synergy to redress the negative impacts of toxic stress on children’s learning and development.  Results from the program’s randomised control trial indicate its effectiveness in improving children’s social, emotional and cognitive development after three years of participation in the Safe Haven program.

The results from the original trial found that children who participated in the    early years education program had significant improvement in their cognitive (IQ and language) and non-cognitive skills (resilience and social-emotional).  The findings in the research report from the original trial can be found here

The role of the centre cook in the Safe Haven program is vital as the project aims to provide children with 75% of their daily nutritional requirements during the five hours a day, five days a week that they are in attendance.  Alongside this the Centre Cook will be working with the leadership team, educators and families to ensure the nutritional needs of the children are met in line with the project requirements.

About You:

You will:

• Be enthusiastic and self-motivated in the role of Centre Cook
• Contribute to effectively convey a feeling of security, care and flexibility towards children and families
• Have an understanding of and respect for diverse social and cultural values and attitudes in relation to parenting and caring for children.
• Be able to plan menus and oversee all kitchen operations including the ordering and purchase of supplies in accordance with relevant regulations and record keeping requirements.
• Interact in a positive and proactive manner with all team members children and families.
• Support the Centre philosophy, programs, and policies as part of maintaining a standard of care and nurturing that contributes to quality and continuous improvement.

The successful applicant will have a demonstrated experience in the preparation and provision of food in a childcare centre kitchen or similar small commercial basis, a Food handlers Certificate level 2 or equivalent and a Food safety supervisor Certificate (or willing to obtain). 

To Apply:

To apply for this position please click on the Apply button and submit your application. The closing date for this position is Wednesday 20th November 2024. Please ensure that you provide a cover letter, current resume and answer screening questions based on the key selection criteria.

The successful applicant will be required to undergo a full employment medical and police check. 

Contact:

For any additional questions, please contact Susan Martin on 0408 304 705.

The City of Ballarat is an Equal Opportunity employer committed to providing a safe and inclusive working environment that embraces and values child safety, diversity and flexibility. We welcome applications from all walks of life and celebrate the diversity and richness this brings to our workplace. We welcome and encourage applications from people living with a disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, culturally, religiously and linguistically diverse people, young people, older people, women, and people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex or queer.  We support flexible and accessible working arrangements for all and are committed to ensuring that all jobs in our workforce can be performed flexibly. If you're short listed for a role and are looking for flexibility, we encourage you to start the flexible working conversation with the hiring manager to find out what options may be possible for the role you're applying for.