Job Introduction
Job Title: Childcare Inclusion Officer
Team: Early Years Service
Starting Salary: £31,537 progressing to £34,434 per annum - Pay award pending
Hours: 37 Per Week
Location: Stevenage
Contract Type: Permanent
Directorate: Children's Services
About the team
This is an excellent opportunity to join the Early Years Service within Children’s Services as the service’s childcare inclusion officer. In this full-time role, you will help ensure that all eligible children can access the childcare they need. Working with families and early years providers, you will build positive relationships and support smooth transitions into childcare. The service works closely with schools, early years providers, partners and colleagues across the council to support the effective delivery of early education and childcare entitlements for Hertfordshire residents.
About the role
Under the Childcare Act 2006, the local authority has statutory duties to secure sufficient childcare and provide information, advice and support to parents. Childcare brokerage is one way the authority helps families, particularly those needing additional support, to access suitable childcare. The role will support families of children with SEND to find and access childcare that meets their needs. This may include meeting families to understand their circumstances and concerns, working with settings to identify suitable provision, and acting as a link between parents and providers to build positive relationships.
The childcare inclusion officer may also accompany parents on visits to settings to help support a smooth transition .A key part of the role is building strong partnerships with early years providers and engaging with the range of practitioners who support the family.
The postholder will also work closely with Best Start Inclusion Practitioners at Best Start Family Hubs and Family Centres. They will build and maintain strong working relationships and ensure up-to-date information about early education and childcare entitlements is shared regularly.
About you
Essential
-
Recent, relevant experience in the early years sector, including work with families.
-
Experience of working with a range of stakeholders, such as schools, early years providers, partner organisations and family centres.
-
Working knowledge or experience of supporting children and families with SEND-related needs.
-
Good understanding of the early years and childcare sector.
-
Knowledge and practical experience of safeguarding policies and procedures.
-
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to explain information clearly to a range of audiences, both verbally and in writing.
-
Ability to analyse quantitative and qualitative data, identify gaps in provision and make timely, evidence-based decisions to support change.
-
Full driving licence and ability to travel across the county, working flexibly to meet service and stakeholder requirements.
Desirable
-
Knowledge of the different early education and childcare entitlements including different eligibility criteria
If you are self-driven, confident, and skilled at presenting information, this role is perfect for you. It offers a great opportunity to enhance your presentation skills and expand your knowledge of admissions, appeals, and transport legislation. You will also build relationships with schools across Hertfordshire and colleagues within the Local Authority.
We welcome applications from candidates who currently reside in the UK with established proof of right to work documentation. We are not able to offer sponsorship at this time for this role.
This job role is Level 8, Corporate Services. Please locate the job profile here:
Job profiles - Corporate services
To hear more about this opportunity please contact Tamsin Osborn [email protected] for an informal discussion about the role.
Interview Date: 16/17th of September
Benefits of working for us
How to apply
As part of your application, please upload your most recent CV. Ensure your CV is up to date with your employment history (including any employment gaps), and including any training/qualifications. We encourage you to include examples of where you have demonstrated the requirements/criteria in the advert / job profile to allow the panel to fully recognise your skills and abilities. You will have the opportunity to include a short covering paragraph within your application to give us a little more information about your skills, knowledge, and experiences.
Additional information
We are changing
Hertfordshire County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). If you are employed by Hertfordshire County on 1 April 2028, it is expected that most roles will transfer to the newly-created unitary councils on existing terms and conditions under TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings – Protection of Employment) principles.
LGR is one of the biggest changes we will face in a generation. It will reshape how we work and how services are organised and gives us a real opportunity to build something better. To find out more, visit https://www.hertfordshire-lgr.co.uk/
Disability Confident
We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and guarantee an interview to anyone disclosing a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.
Safeguarding
This role has been identified as requiring a Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check.
Driving required
You’ll need to have the ability to drive and/or travel around Hertfordshire, using your own mode of transport.
English Fluency
The ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English is essential for the post (for those whose language is a signed language the provision of a sign language interpreter who speaks English to the necessary standard of fluency will be required). Further information about the legal requirement can be found here.
