Inclusion & Portage Practitioner

The post of Early Years SEND and Portage practitioner will allow you the opportunity to join a highly skilled, enthusiastic team. We work with children from birth to school entry who have identified additional needs. You will work with children both in their homes and in early years provision. Alongside this you will have the opportunity to support training delivered to Early Years Providers and to parents too. You will also organise and run sensory play sessions and Portage groups for caseload families. You will be trained as a Portage Practitioner and will work with the youngest children with additional needs. You will have the opportunity to develop your own skills and knowledge through training and working alongside experienced colleagues. If you are passionate about supporting our youngest children with additional needs this is the perfect job for you,

• Model effective strategies for parents and carers to support very young children within the home environment and provide advice and guidance to parents and professionals in meeting the special educational needs of Early Years children.
• Model inclusive and developmentally appropriate strategies for Early Years providers to support very young children with SEND within their settings.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records in line with requirements set by the Senior SEND Advisors.
• Prepare, or support Early Years settings to prepare, requests for Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments (EHCNA).
• Support positive transitions into Early Years provision, promoting the education and development of children under three with special educational needs.
An enhanced with barred list DBS check is required for this post. For information on our approach to the recruitment of ex-offenders, please see our .

We have an exciting opportunity for you to join our Early Years, Inclusion and Childcare service as Early Years SEND and Portage practitioner.,
• Hold a Level 3 qualification in Childcare (or equivalent), with GCSEs at Grade C or above (or equivalent) in both Mathematics and English.
• Demonstrable, substantial experience of working with children under five and their families where children have SEND, including experience of collaborative partnership working with external agencies to enhance outcomes for children with SEND.
• Strong knowledge of the SEND Code of Practice and the Early Years Foundation Stage, with the ability to implement effective strategies to support children with additional needs
• Well-developed personal organisational skills, with the flexibility and willingness to travel to appointments and a range of venues as required.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, alongside strong listening skills, with the ability to develop and maintain good working relationships with parents and professionals.
Ability to support the inclusion of children on their caseload within Early Years settings by modelling good practice, sharing relevant information, and offering guidance and advice to staff. In addition, we also expect you to share and to delivering accessible and inclusive services which meet the needs of all of our residents. You will be asked to demonstrate your understanding of these commitments as part of the selection process. Reasonable adjustments will be considered for applicants with a disability. We are a .

About Leicestershire County Council At Leicestershire County Council, we're committed to making a real difference in people's lives. Our aim is to work with communities and partners to deliver public services that make Leicestershire the best possible place to live and work for everyone. Our employees play a key role in supporting this goal and helping us deliver the vital services we provide to the people of Leicestershire. Whether you're starting your career or looking for your next challenge, you'll find a place with us where your ideas are valued, and your work has purpose. For further information on what it's like to work for us and the benefits we offer, please refer to the following