Area SENCO Advisor

Enfield Council; Enfield; Hybrid; GBP 52,000 - 76,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

LGPS pension

Annual leave 32 days

Hybrid/remote working

Season ticket loan

Career development

Employee assistance programme

Health and leisure discounts

Sabbatical for Children’s Social Work

Job summary

Enfield Council seeks an experienced Experts at Hand (EAH) Area SENCO Adviser to drive the SEND Reform Programme in the Early Years SEND Team. You will provide specialist advice, coaching and practical support to early years providers to improve inclusive practice and early identification of needs.

You will work with families and partner agencies to ensure high-quality, inclusive provision for children birth to five, delivering impact across the borough while benefitting from professional

Qualifications

• Extensive experience promoting high-quality Early Years Foundation Stage practice.
• Strong knowledge of inclusive practice and early identification processes.
• Experience advising, coaching and empowering practitioners.
• Experience at a senior level within early years provision, schools or specialist services.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with ability to participate in multi-agency discussions.
• Solid understanding of SEND legislation and safeguarding responsibilities.

Skills

Communication skills

Influencing skills

Coaching practitioners

Multi-agency collaboration

Safeguarding knowledge

Job description

About the Role

We are seeking a passionate and experienced Experts at Hand (EAH) Area SENCO Adviser to play a key role in delivering Enfield’s ambitious SEND Reform Programme. Working as part of the Early Years SEND Team, you will support the delivery, embedding and continuous improvement of the Experts at Hand offer across the borough. You will provide specialist advice, coaching, modelling and practical support to early years providers, helping them strengthen inclusive practice, identify children’s needs at the earliest opportunity and implement effective support strategies. Working closely with settings, families and multi-agency partners, you will help ensure that children with SEND aged birth to five can access high-quality, inclusive provision within their local community and achieve the best possible outcomes.

About Enfield Council

Enfield is one of London’s most diverse and vibrant boroughs, serving a growing community with high aspirations for all children and families. We are committed to creating an inclusive borough where every child has the opportunity to thrive, regardless of their needs or circumstances. Through our SEND Reform Programme and Experts at Hand model, we are investing in early intervention, collaboration and workforce development to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND. Joining Enfield Council means becoming part of a forward-thinking organisation that values innovation, partnership working and continuous improvement, while placing children and families at the heart of everything we do.

About You

You will be an experienced early years professional with a strong track record of promoting high-quality Early Years Foundation Stage practice and supporting children with SEND aged birth to five. You will have substantial knowledge of inclusive practice, early identification processes and assess-plan-do-review approaches, together with the ability to advise, coach and empower practitioners to build confidence and capability. We are looking for someone who has experience of working at a senior level within early years provision, schools or specialist support services and who can develop positive relationships across a wide range of settings and partner agencies. You will possess excellent communication and influencing skills, be confident contributing to multi-agency discussions, and demonstrate resilience, professionalism and a solution-focused approach when working with families and professionals. A strong understanding of SEND legislation, safeguarding responsibilities and inclusive practice is essential, alongside a commitment to improving outcomes for children and their families.

What We Offer

This is an exciting opportunity to influence and shape inclusive practice across a diverse and expanding early years sector while contributing to a high-profile programme of SEND improvement. As part of a supportive and collaborative team, you will have opportunities to develop your expertise through ongoing professional learning, specialist training and participation in borough-wide SEND and inclusion initiatives. You will work alongside experienced professionals across education, health and care services, contributing to innovative approaches that make a real difference to children and families. In addition to Enfield Council’s comprehensive employee benefits package, we offer flexible and hybrid working arrangements where service needs allow, access to professional development opportunities, regular supervision and support, and the opportunity to be part of a borough-wide commitment to achieving excellent outcomes for children with SEND through early intervention and inclusive practice.

Contact Details

If you would like to know more about the role, please contact Julia Hide on 020 8132 0460 for an informal discussion or to arrange a visit to the team.

If you have any difficulties accessing this information, please contact Maria Evangelou at [e-mail].

Enfield’s Social Care Centre of Excellence confirms our commitment to creating and maintaining an environment for new and existing staff to be the best and deliver high quality social work to our most vulnerable children and young people. It brings our recruitment, professional development and support into the one portal for social care staff to see what we have to offer and how we are supporting them to continue to learn and develop on a professional basis. For more information please visit https://new.enfield.gov.uk/centreofexcellence/about-us/

“This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share in this commitment”.

We do not see your name or title when shortlisting your application. This is one of many initiatives to build a more talented and diverse workforce.

Why it's great to work for Enfield Council

• An excellent pension through Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
• Up to 32 days annual leave depending on grade and length of service. You will also get eight public holidays per year and an extra day off at Christmas.
• A blend of remote and office based working for most roles.
• Interest free season ticket loan repayable over three or ten months.
• Career development and learning experiences from a range of training courses and learning methods.
• Employee Assistance Programme to provide advice and counselling services. This is a free and confidential service available to staff and members of their family.
• Health and leisure discounts and tax-free bikes for work.
• 1 month paid sabbatical for Children’s Social Workers

We are passionate about our people and how we deliver services to our community in Enfield. That’s why we encourage a culture that puts our customers at the heart of everything we do - by empowering our people to work together to find solutions, be open, honest and respectful, take responsibility and listen and learn. If you value these behaviours too, we’d love to hear from you - and of course we are always happy to talk flexible working, to find out more.