Early Years Improvement Advisor

Organisation: Leicestershire County Council

Work Location: County Hall, Glenfield, LE3 8RF

Salary :£43,860 - £47,829 per annum (pro rata for part-time)

Working Hours:37 hours x 1 (full time) and 29.6 hours x 1 (4 days per week)

Contract Type: Permanent

Closing Date: 9th March 2026

Interview Date(s): 19th March and 23rd March (you will only be required to attend on one date)

An opportunity has arisen for experienced, well organised, motivated and enthusiastic individuals to join the Early Years Inclusion and Childcare Service as an Early Years Improvement Advisor.

• Develop and support high quality early years provision across the childcare sector
• Provide advice, guidance and training as set out in the local authority’s statutory duty to ensure high quality provision for pre-schools, day nurseries and childminders who are judged less than good by Ofsted
• Champion the needs of children, particularly the most disadvantaged, ensuring that all children and their families are able to access high quality early education and childcare
• Offer advice and guidance regarding children with SEND. Supporting providers to use the graduated approach to assess, plan, do review. Signposting to relevant agencies for further support.
• Lead and implement strategies to enable providers to embed equality and diversity and the principles of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) into their practice
• Implement new and existing initiatives and projects as directed
• Work closely with other internal local authority services and external partners
• Disseminate key safeguarding messages and policies with regard to expectations and local procedures and share information with providers and other stakeholders, to ensure key safeguarding competencies are embedded in practice.

The nature of the work will require a flexible approach to working, including out-of-hours, and an ability and willingness to travel to various locations.

An enhanced with barred list DBS check is required for this post.

For information on our approach to the recruitment of ex-offenders, please see our policy statement.

To apply for this post, you must be able to evidence in your application how you meet the following criteria:

• Hold a relevant level 6 qualification with outstanding early years practice in the early years sector or a school.
• Have an excellent understanding of statutory duties and learning relating to the EYFS phase and Early Years SEND code of practice.
• Have experience of observing and evaluating quality learning and providing feedback as part of the early year’s improvement processes.
• Have a good understanding of equality and diversity and how this should be promoted for the children of Leicestershire.
• Have effective presentation skills which include good communication skills, both written and oral. To be assertive, confident and sensitive to the needs of others and be able to cope with pressure.
• Confident use of information and communication technology (ICT). Being able to cope with pressure and meet deadlines.
• Have the ability to develop and maintain good working relationships and professional partnerships with people from all backgrounds with the ability to enthuse and motivate others where lived experiences of diverse backgrounds can be shared and celebrated.

In addition, we also expect you to share our commitment to our values and will ask you to evidence when you have demonstrated them as part of the selection process.

Reasonable adjustments will be considered for applicants with a disability.

We are a Disability Confident Employer.

We are open to discussions about flexible working, which may include part time working, job sharing, term-time working, flexible start and finish times, and hybrid working, depending on the requirements of the role and the service. If you would like to discuss the possible flexible working options that might be applicable to this role, please contact the person named below.

Jane McNee – Senior Early Years Improvement Advisor

Email:

Telephone:

Or

Isabel Bentley, Senior Early Years Improvement Advisor

Email:

Telephone: