1:1 SEN Early Years Support Educator
Location: Raised in Bristol at Easton Community Centre (BS5)
Salary: £13.45–£13.96 per hour (dependant on qualifications)
Contract: Part time, 15 hours per week
Working Pattern: Thursday & Friday, 10:30am to 6:00pm

Love play, connection and making a meaningful difference every day? Come join a team that celebrates childhood, backs your creativity and gives you the space to support every child to thrive in their own way.

At Raised In, we believe in the power of education to shape the future, and we're looking for a compassionate and attentive Early Years professional to join our team in a 1:1 SEN support role. This is a rewarding opportunity to provide consistent, nurturing support that helps a child access play, learning and daily routines with confidence and independence.

The nursery is located in the vibrant community of Easton, just a 5-minute walk from Stapleton Road and Lawrence Hill Roundabout, both have regular bus links across Bristol, also only a 10-minute walk from Stapleton Road train station and is easily accessible from across the city by bike. There is also free on-street parking in the local area.

Our approach centres on child-led learning through play, with a thoughtfully designed curriculum that nurtures curiosity and supports each child's unique interests. In this role, you'll play a key part in helping the child you support engage with nursery life in a way that is responsive, inclusive and tailored to their individual needs.

About the role

As a 1:1 SEN Support Educator, you will provide dedicated support for a 3-year-old child with: 

• Primary needs: Communication & Interaction
• Emerging communication skills and developing engagement with nursery routines
• A limited spoken language profile
• Strong interests in music, movement, sensory exploration and cause-and-effect play

The child you will support is a fun-loving and engaging learner who enjoys songs, dancing and anticipation games such as Hop Little Bunnies and Round and Round the Garden. She loves exploring how things work, particularly mechanical toys and objects that fit together and interact with one another. She is currently fascinated by the colour pink and may strongly prefer toys and materials of that colour. She often explores resources by mouthing them and benefits from support to find safe sensory alternatives. 

You will:

• Support the child to access nursery routines, play opportunities and learning experiences with growing confidence and independence
• Respond sensitively to verbal and non-verbal communication, developing an understanding of the child's individual ways of expressing needs and choices
• Use clear, concise language, visual supports and consistent approaches to promote communication and understanding
• Follow the child's interests to encourage engagement, interaction and learning
• Support safe sensory exploration by redirecting to appropriate resources where needed
• Provide patient and nurturing support during mealtimes, helping the child engage with nursery meal routines
• Build a trusting relationship that provides reassurance while promoting independence
• Support emotional regulation and wellbeing, remaining calm and consistent during moments of distress
• Work closely with the nursery team, SENCo and family to provide consistent support and celebrate progress
• Respond sensitively to verbal and non-verbal communication, developing an understanding of the child's individual ways of expressing needs and choices 
• Support the child's developing communication skills, helping to reduce frustration and ensure she feels understood and heard

What about you?

You're the kind of person who...

• Is patient, observant and able to recognise and respond to verbal and non-verbal communication
• Enjoys building meaningful relationships with children and adapting support to their individual needs
• Feels confident supporting children with emerging communication skills and limited spoken language
• Takes a child-led approach and can use children's interests to support learning and engagement
• Is confident supporting mealtimes and encouraging positive participation in daily routines
• Can safely support sensory exploration and identify appropriate alternatives where needed
• Remains calm, nurturing and responsive when supporting emotional regulation
• Values inclusion and believes every child deserves access to play, learning and meaningful relationships

You’ll have (in line with Raised in Behaviours)

• The ability to contribute to creating a welcoming, inclusive, collaborative and supportive environment 
• Children’s needs at the forefront of everything that you do 
• A positive mindset, approaching tasks with a can-do-attitude 
• A strong work ethic, setting a good example for others and supporting your team 
• The want to make a difference, working in partnership positively with your team 
• The want to be part of trying or suggesting new initiatives and ways of doing things
• High standards for yourself, team and the nursery
• A reflective mindset, open to feedback and ongoing self-improvement

Who we are

Raised In is a social enterprise and we’re all about people, purpose and proper community spirit. We’re an ethical employer that puts our team first, because when our people thrive, our children and communities do too. We offer great pay, brilliant benefits and a workplace where you can learn, grow and genuinely enjoy what you do.

We started in Bristol with a simple idea: to provide high-quality early years education whilst supporting community spaces. Today, our nurseries help keep local hubs buzzing while giving children the kind of play-led, curiosity filled start every child deserves.

Why work with us?

We really value our expert team. As well as offering competitive pay for all roles in a friendly and supportive team, you’ll receive lots of great benefits:

• Competitive pay (We’re a Real Living Wage Employer)
• Annual pay reviews
• Paid one hour lunch break
• 50% off for your child in our nurseries
• Enhanced maternity & paternity pay
• Enhanced sick pay
• Employer pension
• ‘Refer a friend’ bonus for introducing new team members to us
• 28 days holiday (inc bank holidays, FTE)
• Your Birthday off and an Annual Wellbeing Day  (in addition to your annual leave) 
• Plus, extra days off between Christmas and New Year
• Additional annual leave for long service
• 24/7 access to a remote GP, physio and counselling services for you and your family
• Career progression and training opportunities

Find out more about working with us visit the careers page on our website.

Applicant requirements

To apply for this role you'll need:

• Experience supporting children or young people with SEND in a professional setting 
• Experience working in a 1:1 support role or similar position 
• Experience supporting children with communication and interaction needs, including children with limited or emerging spoken language 
• A good understanding of inclusive practice and child-centred support 
• Confidence in building positive relationships with children, families and professionals 
• A patient, nurturing and adaptable approach

Desirable:

• A full and relevant Early Years qualification (Level 2 or Level 3) 
• Experience supporting communication and interaction needs, including autism 
• Experience using visual supports, intensive interaction, co-regulation or sensory-informed approaches 
• Experience supporting children with sensory-seeking behaviours and selective eating 
• Confidence in following a child's lead and adapting support to their interests and communication style

This role is linked to specific SEN support funding and may be subject to review.

As a part of our safer recruitment policy and commitment to safeguarding, we will require you to complete our application form directly on our website during the process. It’s super easy to use and mobile-friendly.

Raised In is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects everyone working with us to share this commitment. The successful candidate will be subject to an enhanced DBS check and satisfactory references.