Early Years Inclusion Project Lead

London Borough of Hillingdon; Greater London; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible Working Hours

36 Hour Week

Generous Holiday Entitlement

Cycle to Work

Travel Support

Local Government Pension Scheme

Job summary

London Borough of Hillingdon is seeking an Early Years Inclusion Project Lead to drive change across the borough, aligning services to support children with SEND from the start of their education journey. You’ll unite providers, health, and SEND professionals, using data to target improvements and ensure every child can thrive.

The role focuses on building partnerships, shaping service responses, and delivering sustained improvements for children, families and early years settings.

Qualifications

• Experience leading high‑profile inclusion projects.
• Ability to use data and evidence to drive improvement.
• Experience working with early years providers, health and SEND professionals.
• Commitment to inclusion and improving life chances.

Responsibilities

• Lead high‑profile projects to improve inclusion across the borough.
• Influence strategy and shape responses to SEND needs.
• Collaborate with education, health and family services.
• Use insight to deliver sustainable improvements for children and families.

Skills

Project leadership

Data analysis

Stakeholder engagement

Communication

Early years

Education

Degree in Education

SEND / Children’s Services background

Tools

MS Office

Data tools

Job description

Do you want to shape the future of early years inclusion?

About the role

This is an exciting opportunity to lead change across Hillingdon and make a lasting difference to the lives of young children with SEND and their families.

As our Early Years Inclusion Project Lead, you'll bring people together, use data to drive improvement, and influence how services support children from the very start of their education journey. From working with early years providers and Family Hubs to collaborating with health and SEND professionals, you'll play a key role in ensuring every child has the opportunity to thrive.

What makes this role special?

• Lead high-profile projects that improve inclusion across the borough.
• Influence strategy and shape how services respond to the needs of children with SEND.
• Work alongside passionate professionals across education, health and family services.
• Use insight and innovation to create sustainable improvements for children, families and settings.
• Be part of a service committed to early intervention, inclusion and improving life chances.

About You

• Are passionate about inclusion and improving outcomes for children.
• Enjoy leading projects and turning ideas into meaningful change.
• Can build strong relationships and bring partners together around a shared vision.
• Use data and evidence to identify solutions and drive improvement.
• Have experience within Early Years, SEND, Education, Health or Children's Services.

If you're ambitious, collaborative and motivated by making a real difference, we'd love to hear from you.

About us

We value our employees and are committed to ensuring that they enjoy a fulfilling and rewarding career with us. We understand that a happy and motivated workforce is essential for the success of our organisation. That is why we offer a wide range of employee benefits to enhance your work-life balance, financial wellbeing, health, and professional development.

Benefits

• Flexible Working Hours – We recognise the importance of flexibility in managing your work and personal life.
• 36 Hour Week – Enjoy a standard 36-hour workweek for all full time staff.
• Generous Holiday Entitlement – increasing with length of service (for non-casual roles).
• Hillingdon Sports & Leisure – Stay active and healthy with discounts at council owned leisure centres and swimming pools across the borough.
• Salary Sacrifice Schemes – option to join schemes for cycle purchase, electric vehicle leasing and additional voluntary pension contributions (subject to scheme rules).
• Cycle to Work – Eco-friendly commuting with our cycle purchase scheme. We also provide bicycle parking, lockers, and showers at the Civic Centre.
• Local Government Pension Scheme – access to Local Government Pension Scheme and membership to the Credit Union.
• Perkbox Benefits – Access a variety of offers and discounts through our Perkbox Benefits.
• Mental Health Support and Counselling Services – Our mental health first aiders are trained to identify, understand, and help employees experiencing mental health issues. Access free 24-hour confidential advice and counselling as well as a legal advice service for you and your immediate family.
• Travel Support – Make your daily commute easier with our season ticket loans and free car parking.
• Trade Union Membership – The Council recognises UNISON, Unite, AEP and GMB and supports employees' freedom of choice in relation to trade union membership.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Statement

At the London Borough of Hillingdon, we are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace. This commitment means that all employees, job applicants and others who work for us will be treated fairly.

The aim is for our workforce to be representative of all sections of society and Hillingdon residents so we welcome applicants from a wide variety of backgrounds. We strive to ensure that our recruitment process is free from discrimination and bias, and we are dedicated to providing reasonable adjustments to applicants with disabilities.

Join us in building a workplace where everyone feels respected, able to give their best and be themselves at work, whilst contributing meaningfully to our organisation's success.

Recruitment Information

Hillingdon Council operates a guaranteed interview scheme for candidates with disabilities that meet the essential criteria for the role and wish to be considered under this scheme. We believe in the option to choose, so candidates declaring a disability have the choice to opt in for consideration under this scheme, on a ‘per application’ basis.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable groups and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Some posts are subject to The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2019 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

In addition to verifying Right to Work in the UK and a new starter health questionnaire, the post is subject tothe following pre-employment screening:

• Enhanced DBS Check
• 5 years of Referencing

Please note: Priority will be given to those at risk of redundancy within Hillingdon Council. Current employees who are part of the redeployment pool must meet the essential criteria for shortlisting to be prioritised.

It may be necessary due to a high volume of applications to close this role early. We therefore recommend you apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.