Inclusion Officer

Come and join us on our Restorative Journey of Improvement to gain the best for children and families in Herefordshire
We have an exciting opportunity to join our Early Years SEND Inclusion Service and are looking for four Early Years Inclusion Officers (EYIO) to join our team. These are temporary, 18 month contracts, that are full time positions, at 37 hours., An Early Years Inclusion Officer is an experienced Early Years practitioner who can demonstrate particular experience and knowledge in supporting Early Years children with SEND (Special Education Needs and Disabilities). You will be expected to support and advise Early Years settings to develop their inclusive practice and also the individual needs of EY children with SEND. A knowledge of the SEND Code of Practice 2015 and using play plans is essential. The job of an EYIO require regular visits to settings, supporting groups, attending panels and providing training.

To be a successful candidate you will have had recent experience working in the Early Years, specifically pre-school, and will be able to demonstrate how you have developed your knowledge of strategies to support children with additional needs. You will have a clear understanding of how working with other services to support children brings about the best outcomes for families. Multi - Agency, collaborative working is key to our approach in Early Years SEND.
The Early Years Inclusion Officer will work closely with the Early SEND Manager and Early Years SEND Lead to support Early Years settings across Herefordshire. You will need:

• A level 3 or equivalent qualification in Child Care/ Early Education


• Recent experience of working in a pre-school environment


• Experience supporting early years children with additional needs


• An understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage, the Equality Act (2010) and the SEND Code of Practice (2015)


• Working knowledge of the Graduated Approach


• An understand of safeguarding practices and Keeping Children Safe in Education


• The ability to build strong relationships with early years settings.


• To be a team player with good communication and interpersonal skills


• Keep a well organised caseload and chronologies


• Excel skills would be an advantage for this position
  
  Herefordshire is a beautiful, historic county located in the heart of the Marches on the border with Wales. We are one of the most rural and sparsely populated counties in England with a wealth of unspoilt countryside, distinctive heritage, and lively and attractive market towns.

Our priority in Herefordshire is to keep children safe and give them a great start in life. It's the priority for the council, our partners and for all of us who work with Children & Young People.
How do we do this? By having dynamic, dedicated, passionate and professional staff who work in a culture that focuses on what we can achieve with children, what they can achieve themselves, and the relationship we build with families and partners to enable this. We have invested heavily in training and developing staff in our relational practice approach with our improvement partner Leeds City Council, so it's an exciting time to join Herefordshire - we believe in investing in you so you can be the best you can be!
Herefordshire has a really strong team ethos. Our teams are passionate about the work they do and the positive difference they and the teams they are in make to people's lives. This is all underpinned by the focus and support from their managers and the council as a whole.
We will deliver better support to our most vulnerable children and their families, develop stronger relationships with partners across the region, and beyond.
Therefore, we take our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults seriously and expect all of our staff, visitors and volunteers to share in this commitment.
Come to Herefordshire and join the journey.
Herefordshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children & young people and vulnerable adults. If you are offered this position, it will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service enhanced check and further pre-employment checks.
We welcome applicants whatever their personal characteristics or social identity. All requests for flexible working arrangements and reasonable adjustments will be considered.
The following candidates will be interviewed if they meet the essential criteria for the post they are applying for:

• Those who indicate that they have a disability. This is part of our commitment to the "Disability Confident" scheme;


• Those who indicate in their supporting statement that they are an Armed Forces Veteran or Reservist. This is part of our pledge to support the Armed Forces Covenant; and


• Those who indicate in their supporting statement that they are a Herefordshire care leaver. This is part of our commitment to supporting young people leaving our care.
  
  A competitive salary, generous holiday entitlement, and access to our contributory pension and staff benefits scheme, which includes:


• Pension Scheme Enrolment in the Local Government (LGPS)


• Generous Annual Leave: 31 days (pro rata) plus bank holidays. You can also purchase an additional 10 days per annum


• Flexible working: flexi-time, job-share, part-time hours and, in some instances, home working


• Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 access to support and counselling


• Payment of professional membership fees


• Pick your perks - our benefits include access to a range of retail, leisure, holiday and health benefits. This includes savings, cash back and discounts.