Job Introduction
EARLY YEARS QUALIFIED PRACTITIONER
Location: Various Neilson Beach Clubs overseas
Season: April – November
Qualifications Required: Recognised Early Years qualification (see details below)
Eligibility: UK & EU passport holders
Salary: £650–£800 PCM gross, depending on qualification, plus shared accommodation, meals, flights, and an excellent overall package.
As a UK-based business operating overseas, we’re able to arrange the required visas and work permits for UK and EU passport holders to work legally in our resorts.
In a Nutshell
- Take your Early Years qualification somewhere a little more exciting and spend your season living and working in one of our Beach Clubs.
- Provide exceptional care for our youngest guests, creating a safe, nurturing and fun environment where they can thrive.
- Put your professional Early Years skills into practice while gaining completely different experience from a traditional nursery or childcare setting.
- Join a brilliant, supportive Children’s Club Team and help families make the most of their Neilson holiday.
About Us
For almost 50 years, Neilson has been creating unforgettable active holidays in some incredible beach club destinations.
From sailing and watersports to tennis, fitness, biking and much more, our guests are at the centre of everything we do.
We’re looking for enthusiastic, adaptable people with great personalities, a strong work ethic and a genuine passion for creating brilliant holiday experiences.
For this role, you’ll already have professional Early Years knowledge and qualifications, but that doesn’t mean we expect you to arrive knowing everything.
You’ll be working alongside an experienced and supportive Children’s Club Team, with opportunities to build confidence, develop your skills and gain experience in a completely different environment from the traditional nursery or childcare setting.
About You
You’re a qualified Early Years professional who genuinely loves working with infants and young children.
You understand just how much trust parents place in the people caring for their little ones, and you’ll combine excellent professional standards with the warmth, patience, energy and personality that make families feel completely at ease.
You’ll have a strong understanding of child development and age-appropriate practice and be confident supporting individual routines, feeding, sleep, play and care requirements.
You’ll be caring, empathetic and reassuring, with the maturity and judgement to understand and respond to the individual needs of the children in your care.
You’ll also enjoy being part of something bigger.
This isn’t a traditional nursery setting – you’ll be part of a lively overseas resort team, meeting families from all walks of life and helping our youngest guests have their own brilliant Neilson experience.
Most importantly, you’ll take safeguarding and child welfare seriously while creating an environment that feels happy, welcoming, nurturing and fun.
Role Overview
As an Early Years Qualified Practitioner, your professional knowledge and experience will play an important role within the Neilson Children’s Club Team.
While you may support children across different age groups during the season, your primary focus will be caring for our youngest guests, providing safe, nurturing and engaging experiences tailored to their individual needs and routines.
You’ll deliver age-appropriate play and activities, support feeding and sleep routines, communicate closely with parents and carers and help maintain excellent standards across safeguarding, welfare, hygiene, safety and childcare practice.
You’ll work alongside Children’s Activity Leaders, Children’s Club Supervisors and Managers as part of a close-knit team creating fantastic family holidays.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Provide high-quality care and supervision for infants and young children.
- Create safe, stimulating, fun and age-appropriate activities that support children’s development and wellbeing.
- Follow individual routines, including feeding, sleep, care and other relevant requirements.
- Create a warm, nurturing, welcoming and inclusive environment for children and families.
- Maintain excellent standards of safeguarding, child welfare, health, safety and professional childcare practice.
- Build positive relationships with parents and carers through clear, friendly and professional communication.
- Make sure children’s individual needs are understood and appropriately supported.
- Observe and respond appropriately to children’s behaviour, wellbeing and developmental needs.
- Support the wider Children’s Club programme and other age groups when required.
- Keep crèche and Children’s Club facilities, toys and equipment safe, clean, organised and well maintained.
- Clean and sterilise toys and equipment where appropriate.
- Monitor equipment and supplies and report maintenance or stock requirements.
- Support the set-up and pack-down of daily activities.
- Help organise and support family events, guest activities and social occasions.
- Follow all company operating procedures, safeguarding responsibilities and health and safety standards.
- Support seasonal resort set-up and close-down.
- Assist with airport transfers and wider resort operations when required.
- Work collaboratively with the wider Children’s Club and resort teams to deliver an exceptional guest experience.
Skills & Experience
You’ll be great at this if you…
- Hold a recognised Early Years qualification.
- Have experience working with infants and young children in an Early Years environment.
- Have a strong understanding of child development and age-appropriate practice.
- Understand safeguarding and child welfare best practice.
- Are confident supporting individual routines, needs and care requirements.
- Communicate brilliantly with young children, parents, carers and colleagues.
- Are patient, caring, approachable and professional.
- Are empathetic and able to respond sensitively to individual children and families.
- Are organised and able to manage multiple priorities in a busy environment.
- Can remain calm and reassuring when situations don’t quite go to plan.
- Have a strong work ethic and are happy getting stuck into the wider Children’s Club operation.
- Enjoy working collaboratively as part of a close-knit team.
- Are adaptable and willing to learn.
- Have a genuine passion for supporting infants and young children.
- Have a good standard of spoken English.
It’d be a bonus if you also have…
- Experience working across different Early Years age groups.
- A full 12-hour Paediatric First Aid qualification.
- Experience working within holiday clubs, family resorts, camps or similar environments.
- Previous overseas, resort, hospitality or seasonal work experience.
- Additional European language skills.
Qualifications
You must hold a recognised Early Years qualification to be considered for the Early Years Qualified Practitioner role.
Relevant qualifications may include:
- NVQ Level 2–5 in Early Years Education and Childcare.
- BA (Hons) Early Childhood Education.
- Recognised equivalent UK or international Early Years qualifications.
For the purpose of this role:
The definition of an Early Years qualification is one that focuses on the development, wellbeing and education of children aged 0–5. The framework used is different to those who study primary school teaching, social work, child-welfare services or nursing.
Before applying, we strongly recommend checking whether your qualification is recognised as a full and relevant Early Years qualification.
Please click here: Department for Education Early Years qualification guidance
We also welcome applications from candidates holding recognised Irish, European and international Early Years qualifications and equivalent certifications.
If you’re unsure whether your qualification is equivalent, please provide full details of your certification within your application so we can review it.
Qualifications in teaching, social work, youth work, coaching, childcare management or other child-focused professions do not meet the qualification requirement for this particular role unless you also hold a recognised Early Years qualification.
If you don’t currently hold a recognised Early Years qualification, don’t let that put you off joining us – one of our other Children’s Club roles may be a much better fit.
For further information about the qualifications we accept, please click here: List of Accepted Qualifications
You do not need to have completed your required Early Years qualification before submitting your application.
If you’re currently working towards, booked onto or planning to complete a recognised Early Years qualification before your start date, please go ahead and apply and provide details of the qualification and your expected completion date within your application.
First Aid Requirements
A minimum 6-hour, in-person Emergency Paediatric First Aid qualification is mandatory for the Early Years Qualified Practitioner role.
Your certificate must be in place by your start date and remain valid for the duration of your contract.
A full 12-hour Paediatric First Aid qualification is highly desirable.
If you haven’t yet completed your required Paediatric First Aid qualification but are booked onto or planning to complete it before your start date, you can still apply – just provide the details and expected completion date within your application.
ONLINE-ONLY FIRST AID COURSES ARE NOT ACCEPTED
For further information about Neilson’s First Aid requirements, please click here: First Aid Guidance
Commission
Alongside your monthly salary, you’ll have the opportunity to earn end-of-contract commission based on overall team income from selected extras.
What’s in it for you?
Joining Neilson is more than just a summer job. It’s an opportunity to challenge yourself, develop new skills, build confidence, experience incredible destinations, and become part of a close-knit team creating unforgettable holidays every day.
The experience, resilience, and people skills you’ll develop along the way will stay with you long after the season ends – wherever life takes you next.
Alongside the experience, you’ll get:
- A paid seasonal role in an incredible overseas destination.
- Shared staff accommodation, so you’re right at the heart of resort life and part of the team from day one.
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner while on duty, so your meals are taken care of.
- Travel to and from resort, subject to staff travel policy.
- Use of selected resort facilities in your spare time, so you can enjoy the destination too.
- Friends and family holiday discounts, giving the people at home the chance to experience Neilson for themselves.
- Comprehensive training and ongoing support to help you settle in, develop your skills and make the most of your season.
- Opportunities to gain additional qualifications through the Neilson Academy.
- Career development opportunities through our Jump Up and Jump Higher programmes.
- Visa and work permit support where applicable.
- Role-specific uniform provided.
- One day off each week, plus accrued holiday.
- Emergency medical and dental insurance.
- 24/7 independent mental health support.
It’s a season that gives you more than a payslip – you’ll come home with new skills, new friends, incredible memories and an experience that stays with you long after you’ve left resort.
Please note: All Neilson Active employees are required to complete a DBS check as part of our safer recruitment process.
