At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the Best Start Inclusion Team to support children with SEND and their families.
- Company: Durham County Council, committed to inclusive practices and community support.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, generous leave, pension scheme, and flexible working options.
- Other info: Join a diverse team dedicated to safeguarding and promoting welfare.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in the lives of young children and their families.
- Qualifications: Degree in Early Years, Education, or Health; experience with SEND and team leadership.
The predicted salary is between 40000 - 50000 £ per year.
We are seeking an experienced and motivated professional to lead our Best Start Inclusion Team, delivering high-quality SEND support for children aged 0–5 years and their families across County Durham. As part of our Best Start Family Hubs, you will play a key role in ensuring families can access early help through a joined‑up, inclusive service that brings together education, health, and family support.
What is involved?
- Lead the development of the 0–5 SEND offer within Best Start Family Hubs
- Provide line management, supervision, and support to Inclusion Practitioners
- Work closely with partners across health, education, SEND and voluntary sectors
- Support early identification of need using evidence‑based approaches
- Develop clear pathways to ensure families receive the right support at the right time
- Promote inclusive practice across early years and family services
- Monitor performance, outcomes and impact against key priorities
- Represent the service at multi‑agency meetings and strategic forums
What will I need?
- A relevant degree (e.g., Early Years, Education, Health)
- Strong experience working with children aged 0–5 with SEND and their families
- Experience of managing or leading staff teams
- Knowledge of the SEND Code of Practice and early child development
- Experience of multi‑agency working and delivering targeted interventions
- Excellent communication, organisational and leadership skills
Safeguarding commitment
Durham County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all employees and volunteers to share this commitment. This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, inclusive of a check of the Children’s Barred List, will be required. Applicants should be aware that the DBS check will disclose both spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings, in line with current legislation and will confirm whether an individual is barred from working with children.
Equality, diversity and inclusion
We are a proud equal opportunities employer and believe a diverse workforce brings fresh ideas and drives service improvement. We welcome applications from everyone and make employment decisions based on skills and ability. As a Disability Confident Leader, we actively encourage applications from disabled and neurodivergent people and offer support throughout the recruitment process.
Benefits
We offer a competitive rewards package that includes attractive salaries, a generous annual leave entitlement of 27 days (rising to 32 after five years’ continuous local government service), membership of the excellent contributory career average Local Government Pension Scheme, and a range of flexible working arrangements including hybrid working (home and office) where applicable.
