1:1 SEMH Mentor

Teaching Personnel; West of England; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 24,000; Full time

Job summary

Teaching Personnel is recruiting for a 1:1 SEMH Mentor to support pupils across Central & South Bristol in mainstream secondary settings. You will provide dedicated, consistent 1:1 mentoring to students with SEMH needs, helping with emotional regulation, engagement and resilience.

The role is full-time, Monday to Friday, with a focus on building trust, maintaining boundaries and collaborating with pastoral teams. Previous SEMH or youth-work experience is highly valued.

Qualifications

• Previous experience working with children or young people
• Experience supporting SEMH, behaviour or vulnerable learners
• Strong relationship-building and communication skills
• Ability to commit consistently to a full-time placement
• Resilient and adaptable approach
• Strong understanding of professional boundaries and safeguarding
• Enhanced DBS, or willingness to apply for one

Responsibilities

• Provide consistent 1:1 support throughout the school day
• Build a strong, professional and trusting relationship with your student
• Support emotional regulation and help prevent situations from escalating
• Encourage positive engagement with lessons and school routines
• Help students manage periods of frustration, anxiety or dysregulation
• Deliver targeted mentoring and intervention activities
• Support students both inside and outside the classroom
• Help develop confidence, resilience and independence
• Work closely with pastoral, SEND and teaching teams
• Provide stability and consistency for a student who may have previously struggled within education

Skills

Relationship building

Emotional resilience

De-escalation

Patience

Communication skills

Job description

1:1 SEMH Mentor

Central & South Bristol

Full-Time | Monday-Friday

Start Date: ASAP

Mainstream Secondary Schools

Could you be the consistent, trusted adult that helps a young person re-engage with education?

I am recruiting for a mix of mainstream secondary schools across Central and South Bristol for experienced and resilient 1:1 SEMH Mentors to provide dedicated support to students with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs.

This is a relationship-led role. You will work closely with an individual student who may struggle with emotional regulation, behaviour, confidence or engagement with learning. They need someone who is calm, reliable, patient and able to build genuine trust, while maintaining clear and consistent boundaries.

For the right person, this is an opportunity to have a real impact on a young person's experience of education.

About the Role

As a 1:1 SEMH Mentor, you will:

• Provide consistent 1:1 support throughout the school day
• Build a strong, professional and trusting relationship with your student
• Support emotional regulation and help prevent situations from escalating
• Encourage positive engagement with lessons and school routines
• Help students manage periods of frustration, anxiety or dysregulation
• Deliver targeted mentoring and intervention activities
• Support students both inside and outside the classroom
• Help develop confidence, resilience and independence
• Work closely with pastoral, SEND and teaching teams
• Provide stability and consistency for a student who may have previously struggled within education

Who Might You Support?

Students may:

• Have identified SEMH needs
• Have ADHD, Autism or additional SEND alongside SEMH
• Find emotional regulation challenging
• Become overwhelmed, frustrated or disengaged from learning
• Struggle to build positive relationships with adults or peers
• Need support with behaviour, attendance or motivation
• Have experienced disruption or difficult circumstances outside of education
• Be at risk of exclusion or further disengagement

The behaviour can sometimes be unpredictable, so you'll need to be someone who doesn't take things personally and can remain calm and consistent when a young person is having a difficult day.

The Person We're Looking For

We'd particularly like to hear from someone who is:

• Calm and emotionally resilient
• Excellent at building relationships with young people
• Patient, empathetic and non-judgemental
• Comfortable supporting behaviour that can be challenging or unpredictable
• Able to set clear, consistent boundaries
• Confident with de-escalation and positive intervention
• Reliable and able to offer the student much-needed consistency
• Passionate about understanding the reason behind behaviour, rather than simply reacting to it

Relevant Experience

Previous experience working with young people is essential. Suitable backgrounds could include:

• SEMH Support Worker
• Behaviour Mentor
• Teaching Assistant / LSA
• Youth Worker
• Pastoral Support
• Alternative Provision
• Residential Children's Support
• SEND Support
• Family Support
• Sports or Community Mentoring
• Children's Mental Health Support

School-based experience is highly desirable, although candidates with strong transferable experience supporting vulnerable young people are also encouraged to apply.

Requirements

• Previous experience working with children or young people
• Experience supporting SEMH, behaviour or vulnerable learners
• Strong relationship-building and communication skills
• Ability to commit consistently to a full-time placement
• Resilient and adaptable approach
• Strong understanding of professional boundaries and safeguarding
• Enhanced Child-Only DBS, or willingness to apply for one

Why Apply?

• Build a meaningful 1:1 working relationship with a young person
• See the direct impact your support can have on their confidence and engagement
• Gain valuable experience within SEMH, pastoral and inclusion support
• Work alongside experienced SEND and pastoral professionals
• Access ongoing CPD and training
• Long-term opportunities with potential for progression

All applicants will require the appropriate qualifications and training for this role. Please see the FAQ’s on the Teaching Personnel website for details.

All pay rates quoted will be inclusive of 12.07% statutory holiday pay. This advert is for a temporary position. In some cases, the option to make this role permanent may become available at a later date.

Teaching Personnel is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We undertake safeguarding checks on all workers in accordance with DfE statutory guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’ this may also include an online search as part of our due diligence on shortlisted applicants.

We offer all our registered candidates FREE child protection and prevent duty training. All candidates must undertake or have undertaken a valid enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Full assistance provided.

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