Best Start in Life Senior SEND and Inclusion Practitioner

This is a Gloucestershire County Council job.

• Job Title: Best Start in Life Senior SEND and Inclusion Practitioner
• Job Location: Shire Hall, Block 5, 1st Floor
• Salary: £38,510 - £42,123 per annum
• Hours per Week: 37.00
• Contract Type: Fixed Term
• Duration: Two Years
• Closing Date: 27/09/2026
• Job Requisition Number: 14894
• This post is not open to job share

About The Team & Role

An opportunity has arisen for a Best Start in Life Senior SEND and Inclusion Practitioner within the Early Intervention and Community Team. We are looking to recruit a Senior SEND and Inclusion Practitioner to support the Child Development and SEND Lead and team in supporting the grant funded Best Start in Life programme.

As part of Gloucestershire's Best Start in Life programme, our Best Start SEND and Inclusion Practitioners will help transform the experience of young children with additional needs by embedding inclusive practice, building workforce confidence and supporting early intervention across the early years sector. These roles reflect the Department for Education's vision for a more inclusive early years system where children receive the right support at the right time, families are empowered, and all children have the opportunity to achieve and thrive from the very start of their educational journey.

About You

We are looking for a passionate and experienced early years professional who is committed to improving outcomes for children with additional needs and SEND. You will have a strong understanding of child development, inclusion, and early intervention, alongside experience of working directly with children aged 0–5 and their families.

You will be responsible for providing supervision to a number of the team whilst still maintaining a case load yourself so thorough knowledge of the services we offer is essential, in order to effectively support both the team and the Child Development and SEND Lead.

You will be confident in building positive relationships with parents, practitioners, and multi-agency partners, and able to support, coach, and influence others to improve practice. With excellent communication, organisational, and problem-solving skills, you will be proactive, reflective, and committed to delivering high-quality support that helps children and families thrive.

You will share our commitment to reducing inequalities, promoting inclusion, and ensuring every child has the best possible start in life

About Us

• Hybrid working arrangements are available for many of our roles, giving teams the opportunity to work in a way that suits them, balancing service need and individual choice, with a mix of both remote and office working.
• Joining us could mean access to these great benefits:
• Flexible and agile working opportunities
• 25.5 days annual leave rising to 30.5 days after 5 years continuous service
• An option to purchase 10 days of additional leave per year (pro rata for part-time staff)
• Family friendly employer offering benefits to help support you and your family
• Career development and qualification opportunities
• Supportive and positive working environment with regular, robust supervision
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) that provides free, confidential, counselling and advice for
  employees, available 24 hours a day, online and by telephone.
• An in-house Occupational Health service
• Employee discount scheme
• Cycle to Work scheme (Eligibility criteria and T&Cs apply
• Green Car Salary Sacrifice Scheme (Eligibility criteria and T&Cs apply)
  Links to employee networks such as Prism (LGBT+) network and the Young Employees Network

How to apply

If you feel you have the skills, desire and experience required to make a positive difference then please submit your application and personal statement today by clicking the 'Apply now' button.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Kim Nicholls via email at kimberley.nicholls@gloucestershire.gov.uk

Shortlisted candidates will be contacted via email and invited to interview week commencing 5th October.

Additional Information

To access the Job Profile for this role, please follow the link below:-

Best Start in Life Senior Inclusion Practitioner - Job Profile

This Position is subject to a DBS check.

The council is not currently able to offer sponsorship in this role. Candidates will need to have right to work that enables them to commit to at least 6 months' employment. Right to work is not transferable from a sponsored role held with another employer.

Applications from any Gloucestershire County Council's employees who are currently on the redeployment register or at risk of redundancy will be considered first at shortlisting stage.

Gloucestershire County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people or vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

We want to be an employer of choice, attracting and retaining excellent people to work for us, so that we can best serve all of Gloucestershire’s diverse communities. Our promise to you is that we will provide an inclusive and supportive working environment that enables you to bring your whole self to work and realise your full potential.

It is a legal requirement, under the Immigration Act 2016, that anyone appointed to a ‘customer facing role’ must be able to demonstrate an ability to fulfil all spoken aspects of the role with confidence in fluent English.

Hybrid working arrangements are available for the majority of our roles, giving teams the opportunity to work in a way that suits them, balancing service need and individual choice, with a mix of both remote and office working.