Principal Practitioner – Best Start in Life Inclusion

About The Role

Job Title: Principal Practitioner – Best Start in Life Inclusion
Contract: Fixed term – 2 years
Hours: 37 hours (job shares cannot be considered)
Salary: HC09 - £42,123 - £46,579 per annum

Closing date: 02/11/2026
Interview date: 10/11/2026

The Role

As part of the Best Start In Life Initiative, we are looking for a Principal Best Start in Life Inclusion Practitioner to lead our Best Start Inclusion Team in the Early Years SEND Inclusion Service.

The role will be focussed on leading the team of inclusion practitioners who will be supporting children and families accessing services, groups and Family Hubs, who may have potential barriers to their academic achievement.

Come and join us on our Restorative Journey of Improvement to gain the best for children and families in Herefordshire.

About You

The successful candidate will be a qualified teacher with Early Years experience, leadership and management experience and a deep knowledge of SEND in the Early Years. They will have knowledge of the services that support families and be willing to work collaboratively across those services.

The successful candidate will develop and lead the Best Start in Life (BSIL) Inclusion Team, providing effective leadership and line management to BSIL Inclusion Practitioners. They will ensure that families, professionals, early years settings, and schools have access to high-quality advice and guidance to improve outcomes for young children who may have additional needs. They will also contribute to the development of the Experts at Hand Service to ensure a coordinated and aligned approach across services.

The Principal Practitioner will work closely with the Early SEND deliver this service

You will need:

• Qualified Teacher status and experience of early Years teaching
• Full UK Driving license and able to travel across the county of Herefordshire
• Recent experience of supporting early years children with additional needs
• An understanding of the Early Years Foundation Stage, the Equality Act (2010) and the SEND Code of Practice (2015)
• The ability to build strong relationships with early years settings and other services
• To be an excellent leader with good communication and interpersonal skills

To arrange an informal discussion, or ask any questions about the role, please contact

[email protected]

We Offer

A competitive salary, holiday entitlement, and access to our contributory pension and staff benefits scheme, which includes:

• Salary range of £42,123 - £46,579 per annum
• Annual Leave: 31 days’ annual leave (pro rata) plus bank holidays. You can also purchase an additional 10 days per annum during the request period
• Flexible working: including the potential for job-sharing, part-time hours and agile working.
• Employee Assistance Programme: 24/7 access to support and counselling
• Payment of professional membership fees (based on role requirements)
• Pick your perks - our benefits include access to a range of retail, leisure, holiday and health benefits. This includes savings, cash back and discounts.
• A service where children’s learning and development is at the heart of everything we do
• A highly supportive and committed team

Why Choose Us?

We're proud and excited to unveil our new recruitment video, a celebration of Herefordshire's people, places, and purpose. Set in the heart of England and filled with pride, compassion and possibility, the video brings to life what it means to work somewhere you truly belong.

At Herefordshire Council, every role matters and every person makes a real difference for our communities. We’re a team where people feel valued, supported and empowered to grow together.

Herefordshire is a beautiful, historic county on the Welsh border, one of England’s most rural and unspoilt areas, with vibrant market towns and a strong sense of community.

Our priority is clear: to keep children safe and give them the best start in life. We do this through passionate, dedicated professionals who build strong relationships with children, families, and partners to make a lasting difference.

It’s an exciting time to join us. We’re investing in our people and our relational practiceapproach, working alongside our improvement partner, Leeds City Council. You’ll be supported by experienced managers, continuous professional development, and a genuine team ethos that values collaboration and care.

If you’re committed to helping children and young people thrive, come and join the journey in Herefordshire - where your work truly matters.

Herefordshire Council Plan

The Council plan sets out how we will make our contribution to achieving a better and more successful Herefordshire, please see the link below to find out more:

Herefordshire Council Plan 2024-2028

Reasonable Adjustments

Our recruitment process runs in partnership with Hoople Resourcing. If you require any reasonable adjustments or alternative methods for the online application process, please contact the resourcing team by email: [email protected].

If you’re shortlisted for interview and require any reasonable adjustments, our Children & Young People Recruitment Team will be happy to support you.

Creating an inclusive workplace

We encourage our employees to feel empowered and to use their voices to help embrace diversity, promote inclusivity and shape our organisation. We have eight employee network groups, collectives of colleagues who often share identities, life experiences or cultures and offer support and community. They also play an important role in strengthening the voices of employees at Herefordshire Council. Embedded in the Council's values is a commitment to listen to people's views and needs.

For more information on our Employee Network Groups please view our dedicated recruitment website: www.spiritofherefordshire.com.

Commitments, Covenants and Statutory Obligations

The following candidates will be interviewed if they meet the essential criteria for the post they are applying for:

• Those who indicate that they have a disability. This is part of our commitment to the “Disability Confident” scheme.
• Those who indicate in their application that they are an Armed Forces Veteran or Reservist. This is part of our pledge to support the Armed Forces Covenant.
• Those who indicate in their application that they are a Herefordshire care leaver. This is part of our commitment to supporting young people leaving our care.

We take our commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults seriously and expect all of our staff, visitors and volunteers to share in this commitment.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children & young people and vulnerable adults. If you are offered this position, it will be subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service enhanced check and further pre-employment checks.

How to apply

To apply for a position, please upload an up-to-date CV and complete the application form demonstrating your experience, skills and abilities for the role.

Be sure to include reference to the job description and person specification or role profile! If you are successfully shortlisted, the C&YP Recruitment Team will contact you via email to arrange your interview and/or assessment. They will confirm the date, time and location of your interview, so please keep an eye on your email inbox - check your spam/ junk folder too.

Good luck, we’re looking forward to meeting you!