SENCO and Inclusion Coordinator - Nurseries - 104564 - Grade 4
University of Birmingham · United Kingdom
Position Details
Nurseries
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK
Full time starting salary is normally in the range £27,546 to £29,171, with potential progression once in post to £32,595
Grade: 4
Full Time, Permanent
Closing date: 8th November 2026
We will be shortlisting and interviewing candidates throughout the duration of this advert and reserves the right to close the post early if we make an appointment. You are advised to submit your application as soon as possible.
Our offer to you
People are at the heart of what we are and do.
The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years, and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global university. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed, and celebrate their success.
We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our sector-leading Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. With almost 5,000 professional services jobs in a wide-range of functions in Edgbaston and in our campus in Dubai, there are plenty of opportunities for you to be able to develop your career at the University.
We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate. We warmly welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are, and how we work.
Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important both to our employees and to the success of the University and, depending on the role, we offer a variety of flexible working arrangements. We therefore welcome discussions on all forms of flexible working. In addition, you will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay, and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.
The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston and there are excellent transport links to our beautiful campus, including main bus routes and a train station on site. On campus we have a state-of-the-art sports centre with pool, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.
Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham
Background
Department overview
Campus Services (CS) employs over 1000 staff with a turnover exceeding £65m in the last financial year. CS plays a key role in the quality of the student, staff and visitor experience, providing services across diverse areas such as the University’s sporting facilities, food and beverage, cleaning, conferencing, hotel operations, day nurseries, Portering, post, branded and own-brand retail outlets, visitor services and attractions (e.g., Winterbourne House & Gardens), student housing, transport, waste disposal and recycling. CS is a highly commercial organisation operating within the University context and has an ambitious strategic agenda, in terms of growing our service profile across both our Birmingham and Dubai campuses.
Our Nurseries
Join the award-winning team at Birmingham Day Nurseries - the perfect place to learn and grow.
The University operates 3 successful day nurseries – The Elms and The Maples (both in Edgbaston), and The Oaks (in Selly Oak) – providing high quality childcare for over 330 children belonging to University staff, students and local families.
You will be joining a dedicated and supportive team of over 120 nursery professionals with many years of experience, in a warm and welcoming environment where you will be encouraged to develop and thrive.
Pre-appointment checks
In line with recommendations and regulations relating to Early Years safeguarding and recruitment, please note that for this role:
- The University will seek references from at least one referee prior to interview. Candidates must therefore provide at least one referee whom we can contact immediately. The remaining referees will usually only be contacted if you are offered appointment. Please indicate clearly on your application form which referee(s) we may contact prior to interview.
- Candidates invited to interview will be asked to disclose all past names, for the sole purpose of verifying identity for Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and safeguarding checks. Candidates will be asked to bring documents to verify their identity (e.g. birth/adoption certificate and any evidence of name changes).
- All successful candidates will be required to undergo a DBS check covering all names used.
Role Summary
The role of the Nursery SEND and Inclusion Lead is to help ensure the setting is inclusive for every child, regardless of background, ability, language, or circumstance. Alongside our wider teams, they will embed inclusive values, practice, and culture across the whole setting with a focus on equity, access, and participation for all children. The SEND and Inclusion Lead will support management in ensuring that all children attending the University of Birmingham nurseries receive high-quality care and education in a safe and secure environment where they feel welcomed and valued, with the opportunity to reach their full potential.
The post holder will be required to prioritise the safeguarding and wellbeing of the children in our nurseries and will need to work closely with parents, colleagues and external professionals in order to achieve this.
Main Duties
- Support Nursery Leadership teams in the development and implementation of the UOB Nursery SEND and Inclusion Strategy and ensuring that inclusion is embodied by all members of the nurseries and regularly included as part of our audits.
- Support the Nursery Management teams to monitor the day‑to‑day operation of the setting’s SEND policy and help coordinate SEND provision across all sites, ensuring that all staff have the understanding and knowledge to implement policies, procedures and relevant strategies.
- Where needed, seek out additional support for those children that may need it, including applying for additional funding, such as ISEY, SSPP, EHCP, EYPP and ensure that funds are utilised effectively and in accordance with children’s individual plans.
- Support management with the design, review and implementation of a setting‑wide approach that ensures early identification and that every child identified with SEND receives high‑quality, inclusive support that enables them to make meaningful progress and reach their full potential in accordance with the Graduated Approach.
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date records that help evidence the child and family’s journey and the support being provided or required.
- Draw on a range of sources, including the views of the child, to inform the advice and support being given to practitioners in determining the most appropriate strategies for improving children’s outcomes.
- Complete applications and comprehensive reports for sharing with external agencies and to access additional support for children
- Support keyworkers in fulfilling the sector responsibility of planning enhanced transitions for those children that may find the process challenging, liaising with external professionals including schools.
- Support the Nursery Management team in helping all practitioners within the setting to understand their responsibilities towards inclusion and how they may need to adapt their practice or approach to meet the differing needs of the children in their care, including those with SEND, those who are deemed as ‘Looked after’, those identified as vulnerable or those less advantaged families.
- Support the planning and delivery of training o