Early Years Outreach Officer

Vacancy Information

The salary advertised is full time (35 hours per week). Part-time hours will be pro-rated accordingly.

Hourly rate of pay: £20.41 - £22.74

Temporary until 1st March 2026.
Days and Hours of Work:
Working 3 days a week, 09:00-17:00
Working days to be negotiated with preferred candidate, flexible starting and finishing times.
To start asap.

This post has been developed to support and take forward the multi-agency planning for pre-school children who have significant and complex additional support needs. The post holders base will be John Muir house in Haddington and they will be required to visit our various school settings including our provisions for children with severe and complex needs. The post holder will be a key member of the East Lothian Early Years Whole Family Well Being Team that offers relevant and timely support for pre-school children. They will work closely with staff across East Lothian schools, healthcare and educational professionals and East Lothian private providers of Early Years care to assess children’s needs and identity the most appropriate interventions and placements for children aged 0-3 with additional support needs. They will work closely with families to offer support, guidance and practice relevant to their child’s needs. A key focus will be on supporting families to develop appropriate skills in Augmentative and Alternative Communication and play-based learning.

Home Working Consideration
Applications for homeworking or hybrid working will be considered for this post, subject to a trial period and in accordance with East Lothian Council’s Home Working and Worksmart Policies which can be found here. Home or Hybrid working options can be discussed with candidates invited for interview. All applicants must live in the UK and will be expected to attend Council offices from time to time as required.

Job Details

To oversee the specialist outreach service supporting children under three years of age with Additional Support Needs (ASN) and their families across East Lothian Council, working collaboratively with relevant education, health and social care services to ensure positive outcomes and identify appropriate pathways in order to meet children’s needs.

Please download the Job Outline/Person Specification (available under 'Job Attachments') for the full range of tasks and duties associated with this job. You will need to refer to these in order to complete the application form. You must ensure you meet every 'essential' criteria stated on the Person Specification to be considered for interview.

The ‘East Lothian Way’– values and behaviours we expect our employees to demonstrate in their everyday work. Should you be invited to interview, you may be asked questions based on these behaviours. Please refer to the document via the link to familiarise yourself with them.

Job Requirements

Relevant Qualifications
Must hold, or be in the process of working towards, a BA Childhood Practice or equivalent qualifications that meet the SSSC Registration requirements for this post.

Must be able to register as a “Manager” with Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) and Care Inspectorate.

Attendance at recent training courses with a focus on Additional Support Needs.

Driving Licence
A full current driving licence is desirable for this post.

PVG Membership
This post is considered as Regulated Work with vulnerable children and/or protected adults, as specified in the Protection of Vulnerable Groups (Scotland) Act 2007.

All preferred candidates for posts carrying out regulated work with these groups will be required to become a PVG Scheme member, or undergo a PVG Scheme update if they are already a member, prior to any formal offer of employment being made by East Lothian Council.

Please note: PVG member’s records are constantly updated with any new vetting information that arises. Any information that is disclosed on a PVG membership or update check, if relevant to the post being applied for, will be discussed with the applicant and investigated prior to any formal offer being made.

Please note:
If you have spent more than 3 months working or living outwith the UK in the last 5 years then you will be required to present a copy of an overseas criminal record check. Details of how to apply and contact details can be found on the GOV.UK website.

Additional Information

For additional East Lothian Council employment information please click on the following link: www.eastlothian.gov.uk/nonteachinginfo

If you have any difficulties creating an account on MyJobScotland or applying for this post please contact the MyJobScotland support team via this link https://www.myjobscotland.gov.uk/contact-us.

If you require further information about this vacancy, please call 01620 827868, or email us on recruitment@eastlothian.gov.uk

Please note: We do not accept CV's (either electronically or by mail). All our vacancies must be applied for by fully completing the on-line application form. Although there is an ‘import data from my CV’ function on MyJobScotland, this only imports very limited data and should not be relied upon to complete the application form.