BEST Start Inclusion Practitioner

Northumberland County Council Jobs; North East; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Annual leave 26 days rising to 31

LGPS pension

Flexi working

Job summary

Northumberland County Council is recruiting a Best Start Inclusion Practitioner to work across Family Hubs in Northumberland. The role is permanent, full-time, Band 5, salary £29,542–£32,046.

You will support babies and 0-5s and families, promote inclusion, provide home visits and group sessions, liaising with health and Early Years teams, with DBS clearance and driving licence required.

Qualifications

• Relevant Level 3 qualification in Early Years or related field.
• Full driving licence and access to a vehicle for work.
• Enhanced DBS clearance.
• Ability to travel within a Northumberland locality.

Responsibilities

• Support babies and young children aged 0-5 years and their families to identify needs early.
• Promote inclusion and ensure children receive the right support at the right time.
• Deliver home visits and group Family Hub sessions for parents.
• Liaise with health professionals and Early Years teams to coordinate support.

Skills

Group work with parents

Building relationships

Understanding child development

Safeguarding and inclusion

Collaboration with health/education

Education

Level 3 qualification in Early Years/Child Development/Education/Health/SEND or related field

Job description

Best Start Inclusion Practitioner Permanent | Full time | NCC Band 5 £29,542 - £32,046 Located across various Best Start Family Hubs across Northumberland

Every child deserves the best start in life. Could you help make that happen? We are looking for an enthusiastic, compassionate, and committed practitioner who believes in the power of prevention and early intervention to join our growing Family Hubs Team. As a Best Start Inclusion Practitioner, you will support babies and young children aged 0-5 Years, their families, and early years providers to identify needs early, promote inclusion, and ensure children receive the right support at the right time. The role may also include working with older children with emerging needs or identified SEND up to 19 years (25 SEND). Your work will make a real difference to children's development, school readiness, wellbeing and future opportunities. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a service that supports families from the earliest years, building confidence, reducing barriers, and ensuring every child can reach their full potential.

What makes this role special?

No two days are the same. One day you might be supporting a parent to better understand their child's development through a home visit. The next, you could be delivering an engaging group Family Hub session, liaising with health professionals, and working closely with Early Years team. You'll become a trusted person for families, helping them navigate support services and equipping them with the skills, confidence and knowledge they need to achieve positive outcomes for their children.

We would love to hear from you if you are:

• Passionate about improving outcomes for children and families
• Experienced in working with children, families or within an early years, education, health or SEND setting
• Experienced in delivering group work with parents
• Skilled at building positive relationships and engaging families who may need extra support
• Curious, solution-focused and committed to inclusion
• A team player who enjoys working collaboratively with partners across health, education and family support services
• Someone who sees the strengths in families and supports them to build on those strengths every day

What you'll bring

You’ll bring experience of supporting children and families, alongside an understanding of child development, safeguarding and inclusive practice. Knowledge of SEND, the Early Years Foundation Stage and multi-agency working would be highly beneficial. Most importantly, you’ll bring warmth, empathy and a genuine desire to make a positive difference.

The qualities we're looking for

• Builds strong, trusting relationships
• Shows empathy and emotional intelligence
• Values difference and promotes inclusion
• Remains resilient when facing challenges
• Works authentically and collaboratively with families and professionals alike

What you'll get from us

In return, you’ll join a supportive and ambitious service committed to giving children the best start in life. We offer:

• Meaningful and rewarding work that changes lives
• A supportive team culture and professional supervision
• Opportunities for learning, development and career progression
• Flexible and innovative ways of working
• The chance to shape and influence inclusive early years practice across Northumberland.
• A competitive annual leave package of 26 days plus bank holidays, rising to 31 after 5 years continuous service
• Automatic enrolment into the Local Government Pension Scheme
• Flexi working scheme

Essential Requirements

• Relevant Level 3 qualification in Early Years, Child Development, Education, Health, SEND or a related field.
• Full driving license and access to a vehicle for work purposes.
• Ability to travel within a locality area in Northumberland.
• Enhanced DBS clearance.

Join us and help ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive from the very beginning. Your support today could change a child's tomorrow.

Northumberland County Council’s (NCC) vision is ‘Land of Great Opportunities’, for current and future generations.

We believe there is no better place to live and work.

We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. We operate a guaranteed interview scheme for disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria.