SEND Support and Inclusion Fund Practitioner - Early Years (Dartford)

Kent County Council; Dartford; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a passionate SEND Support and Inclusion Fund Practitioner to join a dedicated team in Dartford. This role focuses on supporting children with Special Educational Needs in Early Years settings, collaborating with various professionals to ensure effective educational strategies. Ideal candidates will have a strong background in childcare, excellent communication skills, and a commitment to enhancing the learning experiences of children with SEND. Join a supportive environment where your contributions will make a real difference in shaping the future of Early Years education.

Benefits

Local Government Pension Scheme

Staff Discounts through Kent Rewards

Access to Staff Support Groups

Qualifications

• Experience working with young children with complex Special Educational Needs.
• Thorough knowledge of child development and SEN Code of Practice.

Responsibilities

• Support educational development of children with SEND in Early Years.
• Deliver training and advice to Early Years Providers.

Skills

Child Development Knowledge

Experience with SEND

Communication Skills

Organizational Skills

Report Writing

Education

NVQ Level 3 in Childcare

Maths and English Grade 4-9 or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Job description

SEND Support and Inclusion Fund Practitioner - Early Years (Dartford)

Role Responsibility

Term Time Only 39 weeks per year - Monday to Friday, 37 hours per week

Do you have a passion for supporting early years children with Special Educational Needs? Do you want to help shape the future of Early Years Education?

The SEND Support & Inclusion Practitioner team (previously SENIF Practitioner team) are experienced Early Years professionals who work alongside Kent’s maintained, PVI pre-school settings and childminders, modelling and coaching practitioners to develop confidence in supporting children with a range of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) within mainstream Early Years Provisions.

The role involves daily travel to Early Years Provisions located predominantly across the Dartford district. On occasions there may be a requirement to undertake visits further afield.

If this sounds interesting, then this role could be for you. We are looking for a SEND Support & Inclusion Fund Practitioner to join our friendly and supportive county-wide team.

As part of this role you will:

- Work collaboratively with Early Years Providers to support the educational development of individual children or groups of children with SEND.

- Develop and share targets and strategies to enable Early Years Providers to meet the educational needs of children with SEND and support children’s development.

- Deliver advice, focused interventions and bespoke advice to Early Years Providers.

- Support Early Years Providers to implement recommendations and review progress.

- Write reports to be shared with Early Years Providers, families and other professionals.

- Liaise with a range of professionals to support identified children with SEND to have their needs met within an Early Years Provision.

- Work closely with a range of professionals delivering integrated support for children in Early Years Provisions who have a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

- Deliver and support training as required.

- Attend meetings and training in locations across Kent.

You will need to:

- Be educated to NVQ level 3 in childcare or equivalent appropriate qualification.

- Hold Maths and English Grade 4 to 9 or GCSE Grade C or above (or equivalent).

- Have experience of working with young children with different and complex Special Educational Needs in an Early Years Provision.

- Have a thorough knowledge of child development.

- Evidence relevant Early Years SENCo experience or in an Early Years Provision.

- Have an understanding of the SEN Code of Practice 2014.

- Have a working knowledge of Microsoft Applications including Outlook, Word and Excel.

- Be organised and able to manage your time and diary effectively.

Within your application, please demonstrate how you meet the criteria within the Person Specification attached to the Job Description.

The interviews are scheduled for Tuesday, 10th June 2025 which includes a presentation, the title of which will be shared once candidates have been shortlisted.

This role is subject toa Full UK Driving Licence – The Council is committed to making reasonable adjustments so whilst this job requires the jobholder to drive your application will still be considered if you are unable to drive due to a disability.

This post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure Application to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

This post is considered by KCC to be a customer-facing position. The Council therefore has a statutory duty under Part 7 of the Immigration Act (2016) to ensure that post holders have a command of spoken English/Welsh sufficient for the effective performance of the job requirements. The appropriate standards are set out in the Job Description/Person Specification.

Working for KCC you will have:

- An option to enrol in the Local Government Pension scheme with KCC contributions.

- Staff discounts on a range of leisure products and services through our Kent Rewards programme

- Access to a range of KCC staff groups providing support and development opportunities to staff across our diverse workforce

For further information contact: Debbie James - 03000 418862

About the Company

Work that works for you and us - let's talk flexibility!

KCC is committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the county's working residents, encouraging applications from people of all ages, abilities, genders, sexual orientations, ethnic backgrounds, faiths and those with caring responsibilities, and aspires to create an inclusive workplace where everyone can be themselves at work.

Please note - if you are interested, please apply soon as possible as the closing date for this advert may be earlier than stated should a number of suitably qualified candidates apply.