Day in the Life of…. A Kids Inc Manager!
Childcare is a people business and at Kids Inc we appreciate and recognise the professionals on our team and the hard work they do everyday. Our stringent recruitment processes mean that only the best of the best join our team. This allows us to support our staff to progress with us. Our motto; ‘We provide the training; You provide the passion!’. The Kids Inc Career Path is something we are very proud of. We work one on one with each of our team members to support them in reaching their individual career goals, with our company and beyond!
Our top management squad is built of many staff who joined us in coaching and practitioner roles. Through passion and dedication these coaches worked their way to the top of their field. This week we linked with one of our centre managers to discuss their career journey and what their day to day looks like now.
Right off the bat, Jessica from Ballinteer identified why she began to consider a management role with Kids Inc while working as an Afterschool Coach.
‘I saw I would be capable of progression. Getting the support from the Head Office staff, I felt seen. I got the courage to try.’
Jessica was a key member of the coaching team in Ballinteer and we were sad to loose her and her abilities from the room. Our managers work out of ratio so moving Jessica into the management role meant that we would be losing her expertise working directly with children. How did Jessica feel about the change?
‘I try once a week on a Friday to go back to the class and work with the children to have that contact again. Yesterday the children even requested a meeting with me! I was so happy to see how comfortable they are with talking to me. I also take a keen interest in our emotions programme and the activities the staff are doing to work with the children on their emotions. Seeing them trying something new and asking for my help is everything to me‘
But there have to be challenges to the management role. At Kids Inc we support our management to reflect on their challenges while also considering the potential solutions. What has been Jessica’s biggest challenge and how does she plan to overcome it?
‘My biggest challenge is managing staff. They are people, they have different backgrounds and have different feelings everyday. I make sure everyone is on the same page about how to manage key aspects of our operations and meet with them regularly as a team. Going forward I would recommend a weekly staff meeting rather than a monthly staff meeting’
Our managers can express their needs in confidence knowing that senior management respect and listen to their opinions. We reward our staff for the dedication to their role, ensuring that any additional time needed for training or staff meetings are fully paid.
‘I never expected that I would be so happy in a company as I am today. I have joy in what I do. The company have recognised and seen me in a way that no other company has before. Knowing that the company sees and value what I do is something unique for me‘ says Jessica
It has been a pleasure to work with Jessica and watch her grow into an extremely capable and confident manager. We know that the future is bright for her and we can’t wait to see what she brings to her management role and beyond!
If you are interested in starting your career journey with Kids Inc today contact [email protected] about our openings or visit our website : https://kidsinc.ie/join/
