The Balsam Centre is looking for an apprentice to work alongside the qualified staff in its Conkers Nursery to provide high quality childcare and education for children aged between 3 months and 4 years, including a wide range of activities and opportunities.

The hours are 32 hrs per week to be worked flexibly between the hours of 8am and 5pm from Monday-Friday.

For more information, call Somerset Skills & Learning on 0330 332 7997, or apply online at www.sslcourses.co.uk

The Balsam Centre is looking for a Maternity Cover Receptionist to take over the key role of running the busy reception area.

We are looking for someone with excellent communication, organisational and interpersonal skills who is able to create a calm, friendly and welcoming ‘front of house’ environment. You will also be a confident IT user.

The hours are 23 hrs per week to be worked from 8.45–5pm on Mondays and Wednesdays and 8.45–4.30pm on Fridays.

For more details, please download a job description or call us on 01963 31842 for an informal chat. To apply, please complete and return our application form by the closing date of Friday 24 November.

Conkers Nursery at The Balsam Centre in Wincanton has a vacancy for a maternity cover cleaner Monday to Friday for 1.5 hrs per evening, 7.5 hours per week.

This role will include general cleaning of the nursery area and providing cover for the other members of the cleaning team during holiday periods.

The successful applicant will be a flexible, thorough and helpful team player who is able to work on their own initiative and lives within a 30-minute radius of the Centre.

Preferred hours of work are 5.30pm until 7.00pm with flexibility for the right applicant. Competitive rate of pay and holiday allowance.

For more details, please download a job description or call us on 01963 31842 for an informal chat. To apply, please complete and return our application form.

The Balsam Centre is a successful and growing charity that helps people in Wincanton and surrounding areas to lead healthier, happier lives. We are funded both by local communities and national organisations like Comic Relief. We offer a wide range of services and activities including health walks, family support, a children's nursery, youth club, men's shed, mental health support, social and therapeutic groups and many, many more. Our services are delivered by paid staff and volunteers and our annual turnover is around £700,000.

We are responding wholeheartedly to the challenges facing our communities by increasing our services to meet local need. We have a fully funded long-term plan for the development of the charity, and due to growth and a retirement of one of our long-serving trustees, we will have a small number of vacancies on our Board from spring 2023. Would you like to join us in leading and nurturing our charity?

All trustees are recruited on their own merits, but we would particularly welcome applications from:
• People with personal experience of using the Balsam Centre
• People with personal experience of adversity
• People with experience of clinical and therapeutic service provision, including eco-therapy
• People of working age, women and people with disabilities

Trustees commit to attending our six bi-monthly meetings (usually held during a weekday evening between 6 and 8pm), joining at least one of our committees, actively representing the charity externally, and providing practical support to the Executive team.

If you are interested in joining us and making a real difference to the communities we support then please contact Michael Bainbridge, Chair of Trustees: michaelfbainbridge@hotmail.co.uk sending your CV and a covering letter. Closing date is Friday 28th April 2023. You may also seek information from our Chief Executive, Sue Place: sueplace@balsamcentre.org.uk

It goes without saying that our values include respect for everyone regardless of personal characteristics.

BANK STAFF

We are seeking an enthusiastic Early Years Practitioner qualified at Level 3 or equivalent for 15 hours with the flexibility to work between the hours of 8.00 – 5.30 and all year round, to start as soon as possible. Applicant must be able to work as part of a team, have good communication skills and knowledge and understanding of the EYFS.

It is desirable for you to have Childcare Safeguarding and Paediatric First Aid training. The hourly pay rate is dependent on experience. The position will be subject to an enhanced DBS and two satisfactory references.

Hours are flexible but may involve some early morning, evening and weekend work.

Applicants must have a caring disposition and hold a full clean driver’s licence with D1 category. Suitable applicants will be subject to mini bus test and DBS checks.

For more details and an application form please contact: 01963-34594