Early Years Inclusion Specialist

Staffordshire County Council; Stafford; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

Join Staffordshire County Council as an Early Years Inclusion Specialist on a fixed-term contract. This role involves enhancing early education quality, supporting inclusive practices, and collaborating with various partners to ensure children receive the right support. Flexible working options are available, and the position requires travel across Staffordshire.

Benefits

Supportive working environment

Work-life balance

Opportunities for career development

Qualifications

• Significant experience as a SENCO.
• Excellent communication skills with various key partners.
• Proven experience in supporting inclusive practices.

Responsibilities

• Support and enhance the quality and inclusivity of early education.
• Implement strategies promoting inclusive practices.
• Design and deliver training to key partners.

Skills

Communication

Inclusive Practices

Flexibility

Job description

A further exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Early Years Team on a fixed-term contract.

We have recently reviewed our service due to changing national and local priorities. This has increased our capacity to be more resilient, connected, and capable of achieving our ambition to provide a high-quality service that responds to the unique needs of early years children and their families, ensuring the best start in life for all.

We are a highly experienced and committed team dedicated to improving outcomes for children, working with our partners to ensure that all children in Staffordshire can access their funded entitlements in high-quality, inclusive settings.

As a result of our service review, we have a fixed-term Early Years Inclusion Specialist role available from July 2025 until 20th July 2026. The position will be based at Staffordshire Place One, with travel across Staffordshire according to the needs of the service.

Main Responsibilities

1. Support and enhance the quality and inclusivity of early education and childcare in collaboration with the Early Years Senior Consultants, aiming to improve outcomes for children.
2. Implement strategies and initiatives that promote inclusive practices to effectively meet the needs of all children.
3. Ensure all children have high-quality experiences that enable them to achieve the best possible outcomes.
4. Be adaptable and able to manage change to improve service effectiveness and delivery.
5. Work collaboratively with settings, parents, education, and other partners to ensure children and families receive appropriate support at the right time and facilitate effective transitions to statutory education.
6. Design and deliver training to upskill a range of key partners.
7. Encourage a culture of continuous improvement.

The Ideal Candidate

• Significant experience as a SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator), supporting a wide range of early years services and practitioners.
• Excellent communication skills, capable of working with various key partners.
• Proven experience supporting others and promoting inclusive practices and positive outcomes across early years.
• Ability to manage own workload and work flexibly to meet changing service needs.
• Willingness to travel across the county.
• We’re happy to discuss flexible working options.

Interviews will be held on 16 July 2025 at Staffordshire Place One. For an informal chat about this role, please contact the Improvement and Inclusion Leads at [e-mail] or [e-mail].

Our recruitment process involves anonymising applications during shortlisting to ensure fairness. Please complete your application fully, especially the supporting statement, to highlight your suitability for the role.

About Staffordshire County Council

We are a unique county council with a strong sense of community and ambitious goals for a better future. Our values, shaped by staff feedback and best practices, are central to our People Strategy and organizational culture.

Our benefits include a supportive working environment that promotes work-life balance and opportunities for career development. For more information, visit Our rewards and benefits - Careers at Staffordshire.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults. We are an equal opportunities employer, a Disability Confident employer, and support various initiatives including guaranteed interviews for certain applicants and support for care leavers.

This position is subject to a criminal record check from the Disclosure and Barring Service. Applicants must disclose any relevant criminal history as required.