Job Title: Best Start in Life Inclusion Practitioner
Salary: Salary Scale Grade D (£28,598 Per Annum)
Hours of Work: Full time position - 37 hours per week, Monday-Friday 8.30am-4.30pm (occasional evenings and weekends may be required)
Locations: Lark Family Hubs - covering Keyham, Morice Town, Peverell, North Prospect, Weston Mill, Ham, Beacon Park
Job overview
LARK Family Hubs deliver services to families, offering universal and targeted support through group work and one to one intervention. We work with families with children from 0-19 (25 with SEND)
The post holder will work as a part of the team across the two hubs (North Prospect and Morice Town) and be a part of a city wide initiative to deliver services that improve outcomes for families with SEND.
An exciting opportunity has arisen to recruit two new Best Start Inclusion Practitioners with our small local charity commissioned by Plymouth City Council. The Best Start Inclusion Practitioners will provide advice, guidance and support for 0 – 5’s (from birth to school entry), parents and carers, Family Hubs, setting staff and other services to ensure children’s individual and special needs are identified and met.
They will work together closely, alongside other BSIP’s in the city and be based at one of our two Best Start Family Hubs, delivering direct support and strengthening early identification and intervention without relying on diagnosis, complementing existing SEND services.
This role drives the delivery of targeted interventions funded to improve outcomes for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and their families across Plymouth through the Family Hubs. The post holder will be responsible for delivering funded parenting programmes, SEND drop ins, weekly sessions, and inclusion support and activities to meet the needs of local communities with SEND.
Working alongside a small team of family support workers, group facilitators and play leaders you will be responsible for ensuring we offer a varied and inclusive environment for the hundreds of families with children that contribute to our community.
The role will involve applying SEND knowledge and best practise to both hubs to ensure we are offering up to date advice and guidance, support to navigate systems and embed early learning and development opportunities for young people and their families.
Alongside group work and group delivery, there will also be an expectation to work on one to one case work with specific families where more intensive outreach support is needed, and this will be through a range of bespoke one to one interventions and support strategies aimed at empowering families to meet the needs of their children in the best way possible.
As we are a commissioned service, the role will be offered initially as a fixed term, 12 month contract, with a view to extending further based on the needs of the service and funding streams.
Job Responsibilities:
· To be the SEND point of contact to provide direct, flexible support to identify and respond to emerging additional needs of families accessing services
· To work in partnership with parents/carers on behalf of children with individual or special needs by visiting at agreed times, onsite, in the community and within homes
· Support children’s development through coaching and modelling of good practice working alongside Parents/Carers, day-care setting staff, childminders and schools to meet the developmental needs of pre-school children effectively
· Assess, plan and implement individual and group activity programmes that will meet the needs of SEND children
· To lead on, develop and run a series of drop-in sessions, offering information and advice, signposting, interventions and implement a regular step by step session for a cohort of identified families
· To develop and produce quality and bespoke resources and interventions to support and demonstrate appropriate strategies and approaches to Parents/Carers, setting staff, schools or other interested parties
· To train and support individuals and groups within settings, community groups and other services, so as to provide equal opportunities for pre-school children with SEND
· To co-ordinate provision for children with individual and group activity programmes that will meet the needs of the child
· To make the necessary and timely referrals to our partner agencies, to liaise and work collaboratively with staff from Inclusion Support, Children’s services, Early Years Settings, Local Authority Teams, NHS and other services
· Complete and provide written reports and documents where appropriate on all matters concerning the individual needs of children to a consistently high standard to meet statutory and other deadlines
Role requirements
Essential
Full driving licence and use of vehicle for work purposes (including self-funded business insurance)
Level 3 or equivalent NVQ in related field (Early years, child development, SEND)
At least 2 years’ experience working with families and children with SEND in a supportive/ pastoral/social care/ educational role
The ability to support parent’s access to wider services and a knowledge of the local offer for health, education, speech and language, SEND services, VCSO’s
Demonstrate understanding of equal opportunities and inclusion and how they would apply to the post
An in depth working knowledge of special educational needs, including social, emotional, mental health, speech, language and communication, cognition and learning, sensory needs, ASC, ADHD, and Neurodiversity
An ability to think and work independently, and to work as part of a team
Ability and willingness to follow policies, systems and procedures
A good knowledge and understanding or procedures for safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children
Ability to create, deliver and reflect on bespoke sessions of targeted delivery of programs and sessions designed to support families
An effective ability to communicate to initiate and maintain positive and productive relationships with children, parents, colleagues and services, with the ability to adapt appropriately for different audiences to ensure an effective flow of information between them
Experience of working with and knowledge of the range of services which contribute to the achievements and positive outcomes for children and families
Ability to prioritise own workload and meet deadlines whilst under pressure, working in a fast moving and changing environment
Commitment to expanding knowledge and undertaking training
A good level of computer literacy, including word-processing and inputting data
Commitment to providing a flexible service to meet the needs of families including occasional evenings and weekends when required
A proactive and can do attitude
Desirable
A good knowledge and ability to identify the educational, developmental and health needs of children and their families
Ability to carry out assessments and prioritise the needs of families and children
A good knowledge and understanding of the Best Start in Life and Family Hubs agenda
Experience of Early Help and interventions
Experience or training in parenting programs such as Incredible Years, Togetherness, PEEP with a SEND focus
An understanding of Trauma and an ability to adopt a trauma informed approach, using empathy and strengths-based approaches
Experience or training in specific SEND interventions deliverable one to one or in group settings
Job Activities – Standard Terms Common to all Job Descriptions
Candidates must not be included on the DBS Children's Barred List or the DBS Adults' Barred List, or otherwise disqualified or barred from working with children or vulnerable adults
To promote the organisation's Equal Opportunities policies
To promote the organisations quality systems, and diligence of GDPR and data handling
In discharging the duties of the post to have due regard for the provisions of Health & Safety at Work legislation, as detailed in the Health & Safety manual
To undertake such additional duties as required which are commensurate with the grade and responsibilities of the post
To work in a way that is Trauma Informed, holding the values and ethos of Lark in all that you do
Pay: From £28,598.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Company pension
- Free parking
- Health & wellbeing programme
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
Application question(s):
- Do you have a Level 3 Qualification (or above) working with children, young people, SEND, Early years or child development?
- Are you included on the DBS Children's Barred List or the DBS Adults' Barred List, or are you otherwise disqualified or barred from working with children or vulnerable adults?
Licence/Certification:
- Driving Licence (required)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person
