Senior Early Years Inclusion Advisor (Expert in Hand)

Leicestershire County Council; Glenfield; On-site; GBP 51,000 - 56,000; Full time

Job summary

Leicestershire County Council is seeking a Senior Early Years SEND Inclusion Advisor to lead the EY SEND Code of Practice across childcare, coordinate staff, and provide specialist advice to providers and schools.

You will work with parents, schools and partner agencies to ensure effective SEND provision, safeguarding, and inclusion, with travel across the county as required. The role is fixed-term until 31 March 2029 and requires an enhanced DBS.

Qualifications

• Must have Level 6 qualification in Early Years with SEND development.
• Extensive experience supporting children with SEND in EY settings or schools.
• Strong knowledge of SEND Code of Practice and EYFS implementation.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery of the Early Years SEND Code of Practice across childcare.
• Coordinate Early Years SEND staff to provide high-quality inclusive support.
• Provide specialist advice to providers and schools; promote early ID and intervention.
• Collaborate with health and social care partners to support families.
• Promote safeguarding and Family Help initiatives; support service development.

Skills

Communication skills

Organisational skills

Multi-agency collaboration

Observation & feedback

Inclusion champion

Travel flexibility

Education

Level 6 Early Years qualification

SEND professional development

Job description

Job Description

Organisation: Leicestershire County Council

Work Location: County Hall, Glenfield, LE3 8RA

Salary: £50,847 - £55,602 Per annum (pro rata for part-time)

Working Hours: 37 hours per week

Contract Type: Fixed term until 31 March 2029

Closing Date: 28th September 2026

Interview Date(s): 7th/8th October 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.

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 inclusive provision in their local mainstream provision. You will have the opportunity to work in partnership with other services including health and social care.

The post holder will lead the delivery of the Early Years SEND Code of Practice across the childcare sector, managing and coordinating Early Years SEND staff to ensure high-quality, inclusive support for children with SEND and their families. They will provide specialist advice and targeted support to early years providers and schools, promoting early identification, intervention and inclusion while reducing the risk of exclusion and unnecessary escalation to statutory processes.

Working closely with parents, providers, schools and partner agencies, the post holder will ensure effective SEND provision, contribute to service improvement and workforce development, promote safeguarding and Family Help initiatives, and ensure practice remains aligned with statutory guidance, local priorities and council values. The role requires travel across the county and attendance at training and professional development activities as required.

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

• 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 (particularly those who are developmentally young), 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.
• Commitment to inclusive practice, with the ability to motivate and support others while valuing and celebrating lived experiences.

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