Early Years SEND and Inclusion Officer
Please apply online via the link provided.
Please note, we do not accept CVs submitted without a fully completed online application form.
We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Early Years SEND and Inclusion Officer.
At Bracknell Forest, we pride ourselves on being a council which is stable and well-managed where our employees can thrive in a supportive environment. We understand the importance of a healthy work-life balance and offer a variety of flexible working practices, including options for remote working and arrangements that allow you to work from home, dependent on the needs of the service.
About you...
As an Early Years SEND and Inclusion Officer, you will be a forward-thinking and dedicated professional, committed to making a meaningful difference. You will champion inclusive practices with respect, adaptability, and resilience at the heart of everything you do.
You will have substantial experience of working with children aged 0-5 with SEND and knowledge of interventions and strategies to support their development.
As an Early Years SEND and Inclusion Officer, you will work in partnership with parents and other professionals across a variety of organisations.
The role is based at the Child Development Centre in Bracknell.
About the team...
It is an exciting time to join Bracknell Forest as we continue to invest in our SEND and specialist support service.
Bracknell Forest believe that every child and young person should have access to high quality education, with the right support at the right time, so that they can achieve the best outcomes possible as adults. Our purpose is to support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities to achieve their outcomes so that they can live their best lives.
We are committed to working with our partners to develop processes around co-production and ensure this is embedded in everything that we do. We produce strategies that lead to co-delivery of services, making the best use of resources available for children and young people with SEND.
We are a small but growing team who work closely together to ensure we deliver the best support to families of children and young people with SEND. Sometimes the work is challenging, however, our creative and solution-focused approach means the work is highly rewarding. Many team members have worked in the SEND Service for several years while others are new to the service.
You will be joining a friendly and supportive team who share a passion for enabling vulnerable children and young people the best opportunities to achieve great outcomes and secure futures.
Every day is different.
What our families say about us.
Fantastic speaking with you earlier, I feel so relieved we have finally found help!.
Just want to thank you for the 12 weeks sessions that you have supported B. I feel that both B and myself are in a better place to deal with the next steps of what's to come.
Thank you for all your help with S since I have met you I feel supported and confident in S’s progress and that everything is going to be ok.
Key responsibilities...
- To offer a range of services, training and interventions to children, families and early years practitioners to support the development of children (aged 0-5 years) with SEND.
- Manage a caseload of early years settings, children and families, adjusting support to meet individual need. Arranging and/or facilitating child focused meetings, undertaking and or supporting requests for Inclusion Funding and/or Education, Health and Care needs assessments (EHCPs).
- Offer specialist advice and knowledge to early years providers and work alongside practitioners modelling effective strategies to aid inclusion and smooth transition of children with additional needs and that legislative requirements in relation to SEN are understood and implemented effectively.
Our benefits...
- 28 days* annual leave increasing to 33 days* after 3 years’ continuous service.
- The opportunity to buy up to 10 additional days* annual leave per year and sell 5 days.
- Hybrid working opportunities to support your wellbeing and work-life balance.
- Electric vehicle salary sacrifice for an electric car at a fixed monthly cost (subject to eligibility).
- An inclusive and social working environment with a variety of staff networks.
- Local government pension scheme.
- Life insurance cover (linked to the pension scheme)
- Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and fostering leave.
- Recognition of continuous service attained within the NHS and UKHSA when calculating some benefits such as annual leave entitlements, occupational maternity/paternity leave, and more. (Terms and Conditions apply – please refer to candidate pack for more information.)
- Career development through internal and external training opportunities.
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support your health and wellbeing.
- A great office location close to shops and free parking
- Sports and Social Club.
- Staff dental and health plans.
- Discounted leisure centre and gym membership.
- Supermarket discount.
(* pro rata for part-time)
Our values...
At Bracknell Forest Council our values define who we are and what is important to us. Our core values are inclusive, ambitious, and always learning. These values influence the way we work with each other and the way we serve our residents and engage with our communities. We make our values real by demonstrating them in how we behave every day. If you are excited about joining a diverse team that celebrates learning and strives for excellence, we would love to hear from you.
Reasonable adjustments...
We are committed to ensuring an inclusive recruitment process for all applicants. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support your application or interview, please let us know by contacting recruitment@bracknell-forest.gov.uk. We will work with you to support you throughout the process.
Interview date
Interviews will be held on Friday 8th August.
Interviews will be conducted in person, providing candidates with the chance to personally meet the team, some of our families and experience our work environment.
We will be reviewing applications regularly and reserve the right to close the advert early if suitable candidates are identified. To avoid disappointment, you are advised to submit your application as soon as possible.
Please note AI is prohibited during the interview, any candidate using AI will be withdrawn from consideration.
Want to ask us a question?
For an informal discussion or to ask any questions about this role, please contact:
Donna Campbell, Early Years SEND and Inclusion Manager
Tel.: 01344 354176
Email: donna.campbell@bracknell-forest.gov.uk
or
Cherry Hall, Head of Early Years and Childcare
Tel.: 01344 352811
Email: cherry.hall@bracknell-forest.gov.uk
At Bracknell Forest we champion equality, diversity and inclusion. At Bracknell Forest Council, we are always learning, ambitious and inclusive. Please see our candidate pack for more details.
Bracknell Forest Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect everyone employed with us to share this commitment. All successful candidates for this role will be subject to a DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) check as part of our pre-employment checks process.
We can only accept applications from candidates currently residing in the UK.
Candidates currently residing in the UK who require sponsorship to work are encouraged to assess their eligibility for a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) based on the relevant criteria. Please be aware that sponsorship availability varies and is subject to eligibility requirements and budget limitations. As a result, we cannot guarantee sponsorship for all roles and will evaluate sponsorship requests on a case-by-case basis.
No agencies please.
Salary range
- £36,904 - £41,182 per year