Early Years SEND Inclusion Advisor

Leicestershire County Council; Glenfield; On-site; GBP 44,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Leicestershire County Council is seeking an Early Years SEND Inclusion Advisor to join the Early Years, Inclusion and Childcare Service. You will support children from birth to school entry, ensuring they access high-quality provision and collaborate with health and social care partners.

The role requires Level 6 Early Years qualifications, extensive SEND experience, and strong communication skills. The post offers permanent, full-time or flexible working options with occasional travel to

Qualifications

• Hold a relevant Level 6 qualification in Early Years with evidence of further SEND professional development.
• Significant experience supporting children aged 0-5 with SEND and working with families and multi-agency professionals.
• Strong knowledge of the SEND Code of Practice and the EYFS, with ability to implement effective strategies.
• Well developed organisational skills, with flexibility to travel to appointments and venues.
• Excellent communication, listening and relationship-building skills with parents and carers.
• Ability to promote inclusion by modelling best practice and sharing expertise.
• Ability to motivate and support others while valuing lived experiences.

Responsibilities

• To provide advice, guidance and support to parents and the childcare sector in meeting the special educational needs of early years children
• To support the childcare sector to develop high quality provision
• To embed the principles of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
• Enable providers to embed the principles of SEND code of practice into their practice
• Ensure providers implement the Safeguarding, Welfare, Learning and Development requirements as defined in the statutory duties of the EYFS
• To work collaboratively with other internal local authority and external partners and providers to improve outcomes for children with SEND
• The nature of the work may involve the jobholder carrying out work outside of normal working hours
• The post holder may be required to attend training courses, conferences, seminars or other meetings as required by his/her own training needs and the needs of the service
• An ability and willingness to travel to various locations.

Skills

SEND inclusion

Early Years

Organisational skills

Communication skills

Education

Level 6 Early Years qualification

Job description

Organisation: Leicestershire County Council

Work Location: County Hall, Glenfield, LE3 8RA

Salary: £43,860 - £47,829 (pro-rata for part time) (pay award pending)

Working Hours: 37 hours per week / 28.96 hours per week

Contract Type: Permanent

Closing Date: 21st September 2026

Interview Date(s): 29th/30th September 2026

We have an exciting opportunity for you to join our Early Years, Inclusion and Childcare Service as an Early Years SEND Inclusion Advisor.

About the Role

The post will allow you the opportunity to join and work with a highly skilled, enthusiastic team. We work with children from birth to school entry, children who attend wraparound care and holiday provision who have identified additional needs. You will ensure children have the right support at the right time. Part of your role is to ensure children access the highest quality provision in their local mainstream provision. You will have the opportunity to work in partnership with other services including health and social care.

Key Responsibilities

• To provide advice, guidance and support to parents and the childcare sector in meeting the special educational needs of early years children
• To support the childcare sector to develop high quality provision
• To embed the principles of the of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)
• Enable providers to embed the principles of SEND code of practice into their practice
• Ensure providers implement the Safeguarding, Welfare, Learning and Development requirements as defined in the statutory duties of the EYFS
• To work collaboratively with other internal local authority and external partners and providers to improve outcomes for children with SEND
• The nature of the work may involve the jobholder carrying out work outside of normal working hours
• The post holder may be required to attend, from time to time, training courses, conferences, seminars or other meetings as required by his/her own training needs and the needs of the service
• An ability and willingness to travel to various locations.

If you are passionate about supporting children with additional needs this is the perfect job for you.

An enhanced with barred list DBS check is required for this post.

For information on our approach to the recruitment of ex-offenders, please see our policy statement.

About You

To apply for this post, you must:

• Hold a relevant level 6 qualification in Early Years (e.g. Qualified Early Years Teacher, Early Years Professional) with evidence of further appropriate SEND professional development.
• Significant experience supporting children aged 0-5 with SEND and working in partnership with families and multi-agency professionals.
• Strong knowledge of the SEND Code of Practice and the Early Years Foundation Stage, with the ability to implement effective strategies to support children with additional needs, particularly those with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs.
• Well developed personal organisational skills, with the flexibility and willingness to travel to appointments and a range of venues as required.
• Excellent communication, listening and relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage and support parents/carers during challenging circumstances
• Ability to promote inclusion by modelling best practice, sharing expertise and providing guidance to Early Years settings and schools.
• Ability to motivate and support others while valuing and celebrating lived experiences.

In addition, we also expect you to shareour commitment to our valuesandto delivering accessible and inclusive services which meet the needs of all of our residents. You will be asked to demonstrate your understanding of these commitments as part of the selection process.

Reasonable adjustments will be considered for applicants with a disability. We are a Disability Confident Employer.

Interested in Flexible Working?

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which may include part time working, job sharing, term-time working, flexible start and finish times, and hybrid working, depending on the requirements of the role and the service. If you would like to discuss the possible flexible working options that might be applicable to this role, please contact the person named below.

For more information or an informal discussion,please contact:

Ruth Melluish, Team Manager (Early Years SEND Inclusion Team)

Telephone: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]