Best Start Inclusion Lead

GRADE/ Salary ME10  £41,511 - £43,449 2 year Fixed Term contract 

Are you ready to join us in Merton's Best Start Family Hubs?

We are

 “A place where outstanding children’s services are offered, where children and young people feel they belong, stay safe and can thrive”

We want Merton to be a great place for every child to grow up, and to give every child the best start in life. Our children's services have been judged Outstanding by Ofsted, and we are moving forward to keep improving our standards of practice.

An exciting new two-year opportunity has arisen for Best Start Inclusion Lead to develop and drive a new team to support inclusive practice across our Best Start in Life network.  

The role of the Best Start Inclusion Lead is an important component of Best Start in Life, Early Help and Inclusion delivery in Merton. This role will coordinate and oversee the delivery of the Best Start Inclusion Offer across Best Start Family Hubs, network sites and community settings to support strong early identification, inclusive practice and early intervention for children aged 0–5 with emerging or additional needs.

The role will maintain a clear focus on preventative, non-statutory support, ensuring children and families receive timely help. You will provide line management for the new Best Start Inclusion Practitioners and undertake some direct work and model best practice and support high-quality delivery across the system.

You will work closely with families and alongside colleagues from health, education, SEND, early years and community services and interlink with Merton’s SEND locality cluster model and wider SEND reform programme.

About You

We’re looking for someone who

• Has direct experience of working with children with SEN and disabilities in a school, childcare, children centre, health service or home learning environment
• Excellent understanding of Early Years Foundation Stage Framework, the SEND Code of Practice 2015 and the Best Start in Life agenda.
• Significant experience of partnership and multi-agency working across health, education, community or voluntary sector services.
• Experience of designing, delivering and evaluating early learning programmes and workshops.
• Experience of leading, managing or supervising staff, including providing professional support, performance management, coaching and development to ensure high-quality service delivery.

If you’d like to have an informal discussion about this post, please contact Wendy.maxey@merton.gov.uk