About the role
As a SEND Practitioner, you'll work alongside children, families and early years professionals to provide practical support where it's needed most. From delivering Portage in family homes to supporting children in nurseries, schools and Family Hubs, you'll help build the skills, confidence and foundations that can make a lasting difference in a child's early years.
Working primarily with children aged 0-5, you'll support families at different stages of their SEND journey. Some may be exploring concerns about their child's development for the first time, while others may already have support in place. Whatever their circumstances, you'll help children access opportunities, develop new skills and achieve meaningful progress in everyday life.
This is a role that takes you out into the community and into the environments where children learn, play and grow. You'll build strong relationships with families, work closely with educational settings and become a trusted source of support for the people around each child.
This role is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore subject to an enhanced DBS certificate. It is also a regulated activity and will be subject to a Children and Adults Barred List check. West Northamptonshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
What will you be doing?
A significant part of your work will involve supporting families in their own homes, delivering Portage home teaching and helping parents and carers find practical ways to support their child's development through everyday activities, routines and play.
You'll spend time in nurseries, schools and with childminders, helping practitioners understand children's individual needs and sharing approaches that support communication, learning, independence and inclusion. Sometimes you'll be working directly with a child, and at other times you'll be helping the adults around them develop the confidence and skills to continue that support long after you've left.
You'll also play a role in Family Hubs and community based activities, helping families access advice, support and opportunities early, often before challenges become barriers.
While you'll contribute to assessments, planning and reviews, this is first and foremost a hands on role. It's about working alongside children, families and practitioners, helping to create positive experiences and giving children the best possible start.
Most importantly, you'll have the opportunity to see the impact of your work over time. Whether it's a child finding a new way to communicate, settling successfully into nursery, developing greater independence or a parent feeling more confident in supporting their child, you'll be part of those moments and the journey that leads to them.
Why Join Us
This is an opportunity to join a specialist team that works with children and families at some of the most important stages of development.
What makes this role special is the opportunity to work with families over time and see the difference early support can make. You'll be there for the small steps that lead to big achievements and play a part in helping children develop the foundations that will support them throughout their lives.
You'll join a team with a wealth of experience across SEND, early years and Portage, where ideas are shared, support is always available and learning from one another is part of everyday practice. Whether you're looking to deepen your SEND knowledge, develop specialist skills or broaden your experience across different settings, you'll find plenty of opportunities to grow.
The variety of the role is something colleagues often enjoy most. One week might involve home visits, Family Hub sessions, nursery support and collaborative work with other professionals, giving you the chance to build meaningful relationships and develop a broad understanding of children's needs across different environments.
Alongside this, you'll benefit from flexible working arrangements, generous annual leave, access to the Local Government Pension Scheme, wellbeing support and a wide range of employee benefits available through West Northamptonshire Council.
About you
You're likely to be at your best when working directly with children, families and practitioners, helping people find practical solutions and celebrating the progress that follows.
You may currently work in early years, SEND support, education, family support or a similar environment and will already have experience supporting children with additional needs. Just as importantly, you'll understand the value of building strong relationships and helping others feel confident in supporting children to achieve their potential.
You'll be someone who communicates naturally, builds trust easily and enjoys working collaboratively with families and professionals. You'll bring curiosity, patience and a willingness to adapt your approach to meet the needs of each child and family.
Most of all, you'll believe in the value of early intervention and the difference it can make. You'll take pride in helping children achieve outcomes that matter to them and their families and enjoy being part of the small moments of progress that can have a lasting impact.
Our benefits
You can also see our full list of employee benefits on our careers site here: Why you should work for us | West Northamptonshire Council
About us
At West Northants Council, it’s about our people. People who thrive with ambition, bubble with new ideas, demand better ways of working, caring about every detail, and who never shy away from a challenge. Our culture is a gateway for new experiences. A place to forge new opportunities. To empower you in your career and unite you with like-minded people.
Our vision is ‘to make West Northants a great place to live, work, visit and thrive’. We truly stand by this and work hard every day to make this a reality. Our corporate values, THRIVE, stand for: Trust, High Performance, Respect, Innovate and Empower, they underpin everything we do and how we deliver services. Hear from our Chief Executive, Martin Henry, about building a career at WNC.
We are committed to ensuring diversity, equality, equity, and inclusion is woven into the fabric of WNC and everything we do, to enable all colleagues to develop and maximize their full potential. We are a disability confident employer, a member of the Armed Forces Covenant, and a Care Leaver Covenant partner
The following film was created by us to communicate our intentions - watch WNC colleagues explain what DEI means to us.
If you need additional support or reasonable adjustments during the application process, including needing the job description in another format or language, please email careers@westnorthants.gov.uk for support.
Please note we reserve the right to close the advert early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications, so we recommend applying as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
West Northants Council, where careers thrive.
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