Early Years Senior SEND Inclusion Advisor

Leicestershire County Council; Glenfield; On-site; GBP 49,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

Leicestershire County Council is looking for a Senior Early Years SEND Inclusion Advisor to drive high‑quality inclusive provision for young children with SEND. You will lead a skilled team, advise providers and families, and work with health, social care and local authority colleagues to identify and meet needs.

The role requires in‑depth knowledge of the SEND Code of Practice and EYFS, and a commitment to trauma‑informed, inclusive practice with travel across locations.

Qualifications

• Hold a relevant level 6 qualification in Early Years (e.g. QETY or similar) with evidence of SEND development.
• Outstanding early years practice in the pre-school sector or in school with SEND experience, partnering with families and multi‑agency professionals.
• Strong knowledge of SEND Code of Practice and EYFS; implement effective strategies for children with SEND, including SEMH needs.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee the implementation of the Early Years SEND Code of Practice across the childcare sector.
• Coordinate the work of Early Years SEND Inclusion Advisors and Experts at Hand Advisors.
• Provide guidance to providers, families, schools and professionals to identify and meet children's needs; travel to various locations.

Skills

SEND expertise

Early years practice

Multi-agency collaboration

Travel flexibility

Observation & evaluation

Communication & listening

Education

Level 6 Early Years qualification

Job description

Job Description

Organisation: Leicestershire County Council

Work Location: County Hall, Glenfield, LE3 8RA

Salary: £49,221 - £53,826 per annum (pro-rata for part time)

Working Hours: 37 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 a Senior Early Years SEND Inclusion Advisor. If you are passionate about supporting children with additional needs this is the perfect job for you.

About the Role

Join a welcoming and supportive team that is passionate about improving outcomes for children and families across Leicestershire.

The work can be challenging, but it is incredibly rewarding. Every day brings opportunities to make a positive difference to children, families and communities. We encourage creativity, solution-focused practice and partnership working, all within a trauma-informed, compassionate environment built on trust, respect and empathy.

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.

This role leads and oversees the implementation of the Early Years SEND Code of Practice across the childcare sector, ensuring high-quality inclusive provision for young children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The postholder manages and coordinates the work of Early Years SEND Inclusion Advisors and Experts at Hand Advisors, supporting providers, families, schools, and professionals to identify and meet children's needs. Working closely with local authority teams and external partners, they provide advice, guidance, and safeguarding support, help reduce the risk of exclusions, and ensure the local authority meets its statutory and non-statutory responsibilities. The role also requires attendance at relevant training and meetings, along with travel to various locations.

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

• 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.
• Outstanding early years practice in the pre-school sector or a school with substantial experience supporting children with SEND, 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 to coordinate a range of projects, including monitoring and evaluating, with the flexibility and willingness to travel to appointments and a range of venues as required.
• Experience of observing and evaluating teaching and learning, providing constructive feedback to drive SEND improvement, and building effective relationships with staff and parents/carers through strong communication and listening skills, including in challenging situations.
• Ability to promote inclusion by modelling best practice, sharing expertise and providing guidance to Early Years settings and schools.

In addition, we also expect you to share our commitment to our values and to 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]

About Us

About Leicestershire County Council

At Leicestershire County Council, we're committed to making a real difference in people's lives. Our aim is to work with communities and partners to deliver public services that make Leicestershire the best possible place to live and work for everyone.

Our employees play a key role in supporting this goal and helping us deliver the vital services we provide to the people of Leicestershire. Whether you're starting your career or looking for your next challenge, you'll find a place with us where your ideas are valued, and your work has purpose.

For further information on what it's like to work for us and the benefits we offer, please refer to the following:

Our Recruitment Process

Our Organisational Values

Our Employee Benefits

Working for Us