Role: Early Years Specialist (Access and Inclusion) x 2 (Dublin based)
Service: Better Start: National Early Years Quality Development
Reporting to: Service Coordinator

Role Purpose/Summary:

Better Start National Early Years Quality Development Initiative was established in 2014 by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in association with the Department of Education and Skills to coordinate the work of existing State-funded supports for quality in early year’s settings and to manage the Early Years Specialist Service. This Service works with early years settings in a mentoring capacity to promote and develop the quality of practice, as set out in Síolta, the National Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education, and Aistear, the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework.

Better Start is a Government initiative. It is fully funded by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and is hosted by Pobal on behalf of the Department.
In June 2015, an Inter-Departmental Group led by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs with representatives from the Department of Education and Skills and the Department of Health and other Statutory and specialist agencies was established to agree a model that would support access to the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme for children with a disability. A model for inclusion was developed and implementation of this model of Government-funded supports commenced in 2016. As part of this implementation, the Better Start Early Years Specialist Inclusion
Service was developed. Applications are now being invited for Early Years Specialists to be appointed to fill vacancies to implement the access and inclusion model.

The role of the Early Years Specialist (Access and Inclusion) is to support a range of diverse early years ECCE settings to assist them in enabling inclusive practice and the optimal participation of a child with disability in the pre-school room.
The Early Years Specialist, (Access and Inclusion) team will work in partnership with the management/staff to develop and implement the service which will be informed by the core elements of Síolta and
Aistear.

Selection Process

Selection will involve short listing of applicants for interview based on the criteria for the position as outlined in this job description.  Not all applicants who meet the criteria may be shortlisted.
A panel may be created to fill future vacancies.
Closing date for applications is Friday 03rd November 2017.
Please complete the application form provided and email a copy to hrenquiries@pobal.ie

Pobal is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes suitably qualified applicants from all sections of society.