Amanda Mulholland

MEd qualified, early years and school aged childcare experienced professional with a 24 year career delivering the highest standards of care and learning. 
 

I have a demonstrable record of achieving grades of 5 over a five year grading history.  Prior to the pandemic I achieved much success operating a peripatetic day care of children service. I effectively led, managed, and developed the service from the ground up. The last trading year we delivered over 600 childcare sessions throughout Scotland. 
 

Since the pandemic my experience has been focused on stabilising services that undergone management changes.  Establishing processes conducive to effective change management such as stakeholder feedback loops, self evaluation, quality calendars and monitoring schedules, reviewing and developing policies, and establishing evidence informed service improvement plans. 
 

In my present role I oversee several projects within a social pedagogy context. My role is the development of integrated holistic family support which places the child at the centre of our practice but recognises the importance of working with the whole family in meeting the child’s needs. My responsibilities include representing the organisation on the Child Poverty Pathfinder, Keeping the Promise steering group. Through this project I am participating in the development of local policy and working with council officials and colleagues in the third sector to ensure positive city wide change. Other duties include leading a Scottish Government Access to Childcare Fund project. This School Aged Childcare service is funded to increase parent access to employment and training. We operate a child’s rights project, I oversee and report using a participative test of change methodology. Reporting quarterly to the Scottish Government and accountable, participating in Q and A teams meetings with senior policy officers, CEO’s and other officials. This has helped me develop my communication skills effectively representing my employers and my families as a credible voice.
 

I am a confident and competent leader and have led teams of up to 25 practitioners and services registered from 30 children to 100 children. Staff retention increased quickly in each service I have stepped into since the pandemic.  I attribute my successes here to the ability to provide excellent development opportunities to enrich and invigorate my teams. I have had the privilege of working with providers in public, private, and charitable sectors who believe and invest in their employees. I welcome the opportunity to work with likeminded providers to our mutual benefit. 

Flexible Childcare Services Manager

September 2023-present.

Duties: 

• Development of service
• Horizon scanning
• Networking
• Funding applications
• Monitoring, evaluation
• Improvement planning
• Project management
• Compliance audits
• Presenting
• Advocacy
• Training, motivating, and developing staff team.
• Safeguarding officer

Nursery Manager

Kirktonholme Childcare Ltd

February 2023 - August 2023

Overarching responsibility of nursery registered for 90 children from 3 months to five years of age and staffed by 16 practitioners. This was a free flow indoor outdoor service which followed a curiosity and exploration based curriculum.

Duties: 

• Day to day management of the service.
• Finance and fee administration.
• Support, development, and supervision of staff team. 
• Maximise occupancy.
• Recruitment induction and retention of personnel.
• Policy development.
• Work in partnership with the local authority.
• Develop and implement an effective 0-3 play based curriculum.  
• Oversee the planning, delivery and assessment of play based approaches to the national curriculum for 3-5 years. 
• Regulatory compliance audits.
• Monitoring and evaluation.
• Service Improvement Planning and change management.

Nursery Manager

Toybox Nursery Ltd

February 2021 - February 2023

• Achieved maximum occupancy of 51 place nursery over a two year period. 
• Reduced staff turnover by 30%. 
• Gained sun safe accreditation.
• Raised over £4000 for charitable causes through family participation.
• Created a nurture room.
• Led child’s rights quality committee with the children participating in the recruitment process, organising fund raising, allocating budgets, and developing the nurture room. 
• Gained £3600 of funding and collaborated with local college to develop a bespoke training programme including Makaton, and Forrest Practice. 

MEd Childhood Practice

Distinction

University of Glasgow

2023

BA Childhood Practice

University of Glasgow

2019

SVQ Level 4 Childcare Learning and Development

Experiential Play Ltd

2010

SVQ Level 3, Early education and childcare.

Glasgow Nautical College

2002