Best Start in Life Community Champion - Ref: CH10126

Walsall Council; Walsall; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 32,000; Full time

Job summary

Walsall Council is seeking a Best Start in Life Community Champion to work across local communities and family hubs, engaging with families of children aged 0-5 and helping them access early education, home learning and school readiness. The role emphasises inclusive, culturally responsive outreach and signposting to services.

The post does not provide medical or statutory advice and requires safeguarding training and the ability to build trusted relationships with diverse families.

Qualifications

• Relevant Level 2 qualification or equivalent experience in community work.
• Ability to communicate clearly and listen to families.
• Experience engaging families facing barriers or inequalities.
• Understanding of child and family wellbeing from pregnancy to age five.
• Willingness to complete safeguarding and information governance training.

Responsibilities

• Build trusted relationships with expectant parents and families with children aged 0-5.
• Promote Best Start services through outreach and inclusive engagement.
• Provide accurate information, signpost to services and make warm handovers.
• Gather parent and carer voice and support co-production activities.
• Maintain confidential records of engagement and follow-up.
• Recognise safeguarding or welfare concerns and escalate as required.

Skills

Communication

Listening

Boundaries

Community engagement

Education

Level 2 qualification in community development/health/early years

Job description

Best Start in Life Community Champion - Ref: CH10126

Grade: G5; Salary Range: £29,542 - £32,046

What are we looking for?

We are looking for approachable, inclusive and community-focused people who can build trusted relationships with families and communities.

You will be confident talking and listening to people from a wide range of backgrounds, including families who may be reluctant to approach services or experience barriers such as poverty, isolation, language, disability, digital exclusion, transport or lack of confidence.

You will understand the importance of working in a respectful, non-judgemental and culturally responsive way and be able to help families take practical next steps while recognising when professional or specialist support is needed.

About the job

As a Best Start in Life Community Champion, you will work in local communities and a broad range of community spaces across Walsall, including Best Start Family Hubs, early years settings, schools, health and community venues and local events.

You will help families understand the support available to them, provide approved information, signpost to services and make supported introductions and warm handovers where required.

You will also gather parent and carer views, support community engagement and co-production activities, strengthen local connections and help increase awareness of Best Start services, early education, home learning and school readiness.

This is a community-facing role focused on engagement and connection. It does not undertake assessment, specialist or statutory advice, eligibility or threshold decisions, ongoing advocacy or case management

About you

You may bring experience from paid employment, voluntary work or lived experience. What matters is your ability to connect with families and communities, build trust and help people access opportunities and support.

You will have experience of engaging families or communities facing barriers or inequalities and building relationships with parents, carers, residents or community organisations.

You will have an understanding of the strengths and challenges affecting Walsall families and a basic understanding of child and family wellbeing from pregnancy to age five, including early development, home learning, early education and school readiness.

You will be able to communicate information clearly, listen to families, maintain appropriate professional boundaries and recognise when concerns need to be escalated

You will have personal lived experience of supporting a child with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). With an understanding of the challenges, experiences and perspectives of parents and carers.

Read more about our benefits at https://go.walsall.gov.uk/jobs-and-careers-/benefits-of-working-for-us

If you would like to know more about this role, please contact: [e-mail]

View Job Description and Employee Specification
Closing date 20th November 2026
Must be available for interviews week beginning 30th November and 7th December 2026.

This post is covered by the Government’s Code of Practice on the English Language Fluency Duty for public sector workers. The post holder will be required to communicate verbally with customers and provide advice and/or information in accurate spoken English.

Walsall Council takes seriously the responsibility to safeguard and promote the welfare of all the children, young people and vulnerable adults entrusted to our care and it is our expectation that all staff will share this commitment. We will ensure continuous development and improvement of robust recruitment processes and procedures that promote a culture of safeguarding amongst our workforce. Completion of an enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check is a requirement for working with children, young people and vulnerable adults.

Note:Applicants appointed to posts that require an enhanced DBS clearance must declare any periods of time that they have lived, studied or worked abroad and be prepared to provide an Overseas Criminal Records Certificate (OCRC) or a Statement of Good Conduct (SOGC) relating to anytime they were overseas.

At Walsall Council, we appreciate that AI can be a useful tool for ideas or guidance. However, we encourage you to make sure your application reflects your own voice and experiences. Over-reliance on AI can make responses feel less personal, and we really want to understand what makes you unique. Your experiences, skills, and perspective are what set you apart, so please ensure your application as a whole – particularly your ‘Supporting Information’ – reflects your own voice.

Walsall Council’s Children’s Services are the only Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ local authority in the Black Country. During a visit in May 2025, Inspectors described Walsall Council as a place where children were at the heart of. The council’s journey of continuous improvement started in 2017 and has since transformed into a service with a clear vision, clear priorities and a clear plan, all informed by the views of our staff and children. Staff are at the core of delivering great outcomes for children and young people in Walsall, which is underpinned by our Walsall Right 4 Children vision. The latest Ofsted inspection demonstrated that staff in children’s services are proud to work for Walsall Council and feel supported to do great work.

Responsibilities

• Build trusted relationships with expectant parents and families with children aged 0-5, particularly those least likely to access services or whose voices are under-represented.
• Promote Best Start in Life and Family Hub services through inclusive and culturally responsive community outreach.
• Provide families with accurate approved information, signposting, supported introductions and warm handovers to appropriate services.
• Gather parent and carer voice and support families to participate in consultation, listening and co-production activities.
• Build positive relationships with community, faith, voluntary, health, housing, education and early years partners.
• Support outreach events, community activities and campaigns that improve awareness, engagement, early education take-up, home learning and school readiness.
• Recognise and promptly escape safeguarding, health, developmental, SEND or welfare concerns through established procedures.
• Maintain accurate and confidential records of engagement, family feedback, supported introductions and agreed follow-up

Qualifications

• A relevant Level 2 qualification in community development, health, early years, family support or a related area, OR equivalent knowledge and skills gained through relevant lived, voluntary or paid experience.
• Willingness and ability to complete required training, including safeguarding, information governance, community engagement, Making Every Contact Count, warm handovers and Best Start service pathways.