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• Candidate_Pack_-_People_Directorate_-_July_2026
• SEND_Cognition___Learning_Advisor_JD_PS_June_2026

Please apply online via the link provided.

Please note, we do not accept CVs submitted without a fully completed online application form.

The SEND Cognition and Learning Advisor is a specialist role within the newly established Experts at Hand (E@H) service, supporting Bracknell Forest’s SEND reform and wider system transformation. Based in the integrated central hub at the Child Development Centre in Great Hollands, Bracknell, you will work closely with education and health partners to provide expert, needs-led advice for children and young people aged 0–25.

At Bracknell Forest, we are proud to be a stable, well-managed council where employees can thrive in a supportive and collaborative environment. We value a healthy work-life balance and offer a range of flexible working practices, including remote and home-working options where these meet the needs of the service.

This role includes an expectation to work from the Child Development Centre, Bracknell one day per week and two to three days per week in education settings, alongside flexible working arrangements.

About you...

As a SEND Cognition and Learning Advisor, you will bring substantial experience of supporting children and young people with cognition and learning needs, with the confidence to translate specialist knowledge into practical, inclusive strategies for education settings.

In this role, you will help mainstream education settings respond confidently and proactively to children and young people’s identified needs by shifting the local educational system from a reliance on statutory processes and crisis intervention toward early identification, needs-led pathways, and sustainable, inclusive practice within mainstream settings. By upskilling, coaching, and modelling evidence-informed practices for education staff, as the SEND Advisor, you will help build local capacity, improve parental confidence, and deliver better outcomes for children and young people with learning delays or difficulties, by strengthening capacity across the partnership you will help make inclusion part of everyday practice.

You will hold a recognised professional qualification or a relevant postgraduate qualification linked to specific learning difficulties, inclusion or SEND practice.

You will have a strong understanding of the graduated approach, national SEND legislation and the importance of needs-led support.

You will be skilled in coaching adults, supporting environmental adaptations and adaptive teaching practice across a range of settings.

Above all, you will be committed to inclusion, collaboration and improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND.

About the team...

Experts at Hand will play a central role in delivering Bracknell Forest’s SEND reform plans. This multi-disciplinary team, based at the Child Development Centre, will provide responsive, needs-led support to education settings and partner services. This is an exciting opportunity to join the service at a pivotal stage, helping to strengthen inclusive practice, promote early intervention and build workforce confidence. Working across education, health and social care, you will support innovation, influence practice and help shape a more equitable, responsive and needs-led SEND system for the future.

Key responsibilities...

• Work as an Experts at Hand (E@H) specialist to support Bracknell Forest’s SEND reform and system transition. Deploy directly into early years settings, mainstream schools and post-16 providers to strengthen local capacity, align the graduated approach with National Inclusion Standards, and equip educators with effective cognition and learning inclusive strategies.
• Support education settings to identify cognition and learning differences at the earliest opportunity. Help schools develop strong universal and targeted approaches, reducing reliance on statutory Education, Health and Care Plans and crisis-led responses.
• Collaborate with mainstream settings and Specialist Resource Provisions (SRPs) to baseline current practice, build capacity and embed inclusive provision in line with National Inclusion Standards, the Graduated Approach and the Ordinarily Available Offer.
• Design and deliver training aligned with BFC recommended approaches. Enable professional reflection, coaching and mentoring so education staff can confidently support children and young people with a range of learning differences and delays.
• Model and support the use of evidence-informed approaches, including adaptations to the environment for a range of specific learning needs and other BFC recommended strategies.
• Develop opportunities for networking, collaboration and shared knowledge across BFC education settings to promote consistency, confidence and sustainable inclusive practice.

Our benefits...

• 28 days annual leave increasing to 33 days after 3 years’ continuous service, with the opportunity to buy up to 10 and sell up to 5 days.
• Hybrid working opportunities to support your wellbeing and work-life balance.
• Paid employee volunteering scheme.
• Local government pension scheme, with life insurance cover.
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme (subject to eligibility).
• Recognition of continuous service attained within the NHS and UKHSA when calculating some benefits. (Terms and Conditions apply)
• Career development through internal and external training opportunities.
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and fostering leave.
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support your health and wellbeing
• Inclusive and social working environment with a variety of staff networks and a sports and social club.

Find out more about all our benefits or see the candidate pack.

Our values...

At Bracknell Forest Council our values define who we are and what is important to us. Our core values are inclusive, ambitious, and always learning. These values influence the way we work with each other and the way we serve our residents and engage with our communities. We make our values real by demonstrating them in how we behave every day. If you are excited about joining a diverse team that celebrates learning and strives for excellence, we would love to hear from you.

Reasonable adjustments...

We are committed to ensuring an inclusive recruitment process for all applicants. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support your application or interview, please let us know by contacting recruitment@bracknell-forest.gov.uk. We will work with you to support you throughout the process. Find out more about reasonable adjustments.

Disability confident and inclusive recruitment

Bracknell Forest Council is proud to be an inclusive employer. If you tell us on your application form that you have a disability, are an armed forces veteran or are a care leaver, you will be guaranteed an interview if you meet the essential criteria outlined in the person specification

Interview date

Interviews will be held on 3rd August 2026.

Interviews will be held in person, giving candidates the opportunity to meet the team and learn more about our working environment.

We will review applications regularly and reserve the right to close the advert early if suitable candidates are identified. To avoid disappointment, we encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible.

Please note that AI must not be used during the interview. Any candidate found to be using AI during the interview process will be withdrawn from consideration.

Want to ask us a question?

For an informal discussion or to ask any questions about this role, please contact:

Catherine Reynolds, Principal Educational Psychologist

Email: Catherine.Reynolds@bracknell-forest.gov.uk

Bracknell Forest Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect everyone employed with us to share this commitment. All successful candidates for this role will be subject to a DBS (Disclosure & Barring Service) check as part of our pre-employment checks process.

We can only accept applications from candidates currently residing in the UK.

Candidates currently residing in the UK who require sponsorship to work are encouraged to assess their eligibility for a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) based on the relevant criteria. Please be aware that sponsorship availability varies and is subject to eligibility requirements and budget limitations. As a result, we cannot guarantee sponsorship for all roles and will evaluate sponsorship requests on a case-by-case basis.

No agencies please.