Best Start in Life Practitioners

Hoople Ltd; Hereford; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Employee Assistance Programme

Professional membership fees paid

Range of retail, leisure, health perks

Job summary

Herefordshire Council in Hereford is seeking Best Start in Life Inclusion Practitioners to join the BSIL team. You will support children and families to access services, groups and Family Hubs while addressing barriers to achievement.

The role emphasizes collaboration across services and settings to improve outcomes for young children with additional needs. The successful candidate will have a Level 3 childcare qualification, a driving licence and a track record in early years SEND.

Qualifications

• Level 3 qualification in childcare or equivalent.
• Substantial and recent early years experience.
• Deep knowledge of SEND in the Early Years including the Graduated Approach.
• Understanding of services that support families and collaboration across them.

Responsibilities

• Provide high‑quality advice and guidance to families, professionals, settings and schools to improve outcomes for young children with additional needs.
• Work within the BSIL Inclusion Team to implement support across services.
• Contribute to a restorative journey of improvement for Herefordshire children and families.
• Develop strong relationships with early years settings and advocate inclusive practice.

Skills

Excellent communication

Travel across Herefordshire

Knowledge of SEND in Early Years

Collaborative working

Education

Level 3 qualification in childcare or equivalent

Job description

About The Role

Job Title: Best Start in Life Inclusion Practitioners - 5 positions available
Contract: Fixed term – 2 years
Hours: 37 hours (job shares cannot be considered)
Salary: HC06 - £29,071 to £33,119 per annum
Location: HARC, Fir Tree Lane, Hereford HR2 6LAClosing Date: 20 November 2026

Interview Date: 1 December 2026

The Role

As part of the Best Start in Life Initiative, we are looking for a Best Start in Life Inclusion Practitioner to be part of our Best Start Inclusion Team in the Early Years SEND Inclusion Service.

The role will be focussed on supporting children and families accessing services, groups and Family Hubs, who may have potential barriers to their academic achievement.

Come and join us on our Restorative Journey of Improvement to gain the best for children and families in Herefordshire.

About You

The successful candidate will be have at least a level 3 qualification in childcare or equivalent and will have substantial and recent early years experience and a deep knowledge of SEND in the Early Years including knowledge of the Early Years Graduated Approach. They will have knowledge of the services that support families and be willing to work collaboratively across those services.

The successful candidate will work within the Best Start in Life (BSIL) Inclusion Team, providing high-quality advice and guidance to families, professionals, early years settings, and schools to improve outcomes for young children who may have additional needs.

The Best Start in Life Inclusion Practitioner will work closely with the Early SEND deliver this service

You will need:

• L3 qualification in childcare, education or equivalent
• Full UK Driving license and able to travel across the county of Herefordshire
• Recent experience of supporting early years children with additional needs
• An understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage, the Equality Act (2010) and the SEND Code of Practice (2015)
• The ability to build strong relationships with early years settings and other services
• To be an excellent communicator with good interpersonal skills

To arrange an informal discussion, or ask any questions about the role, please contact [e-mail]

We Offer

A competitive salary, holiday entitlement, and access to our contributory pension and staff benefits scheme, which includes:

• Salary range of £29,071 to £33,119 per annum
• Annual Leave: 31 days’ annual leave (pro rata) plus bank holidays. You can also purchase an additional 10 days per annum during the request period
• Flexible working: including agile working.
• Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 access to support and counselling
• Payment of professional membership fees (based on role requirements)
• Pick your perks - our benefits include access to a range of retail, leisure, holiday and health benefits. This includes savings, cash back and discounts.
• A service where children’s learning and development is at the heart of everything we do
• A highly supportive and committed team

Why Choose Us?

We’re proud and excited to unveil our new recruitment video, a celebration of Herefordshire's people, places, and purpose. Set in the heart of England and filled with pride, compassion and possibility, the video brings to life what it means to work somewhere you truly belong.

At Herefordshire Council, every role matters and every person makes a real difference for our communities. We’re a team where people feel valued, supported and empowered to grow together.

Herefordshire is a beautiful, historic county on the Welsh border, one of England’s most rural and unspoilt areas, with vibrant market towns and a strong sense of community.

Our priority is clear: to keep children safe and give them the best start in life. We do this through passionate, dedicated professionals who build strong relationships with children, families, and partners to make a lasting difference.

It’s an exciting time to join us. We’re investing in our people and our relational practiceapproach, working alongside our improvement partner, Leeds City Council. You’ll be supported by experienced managers, continuous professional development, and a genuine team ethos that values collaboration and care.

If you’re committed to helping children and young people thrive, come and join the journey in Herefordshire - where your work truly matters.

Herefordshire Council Plan

The Council plan sets out how we will make our contribution to achieving a better and more successful Herefordshire, please see the link below to find out more: Herefordshire Council Plan 2024-2028

Reasonable Adjustments

Our recruitment process runs in partnership with Hoople Resourcing. If you require any reasonable adjustments or alternative methods for the online application process, please contact the resourcing team by email: [e-mail].

If you’re shortlisted for interview and require any reasonable adjustments, our Children & Young People Recruitment Team will be happy to support you.

Creating an inclusive workplace

We encourage our employees to feel empowered and to use their voices to help embrace diversity, promote inclusivity and shape our organisation. We have eight employee network groups, collectives of colleagues who often share identities, life experiences or cultures and offer support and community. They also play an important role in strengthening the voices of employees at Herefordshire Council. Embedded in the Council's values is a commitment to listen to people's views and needs.

For more information on our Employee Network Groups please view our dedicated recruitment website: www.spiritofherefordshire.com.

Commitments, Covenants and Statutory Obligations

The following candidates will be interviewed if they meet the essential criteria for the post they are applying for:

• Those who indicate that they have a disability. This is part of our commitment to the "Disability Confident" scheme.
• Those who indicate in their application that they are an Armed Forces Veteran or Reservist. This is part of our pledge to support the Armed Forces Covenant.
• Those who indicate in their application that they are a Herefordshire care leaver. This is part of our commitment to supporting young people leaving our care.

We take our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults seriously and expect all of our staff, visitors and volunteers to share in this commitment.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children & young people and vulnerable adults. If you are offered this position, it will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service enhanced check and further pre-employment checks.