At a Glance
- Tasks: Support children with SEND and empower families through early intervention and inclusive practices.
- Company: Join Barnardo's, a leading charity dedicated to improving children's lives.
- Benefits: Flexible working, competitive salary, generous leave, and professional development opportunities.
- Other info: Dynamic role with excellent career growth and a supportive team environment.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in children's lives while shaping inclusive services across the Isle of Wight.
- Qualifications: Experience with SEND, strong understanding of child development, and NVQ Level 3 qualification required.
Barnardo's Isle of Wight Family Hubs are delighted to be recruiting a Best Start SEND Practitioner (Project Worker 1) to join our dedicated Best Start Family Hubs Team. This exciting and nationally recognised new role sits at the heart of the Government's Family Hubs vision, offering a unique opportunity to help shape and strengthen the SEND family hub offer across the Isle of Wight. If you are passionate about inclusion, early intervention, and making a meaningful difference to the lives of children and families, we would love to hear from you.
About the Role
The Best Start SEND Practitioner plays a vital role in ensuring children with developmental needs, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), or additional needs receive the right support at the earliest opportunity. Early identification and intervention can have a significant impact on children's development, wellbeing and long-term outcomes. In this role, you will provide flexible, responsive and family-centred support, helping children thrive and empowering families to access the services they need and advocate for their child's SEND needs.
Working through Family Hubs and in close partnership with education, health and SEND professionals and SENDIAS, you will:
- Deliver specialist evidence-based parenting interventions to parents and carers across the Isle of Wight.
- Facilitate group activities such as workshops and drop-in sessions.
- Support families to understand their child's development and navigate available services with confidence.
- Work collaboratively with SENDIAS, health visitors, speech and language therapists, early years providers, schools, SEND services and other key partners.
- Promote early identification and intervention for children with developmental, SEND or additional needs.
- Champion inclusive practice across Family Hubs and contribute to developing the confidence, knowledge and skills of the wider workforce.
About You
We are looking for a motivated and compassionate practitioner who is committed to improving outcomes for children and families. You will have:
- Experience working with children who have Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities and their families.
- A strong understanding of child development, including language, communication and social-emotional development.
- Excellent partnership working skills and experience of working effectively within multi-agency environments.
- A commitment to empowering families and ensuring they receive support as early as possible.
- A minimum NVQ Level 3 qualification in a relevant discipline such as Education, Children's Health, Children's Social Care or a related discipline.
Why Join Barnardo's?
This is an exciting opportunity to take on a pioneering role that will help shape services for children and families across the Isle of Wight. You will be part of a supportive team dedicated to promoting inclusion, reducing inequalities and delivering positive, lasting outcomes for children and young people. Join us and help ensure every child has the best possible start in life.
Please note that this role will be based in Sandown Family Hub as the designated office space. Candidates must be able to demonstrate ability to travel across the IOW locality to deliver services in the community. The role is 30 hours a week all year round working a 4-day week.
If after reading the additional information you have any queries please email children's service manager. Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible.
Pay & Reward Framework
We appreciate our colleagues' dedication and their commitment to delivering excellence in the vital work we do, driven by their passion and commitment to Barnardo's values. We also know that we can only realise our ambitions and achieve better outcomes for more children, thanks to the talent, hard work and creativity of our people. We are committed to a rounded colleague experience with an approach to both pay and rewards that are fair, attractive, and progressive. This is in support of our strategic ambition to ensure Barnardo's is a place everyone can belong, grow and thrive. The salary range advertised is in line with our pay principles, for consistency and fairness while recognising the skills and experience applicants bring to the role. Appointing salaries can be discussed further at appointment stage we do seek to appoint within this range always exercising responsible stewardship.
Benefits Workplace Offer:
Our hybrid working initiative is based on trust, flexibility and empowerment. We understand our workplace offer means different things to different people, and we encourage those conversations. This may mean working at one of our stores, services, working at home, in the community, at one of our Collaboration Hubs or depending on the role any combination of these. Please read through the advert carefully to understand the remits of hybrid working that will be specific to the role.
Barnardo's require colleagues to be UK residents, based in the UK and to complete their roles from within the UK (with the exception of colleagues providing Barnardo's services in Jersey and colleagues who live in the Republic of Ireland providing services in Northern Ireland). Barnardo's believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance we are therefore open to offering flexible working arrangements.
Annual Leave entitlement for full-time colleagues is 26 days per annum, increasing to 27 days per annum, after 3 years Barnardo's service, 29 days per annum, after 5 years Barnardo's service and 30 days per annum, after 7 years Barnardo's service. Those working less than full time are entitled to the same level of holiday pro rata.
The ability to buy up to another 5 days annual leave via our Buy Your Leave scheme.
A host of family friendly leave options including company Maternity Paternity and Adoption pay together with all family additional leave options.
Service related sick pay from day 1.
Access to a Group Personal Pension with a matched 4% or 6% contribution from Barnardo's.
Ability to pay via salary sacrifice to garner both tax and NI savings on your own contribution.
Death in service cover of 4x annual earnings for all staff contributing to our Group Personal Pension.
Cycle2work scheme.
Interest free season ticket loans.
Discounts and cashback from high street shops including major supermarkets, cinemas, gyms, leisure/theme parks, holidays and much more via our Benefit Portal.
20% discount at Barnardo's stores.
Opportunity to purchase a health cash plan to claim towards dental, glasses, therapy etc.
Free access to round the clock employee assistance program for advice and support.
Access to Barnardo's Learning and Development offer. T&C's apply based on contract.
About Barnardo's
We are committed to being an inclusive employer and cultivating a culture where everyone can belong and thrive through inclusion and connectivity. We want our workforce to be reflective of the communities we work with, and for equality, diversity and inclusion to be embedded in everything we do. We are a Disability Confident Leader, are progressing our ambition to be an anti-racist organisation with Anti-Racism Commitments and actions in place and have networks for colleagues who are disabled, LGBT+, Black and Minoritised Ethnic and Women. We particularly encourage applications from Black and Minoritised Ethnic and/or disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce. For disabled applicants, we offer reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.
Best Start SEND Practitioner in Sandown employer: Workcircle
At Rolls-Royce, we pride ourselves on being a leading employer in the aerospace industry, offering a dynamic work culture that values individuality and innovation. Our Derby location provides a unique opportunity to work on cutting-edge projects like Test Bed 80, with ample training and growth opportunities for both experienced and early career engineers. With a comprehensive benefits package and a commitment to inclusivity, joining Rolls-Royce means becoming part of a forward-thinking team dedicated to shaping the future of aerospace technology.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Best Start SEND Practitioner in Sandown
✨Dive into Local Community Groups
Social work thrives on community connections, so get involved in local groups or forums specific to your interests. Whether it’s volunteering at local shelters or joining community action boards, these are great ways to boost your visibility and make direct contacts that could lead to opportunities like the one at Workcircle.
✨Attend Social Work Events and Workshops
Keep an eye out for workshops, seminars, or conferences in social work. These events are fantastic for meeting professionals in the field, learning about emerging trends, and spotting job openings. Plus, you might just bump into someone from Workcircle!
✨Showcase Your Passion and Expertise
Use platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn to share your journey and insights into the social work sector. Whether it’s writing about your experiences or sharing relevant articles, this helps to establish you as an engaged professional. Potential employers, like Workcircle, will notice your enthusiasm!
✨Leverage Your Network
Don’t hesitate to reach out to professors, mentors, or even past colleagues who are in social work. They might have inside knowledge about openings at Workcircle or be able to connect you with someone who’s hiring. Networking is key, especially in a full-time role where relationships matter.
We think you need these skills to ace Best Start SEND Practitioner in Sandown
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Social Work:In your cover letter, let us see your passion for social work shine through! Talk about the experiences that made you want to pursue this career—whether it’s volunteering, personal experiences, or academic projects. We want to know why this field matters to you.
Emphasise Relevant Qualifications:Make sure your CV highlights any relevant qualifications, like degrees in social work or certifications like a DBS check. If you've done any workshops or training, don’t forget to include those as well. We're keen to see your commitment to your professional development!
Detail Your Experience with Clients:Since this is a hands-on field, detailing any direct experience you have with clients is crucial. Whether it's internships, volunteer roles, or previous jobs, highlight those experiences in your CV to show us you've got the practical skills necessary for the job!
Tailor Your Application to Workcircle:Before hitting send, make sure to tailor your application specifically to Workcircle! Research our mission and values, and refer to them in your cover letter. This shows us that you understand our work and are genuinely interested in being a part of our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Workcircle
✨Understanding the Role of Empathy
In social work, understanding and demonstrating empathy is key. Be prepared to share personal experiences or scenarios where you effectively showed compassion and support. This helps show that you genuinely care about the well-being of others, which is crucial in social work.
✨Demonstrating Knowledge of Frameworks
Familiarise yourself with the frameworks and models used in social work, such as the Strengths-Based Approach or the Ecological Perspective. Be ready to discuss how these frameworks apply to your work, especially if you can tie them into real-world examples or case studies you've encountered.
✨Showcasing Your Multi-Disciplinary Skills
In a full-time social work role, you'll often collaborate with healthcare professionals, educators, and law enforcement. Be prepared to describe your teamwork experiences and how you've effectively communicated with other disciplines to achieve the best outcomes for clients.
✨Preparing for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect questions that put you in hypothetical social work situations, such as dealing with a crisis or managing a complex case. Think through your thought process for these scenarios beforehand, considering how you'd assess the situation and what steps you'd take, as this demonstrates your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
