Child Support jobs in Plymouth

Best Start in Life Inclusion Practitioner (Project Worker 1)

30-37 Hours per Week | Flexible and Part-Time Working Considered
Based within one of Barnardo's Family Hubs across Plymouth

Make a Difference from the Very Start

Are you passionate about improving outcomes for babies and young children with additional needs? Do you have experience supporting children, families, and communities, and a commitment to inclusion and early intervention?

Barnardo's is seeking a dedicated and motivated Best Start in Life Inclusion Practitioner (BSIP) to join our Family Hub team in Plymouth. This is an exciting opportunity to help ensure that children aged 0-5 years with emerging or identified Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) receive the right support at the right time.

Working across Family Hubs, community settings, and partner organisations, you will play a vital role in supporting families, promoting inclusive practice, and helping children thrive during their earliest years.

About the Role

As a Best Start in Life Inclusion Practitioner, you will act as a bridge between early identification and effective support. You will work alongside families, early years providers, health professionals, and community organisations to ensure children with additional needs can access and participate fully in Family Hub and community services, making appropriate referrals and maintaining high-quality records and reports.

You will provide practical support and guidance to families, promote inclusive opportunities for children, and strengthen the confidence and capacity of universal services to meet diverse needs.

Deliver a range of SEND focused interventions, in groups and on a one-to-one bases, including parenting programmes, stay and play activities, workshops and drop in sessions.

Assess needs, plan and deliver bespoke support strategies which help children with SEND achieve positive outcomes.

About Our Family Hubs

Barnardo's has delivered Children's Centre and Family Hub services across Plymouth since 2011 and currently oversees seven Family Hubs. Working alongside Action for Children and LARK, we provide a joined-up network of support for children, young people, and families across the city.

Our Family Hubs offer:

• Play, learning, and development opportunities for children.
• Evidence-based parenting and health programmes.
• Specialist and targeted family support.
• Support for families affected by domestic abuse.
• Comprehensive one-to-one family interventions.
• Strong safeguarding and child-centred practice.
• Opportunities for volunteering, participation, and community engagement.

Essential criteria

• Level 3 or above qualification in social care, health, education or early years.
• Experience of supporting SEND children and their families.
• Experience of working in a multi-agency social care, early years, education, health or early years environment and applying safeguarding procedures.
• Good IT skills with experience of maintaining high quality, accurate and concise case records and completing assessments, plans and reviews to achieve positive outcomes.
• Ability to undertake home visits and observations, complying with loan working, safeguarding and equality and diversity policies and procedures.
• Ability to communicate effectively with children, families and professionals maintaining professional relationships and boundaries.

Why Join Barnardo's?

At Barnardo's, we believe every child deserves the best possible start in life. By joining our team, you will:

• Make a meaningful difference to children's lives.
• Work within a supportive and collaborative environment.
• Develop your skills and experience in an innovative Family Hub model.
• Be part of an organisation committed to inclusion, equality, and positive outcomes for families.

Safeguarding

Barnardo's is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Successful applicants will be subject to safer recruitment processes, including enhanced DBS checks and relevant childcare disqualification declarations.

Informal Discussion

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact:

Tracy Tucker
Children's Services Manager
07850 541263
✉️ tracy.tucker@barnardos.org.uk

Join us and help every child get the best start in life. Apply today.

Although this contract has a permanent status, please be aware that this post is subject to funding currently until March 2028 and therefore should this funding not be extended further, you may be subject to a redundancy consultation or a TUPE arrangement. This contract is due to expire on 31.03.28.

Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and cultivating a culture where everyone can belong and thrive through inclusion and connectivity. We want our workforce to be reflective of the communities we work with, and for equality, diversity and inclusion to be embedded in everything we do. We are a Disability Confident Leader, are progressing our ambition to be an anti-racist organisation with Anti-Racism Commitments and actions in place and have networks for colleagues who are disabled, LGBT+, Black and Minoritised Ethnic and Women. We particularly encourage applications from Black and Minoritised Ethnic and/or disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce. For disabled applicants, we offer reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.

Our basis and values