Best Start in Life Practitioner

Sheffield City Council; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 24,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Professional development

Job summary

Sheffield City Council is recruiting Best Start Inclusion Practitioners to support children aged 0–5 and their families. You will work across Family Hubs and community settings to identify SEND needs, provide practical strategies, and coach settings to foster inclusive practice.

This role emphasizes proactive, preventative support and close partnership with education, health and social care colleagues. The post offers development opportunities, flexible working discussions, and a chance to help

Qualifications

• Experience with young children and families.
• Understanding of child development and early intervention.
• Commitment to inclusion and improving outcomes for children with additional needs.
• Ability to build positive relationships with families and professionals from diverse backgrounds.
• Strong communication skills and ability to coach others.
• Thrives in partnership working and multi‑agency collaboration.
• Flexibility to work across communities and localities.

Responsibilities

• Identify developmental and SEND needs in children aged 0–5.
• Work with families, early years settings and community services to provide practical advice and strategies.
• Identify barriers to participation, learning and development through observation and professional discussion.
• Coach and support early years practitioners to develop inclusive practice and confidence.
• Deliver support within Family Hubs, community venues, homes and early years settings.
• Collaborate with education, health, social care and voluntary sector partners.
• Promote inclusion and early intervention, ensuring families receive the right support at the right time.
• Contribute to Sheffield's vision for a more inclusive and joined‑up early years system.

Skills

Early childhood development

Inclusion and equality

Communication and coaching

Multi-agency collaboration

Community engagement

Education

Background in early years / SEND / family support / education / health / childcare

Job description

Children's Services | Best Start Family Hubs | 0-5 SEND Support Service

Early identification, inclusion and timely support for every child

Are you passionate about helping children get the best possible start in life?

Sheffield City Council is looking for enthusiastic and skilled practitioners to join our growing Best Start Family Hubs team as Best Start Inclusion Practitioners (BSIPs). This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a pioneering early years SEND programme that will help children with emerging additional needs access support earlier, closer to home and before difficulties escalat…

Working across local communities and Family Hubs, you will provide practical, preventative and relationship-based support to children aged 0-5, their families and the early years workforce. You will play a key role in strengthening inclusion, building confidence and helping children participate, learn and thrive in their communities.

About The Role

As a Best Start Inclusion Practitioner, you will:

• Support the early identification of developmental and SEND needs in children aged 0-5.
• Work directly with families, early years settings and community services to provide practical advice and strategies.
• Help identify barriers to participation, learning and development through observation and professional discussion.
• Coach and support early years practitioners to develop inclusive practice and confidence.
• Deliver support within Family Hubs, community venues, homes and early years settings.
• Work collaboratively with education, health, social care and voluntary sector partners.
• Promote inclusion and early intervention, ensuring families receive the right support at the right time.
• Contribute to Sheffield's vision for a more inclusive and joined-up early years system.

Who We're Looking For

We are seeking motivated and compassionate professionals who:

• Have experience working with young children and families.
• Understand child development and the importance of early intervention.
• Are passionate about inclusion and improving outcomes for children with additional needs.
• Can build positive relationships with families and professionals from different backgrounds.
• Are skilled communicators with the ability to coach and empower others.
• Thrive in partnership working and are committed to multi-agency collaboration.
• Can work flexibly across communities and localities.

Applications are welcomed from practitioners with backgrounds in early years, SEND, family support, education, health, childcare, community development or related fields.

Why Join Us?

This is a unique opportunity to help shape a new city-wide offer that sits at the heart of Sheffield's Best Start vision. You will:

• Be part of a new and innovative service.
• Receive professional development and specialist training.
• Work alongside Family Hubs, SEND, health and community partners.
• Make a real difference to children and families at the earliest possible stage.
• Help create a more inclusive Sheffield where every child belongs and can thrive.

Our Vision

We believe that children and families should be able to access support early, without waiting for crisis, diagnosis or statutory processes. Through the Best Start Family Hubs programme, we are creating accessible, inclusive and joined-up support that improves outcomes for children and strengthens family resilience.

Join us and help ensure every child in Sheffield has the best possible start in life.

We are investing in our workforce and are promoting opportunities to our under‑represented groups. We value equality, diversity and inclusion and are focused on increasing the diversity of our workforce, particularly the number of Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic, Disabled and LGBTQ+ people, so that our teams reflect the communities in the city we serve. We are also supporting staff with unpaid caring responsibilities to work flexibly.

It is a great time to join us and we welcome your application.

Under the Guaranteed Interview scheme, applicants who are disabled, care leavers, or armed forces veterans will be guaranteed an interview if they meet the essential criteria and indicate their eligibility on the application form. Sometimes, if lots of people apply, we might not be able to interview everyone who qualifies for the Guarantee. In these cases, we’ll interview the candidates who best meet the essential criteria for the job.

Full-time employees work 37 hours for 52 weeks of the year and we offer a generous holiday entitlement. We are open to discussions about a wide range of flexible working opportunities which benefit you and the Council, including reduced hour contracts, working part time or as a job share.

If you are appointed to this role, your starting salary will be at the bottom of the grade. If you provide payslip evidence that your basic pay is greater than the bottom of the grade, we will consider starting you at the point of minimum advantage within the grade.

Equality of pay is extremely important to us. All roles at Sheffield City Council are going through an evaluation process which may result in changes to some pay arrangements from 2026. Find out more on our Sheff news page.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all individuals, ensuring a safe and supportive environment for everyone and where appropriate to the role the successful applicant will be required to undertake relevant safeguarding checks.