Best Start in Life Advisor - Birth to Settled Adulthood

The Birth to Settled Adulthood (B2SA) Advisor will carry a caseload of children in and around West Dorset, with occasional work in other areas as needed.

The role focuses on families with pre-school children - from birth through to starting pre-school - where a child has learning difficulties, physical disabilities, or other special educational needs. You'll provide practical support, advice, and guidance that helps parents and carers feel confident in meeting their child's needs day to day.

Most of your time will be spent working directly with families in their homes, on a one-to-one basis with children and their parents or carers. The aim is to build skills and confidence so families can play an active part in their child's development - not just receive support, but genuinely own it.

You'll sit within the B2SA Team alongside social workers, family workers, and occupational therapists, and connect into a wider service that includes a Short Breaks Team, Young Carers Team, and Preparation for Adulthood Team. Day to day, you'll coordinate regularly with health colleagues, SEN caseworkers, education settings, and specialist provisions to make sure families get a joined-up response rather than a fragmented one.

As a Best Start in Life Advisor within Dorset’s Birth to Settled Adulthood team, you’ll play a vital role in giving every child the strongest possible start. This is a hands-on, relationship-focused role where you’ll work directly with families and professionals to support early development and smooth transitions.

What You’ll Do

• Observe and Understand: Spend time with children and families to identify strengths, interests, and developmental needs. 

• Create and Deliver: Design play-based activities tailored to each child’s stage and goals, making learning fun and meaningful. 

• Empower Families: Offer practical advice, encouragement, and signposting to services that help parents and carers feel confident and supported. 

• Collaborate for Success: Work closely with health, education, and social care professionals to ensure seamless transitions at key milestones. 

• Lead Targeted Sessions: Deliver engaging Stay and Play sessions in Family Hubs, focusing on age-appropriate, needs-led topics. 

What You’ll Bring

• Experience and Insight: Proven ability to work with very young children, including those with additional needs, and their families. 

• Assessment and Planning Skills: Confidence in assessing developmental needs and creating activity programmes linked to long-term goals. 

• Adaptability: Carry out regular home visits, monitor progress, and adjust activities to keep families moving forward. 

• Family-Centred Approach: Skilled in coaching parents/carers to develop play, communication, and relationships so they can take the lead. 

• Strong Core Skills: Excellent interpersonal, organisational, and IT skills, including proficiency in MS Teams and internal platforms. 

• Team Spirit: Commitment to collaborative working with locality-based Advisors through joint training and shared learning.

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Successful candidates must attend the accredited three-day National Portage Association (NPA) Training Workshop if not already NPA trained.