Sirona care & health CIC

Early Years Support Practitioner (SEND)

The closing date is 26 January 2026

Job summary

We are looking for an Early Years Support Practitioner SEND to join our Children's Therapy Services team. This role focuses on supporting children aged 0 to 5 with special educational needs and disabilities and their families, helping them to access the right support at the right time. This is a part time position for 18 hours per week.

You will play a key role in supporting children's transition into early years provision, working as a key worker within a defined area and empowering families through advice, signposting and practical support. You will work independently within your competence, while being supported through supervision and working closely with therapists, education colleagues and other agencies.

Main duties of the job

Work with the designated client group, without direct supervision
Organise own diary, work plan and appointments, prioritising own workload
Participate in clinical supervision in relation to their own caseload with a more senior colleague.
Attend clinical allocation meetings as required
Demonstrate simple techniques to parents,
Empower and enable parents/carers by supporting, advising and providing appropriate signposting and other information
Be responsible for maintaining accurate and comprehensive patient records in line with team protocols
Attend and inform multi-professional meetings and reviews as required
Communicate effectively with all members of the multidisciplinary team, therapy colleagues and other agencies.

About us

Ever dreamt about a career that sparks excitement and fosters your professional growth? Picture yourself waking up eager to make a real difference in our community, surrounded by teams who value your unique ideas.

We are Sirona care & health - England's largest provider of Adult's and Children's Community Services and we'd love for you to join us in Bristol, North Somerset or South Gloucestershire.

Agenda for Change Salary, full NHS benefits, 27+ days' annual leave, and participation in the NHS Pension Scheme - just a glimpse of the benefits you'll receive.

We welcome and encourage all applicants. We are committed to having a workforce that reflects the communities we support and are proactively seeking to improve the diversity of our workforce. We know diversity fosters creativity and innovation.

We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where all belong. We aim to draw upon the widest possible range of views and experiences to meet the changing needs of our colleagues, partners and communities we serve.

Whether you're starting your journey in healthcare, looking for a fresh challenge within the NHS, or contemplating a career change, don't be daunted by the prospect of something different - we create development opportunities for all our colleagues and apprentices.

Interested? View our benefits leaflet which you can find attached to this vacancy.

Date posted

13 January 2026

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£27,485 to £30,162 a year per annum, pro rata

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Part-time

Reference number

083-7708242-WW

Job locations

Unit 1 & 2 Osprey Court

Hawkfield Business Park

Bristol

BS14 0BB

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached Job Description for a full list of duties and responsibilities before applying for this position.

We are unable to provide sponsorship for this role and can only accept applications from UK based applicants. If you require a visa to work in the UK you must have at least 14 months remaining until your expiry date, please disclose your expiry date in your application.

Job description

Job responsibilities

Please see the attached Job Description for a full list of duties and responsibilities before applying for this position.

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

NNEB certificate or equivalent
NVQ Level 3 in Childcare/Early Years or equivalent experience

Desirable

Evidence of SEND awareness training undertaken

Experience

Essential

A sound understanding of child development, disability and inclusion issues
Understanding of child protection issues
Relevant experience of working with children in an Early Years, educational & / or health setting
Previous experience with children who have special educational needs
Basic counselling skills
Experience of IT use
Knowledge of the agencies, and support available to children, young people, and their carers

Desirable

Experience of working with children & young people presenting with difficulties in the areas of physical movement, fine motor activities, communication, social communication, and activities of daily living, (or any combination of these) and their families
Experience of working as an assistant practitioner
Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team
Experience of Multi agency working requiring communication with educational service, social services, opportunity groups, preschools, nurseries and schools etc
Experience of working with children/ young people who require adapted / alternative methods of communication (e.g., Makaton)

Person Specification

Qualifications

Essential

NNEB certificate or equivalent
NVQ Level 3 in Childcare/Early Years or equivalent experience

Desirable

Evidence of SEND awareness training undertaken

Experience

Essential

A sound understanding of child development, disability and inclusion issues
Understanding of child protection issues
Relevant experience of working with children in an Early Years, educational & / or health setting
Previous experience with children who have special educational needs
Basic counselling skills
Experience of IT use
Knowledge of the agencies, and support available to children, young people, and their carers

Desirable

Experience of working with children & young people presenting with difficulties in the areas of physical movement, fine motor activities, communication, social communication, and activities of daily living, (or any combination of these) and their families
Experience of working as an assistant practitioner
Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary team
Experience of Multi agency working requiring communication with educational service, social services, opportunity groups, preschools, nurseries and schools etc
Experience of working with children/ young people who require adapted / alternative methods of communication (e.g., Makaton)

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.