Autism Support Teaching Assistant

senploy; Liverpool; On-site; GBP 20,000 - 24,000; Full time

Job summary

Senploy is seeking an experienced Autism Support Teaching Assistant for a full-time role in Fazakerley, Liverpool. You will work with pupils with autism and learning difficulties, providing individual and small-group support throughout the school day.

You'll collaborate with teachers and therapists to tailor strategies, use visual schedules and alternative communication, support transitions and personal care as needed, and monitor progress.

Qualifications

• Previous experience supporting autistic children or individuals with learning difficulties.
• Ability to observe, understand, and adapt to individual needs.
• Strong communication and teamwork with teachers and therapists.

Responsibilities

• Provide individual or small-group learning support
• Adapt activities and resources to make learning accessible
• Use visual schedules, prompts or alternative communication strategies
• Prepare pupils for transitions or changes to routine
• Support sensory regulation
• Reinforce communication and interaction skills
• Help pupils participate in group activities
• Support emotional regulation
• Follow individual learning and support plans
• Monitor progress and record observations
• Provide personal care when required
• Work with teachers, therapists and other specialists

Skills

Autism knowledge

Communication

Patience

Teamwork

Personal care

Job description

There isn't a standard approach to autism - One pupil may communicate confidently but find social situations overwhelming, another may use limited verbal communication.

Someone might actively seek sensory input while another finds noise, touch or a change in routine extremely difficult.

And strategies that work brilliantly for one young person may be completely inappropriate for the next.

That's why we're looking for an experienced Autism Support Teaching Assistant in Fazakerley who understands the importance of getting to know the individual rather than simply the diagnosis.

You’ll work with children and young people with autism and learning difficulties, providing individual and small-group support throughout the school day.

You’ll work closely with teachers and specialist colleagues to understand each pupil’s strengths, needs, communication preferences and individual support strategies.

Depending on the pupil, you may:

- Provide individual or small-group learning support

- Adapt activities and resources to make learning more accessible

- Use visual schedules, prompts or alternative communication strategies

- Prepare pupils for transitions or changes to routine

- Support sensory regulation

- Reinforce communication and interaction skills

- Help pupils participate in group activities

- Support emotional regulation

- Follow individual learning and support plans

- Monitor progress and record relevant observations

- Provide personal care, including toileting, feeding and hygiene where required

- Work alongside teachers, therapists and other specialist professionals

An autistic pupil refusing an activity may not simply be unwilling to participate. The environment could be overwhelming. They may not understand what's expected. The transition might have happened too quickly. The communication may not have been accessible. Or the activity itself might simply be too difficult - or too easy.

We're looking for someone who is willing to observe, understand and adapt, rather than assuming the same response means the same thing every time.

For this particular role, previous experience supporting autistic children or young people and/or individuals with learning difficulties would be highly valuable.

That experience could have been developed through:

SEND Education | Specialist Schools | Autism Provision | Learning Disability Support | Care | Residential Services

You’ll need:

- A good practical understanding of autism

- Experience adapting your approach around individual needs

- Patience and emotional resilience

- Clear and professional communication

- Confidence providing personal care where required

- The ability to work collaboratively with different professionals

- A strong commitment to safeguarding

Experience using visual communication, sensory approaches or other autism-specific strategies would be particularly useful.

This is a full-time position in Fazakerley, Liverpool, paying £110-£130 per day, depending on your experience.

You’ll join a supportive education team and have opportunities to continue developing your specialist SEND knowledge and practice.

If you're looking for a role where your experience of autism is genuinely relevant - and you understand that good support starts with learning about the person in front of you - we'd like to hear from you.