6x Full Time (37 hours), Permanent across Bristol's Family Hub localities
Help us transform support for children with additional needs in Bristol.
Are you passionate about inclusion and making a real difference for children and families
Bristol City Council is recruiting Best Start Inclusion Practitioners to join our expanding Best Start Family Hubs offer across the city.
Bristol continues to develop its Best Start Family Hubs offer, ensuring babies, young children and families can access the right help, at the right time, in the right place. As part of this work, we are recruiting a team of Best Start Inclusion Practitioners across our three Family Hub localities.
These nationally recognised roles are central to the Government's Family Hubs vision and offer a unique opportunity to help shape a new service, strengthen inclusive practice across the city and make a lasting difference for children and families.
Early identification and support can have a significant impact on children's development, wellbeing and future outcomes. Best Start Inclusion Practitioners provide early, flexible and responsive support for children with emerging developmental, SEND or additional needs, ensuring families can access help without waiting for a diagnosis.
Working through Family Hubs and in partnership with early years settings, schools, health services and SEND partners, you will:
- Work directly with children aged 0–5 and their families through Family Hubs, outreach locations and home visits, delivering both one-to-one support and group activities.
- Provide practical advice, guidance and short-term interventions for children with emerging developmental, SEND or additional needs.
- Support families to understand their child's development and confidently access the right services and support.
- Work alongside health visitors, speech and language therapists, early years settings, schools, SEND services and other key partners to promote early identification and intervention.
- Champion inclusive practice across Family Hubs and help develop the confidence and skills of the wider workforce.
- Contribute to Bristol's wider SEND improvement and Family Hub development programmes.
We're looking for people who are passionate about inclusion and committed to improving outcomes for children and families.
You will have experience of working with children with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their families, together with:
- Strong knowledge of child development, including language, communication and social-emotional development.
- Experience of assessing need and delivering targeted interventions with children and families.
- Excellent partnership-working skills and experience of multi-agency working.
- A commitment to empowering families and ensuring they can access support at the earliest opportunity.
Please note that this role is subject to an Enhanced DBS Check.
Why Bristol City Council?
At Bristol City Council, we go that extra mile for our people; we offer a work environment which is fast moving and supportive, giving you the chance to use your skills and develop new ones within a high-profile organisation. For the majority of our roles hybrid working arrangements are available, giving teams the opportunity to work in a way that suits them, balancing service need and individual choice - mixing both home and office working.
Join us and you’ll receive an excellent rewards package including flexible working and flexitime, membership of the Local Government Pension scheme, and a generous annual leave allowance. In addition, you’ll be working in a supportive environment where you’ll have the chance to make Bristol a better place and contribute to its future.
How do I apply?
If you share our values and are ready to be part of our exciting journey please select the apply button below.
To be shortlisted for interview you’ll need to demonstrate how you meet each of the essential criteria in the Person Specification within the Further Information section of your application. On occasion we will receive high numbers of applications, we may then shortlist against the desirable criteria along with the essential criteria, so if you can, please demonstrate how you meet this in your application.
We're a Disability Confident employer which means we value recruiting and retaining disabled people. Any job applicants who consider themselves to be disabled and meet the essential criteria in the Person Specification are guaranteed an interview. We'll make reasonable adjustments throughout the interview process and provide continued workplace support throughout your career.
For further information, please refer to the Job Description and Person Specification or alternatively, please contact Lucy Hudd [email protected]
If you are ready to help shape an innovative new service and support Bristol's children and families to achieve the best possible start in life, we'd love to hear from you.
At Bristol City Council, we value having a workforce as diverse as the city we serve. We therefore welcome, develop and promote people from all sections of the community. Appointments will be made on merit.
The personal information section (including your name) you’ll complete as part of the application form will not be visible to hiring managers, but is used confidentially to make sure that everyone is treated fairly.
