Early Years SENDCO

Job Description

Early Years Area SENDCo (x4.5) | 11440 | Permanent Contract | 37 hours per week (part-time considered) | £54,661 to £59,360 per annum, pro rata | Soulbury 8-11 | Norfolk, with hybrid working arrangements and regular travel across an agreed area

Help shape a new Early Years SEND and inclusion offer for Norfolk

Join us at an important point in the development of SEND and inclusion support for Norfolk’s youngest children. We are creating new Early Years Area SENDCo posts to bring expert, practical support closer to early years settings through the SEND and Inclusion Support Model (SISM).

Working across a defined geographical area, you will be at the forefront of this developing offer. As one of the first postholders, you will act as a vanguard for extending the SEND and Inclusion Support Model into early years: building strong relationships with providers, families, schools and partner services; testing and embedding effective ways of working; and using what you learn to help shape the service and its future development.

Guided by Norfolk’s FLOURISH ambition, we want children to be identified and supported earlier, experience consistently inclusive practice and move confidently from early years provision into Reception and through to the end of Year 1. These roles will help make that ambition real by strengthening capability in settings and ensuring support is responsive, joined up and locally delivered.

The opportunity
As an Early Years Area SENDCo, you will provide expert advice, support and constructive challenge to private, voluntary and independent providers, childminders, maintained and school-based nurseries and schools within your area. You will help settings identify and meet children’s needs earlier and more consistently, strengthen the graduated approach and embed inclusive universal and targeted practice.

You will develop trusted professional relationships with early years leaders and practitioners, combining hands-on consultation with area-wide improvement activity. You will support SENDCo networks and workforce development, help providers navigate local pathways and specialist advice, and promote effective co-production with parents and carers. A central part of the role will be improving continuity as children move between settings and into school, ensuring needs, provision and reasonable adjustments are understood and planned for.

This is an influential practice-facing role. You will draw together provider feedback, service data, review activity and professional judgement to identify themes, risks and inequalities, recommend improvements and demonstrate impact. Because the offer is new, you will have genuine scope to influence its standards, priorities, tools and ways of working.

What you will do

• Provide expert advice, support and challenge to early years providers and nurseries, helping them identify needs early and implement effective, inclusive provision.
• Act as a vanguard for the early years development of the SEND and Inclusion Support Model, helping to test, refine and embed the offer across Norfolk.
• Coordinate and strengthen Early Years SENDCo networks, training and communities of practice, building practitioner confidence and capability.
• Support effective transitions from early years provision into Reception and through to the end of Year 1, promoting continuity for children and families.
• Provide consultation on emerging, complex or overlapping needs and help settings navigate local pathways, specialist advice, referrals and escalation routes.
• Use data, feedback, quality assurance and professional insight to evaluate impact, identify gaps or inequalities and shape area and service-level improvement.

Who we are looking for
We are looking for an experienced early years, education, SEND or inclusion professional with substantial teaching experience and a track record of improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND. You will hold Qualified Teacher Status or an equivalent recognised teaching qualification. An Early Years SENDCo, leadership, advisory or specialist qualification would be desirable.

You will bring:

• Strong knowledge of child development, SEND, inclusion and effective early years practice.
• Experience of supporting improvement, developing practitioners or providing professional advice and challenge.
• The ability to build trusted relationships and work effectively across organisational and professional boundaries.
• Sound judgement when considering safeguarding, statutory responsibilities, complex needs and competing priorities.
• Experience of transition planning between early years provision and school.
• The ability to use evidence, feedback and data to identify priorities, evaluate impact and recommend improvement.

Why join us?
This is a rare opportunity to join a new locality-based team and directly influence how early SEND and inclusion support develops across Norfolk. You will help create an offer that is practical for settings, trusted by families and focused on better experiences and outcomes for children. If you are motivated by early intervention, inclusive practice and the opportunity to turn learning into lasting service improvement, we would be pleased to hear from you.

These posts involve regulated activity and regular contact with children and families. Appointment is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check, including the children’s barred list where applicable, in line with County Council policy.

Before you apply, we recommend reading the full Job Description and Person Specification to help you demonstrate you meet the criteria.

If you have any questions or would like further information please contact, Lucy Oldman, Senior Adviser Inclusion, via [email removed] 

These are some benefits you can enjoy by working for Norfolk County Council:

• Competitive salary
• Generous holiday entitlement 
• Health and Wellbeing services including fast-track physiotherapy and a free counselling service
• Flexible working opportunities including flexi-time, part time, remote and hybrid working – dependant on your job role and business need.
• Financial benefits such as:
  • ‘Norfolk Rewards’ our employee discounts programme which helps you save money on almost anything, from everyday groceries and clothes, to holidays, new technology, gym membership, trips to the cinema and days out.  
  • A Blue Light card for Fire Service and Social Care Workers
  • Relocation expenses (where applicable)
  • An advance of your expenses if you travel for work
  • Local Government Pension Scheme with generous employer contribution, life assurance, death in service payments and dependants’ pensions.

  • Tax efficient ways of getting extra pension and new bikes

  • Access to our tax efficient car lease scheme for greener travel enabling you to lease a brand new, ultra-low emission vehicle (subject to eligibility)

  • A payment if you refer someone you know to a hard to fill job

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