Communications Support Worker - Enhanced Resource Base (Autism)

Allscreens Nationwide Ltd; Ely; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 23,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

CPD programmes

Career development

Job summary

Witchford Village College in Ely, Cambridgeshire, is seeking a Communications Support Worker to assist students with autism in a 11-16 community college setting. The role focuses on enabling effective communication, building relationships and promoting independence within a supportive SEND team.

The successful candidate will work with teachers, therapists, families and external professionals to deliver consistent, person-centred support and to help students progress socially, emotionally and

Qualifications

• Experience of working with children or young people with Autism and/or SLCN
• Good literacy, numeracy and ICT skills.
• Assist with training and CPD opportunities for colleagues would be an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Enable effective communication and build positive relationships for students with autism.
• Promote independence and self-advocacy in learners.
• Collaborate with teachers, therapists, families and external professionals to deliver consistent, person-centred support.
• Support students to progress socially, emotionally and academically, in an inclusive mainstream education context.

Skills

Calm demeanor

Empathetic approach

Autism support

Sensory processing awareness

Anxiety awareness

Communication strategies

AAC strategies

Visual supports

Structured teaching

TEACCH

Social stories

Collaboration

Inclusion focus

Education

Level 2 or 3 Award in Understanding Autism

AET training (Making Sense of Autism / Good Autism Practice)

SLCN training

Communication books / AAC devices experience

Sensory processing training

Tools

AAC devices

Communication books

Job description

Communications Support Worker - Enhanced Resource Base (Autism)

What skills and experience we're looking for

• Have a calm, patient and empathetic approach and understand that all behaviour is communication.
• Be skilled in supporting students with Autism including those who may experience sensory processing differences, anxiety, demand avoidance, or communication barriers.
• Have experience of using visual supports, structured teaching approaches (e.g. TEACCH), social stories, communication boards, and other augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)strategies.
• Be able to adapt communication styles to meet individual student needs and promote functional communication,self-advocacy and independence.
• Support students to make progress socially,emotionally and academically,with a strong commitment to promoting successful inclusion in mainstream education where appropriate.
• Work collaboratively with teachers, therapists,families and external professionals to deliver consistent, person-centred support.

Essential qualifications and experience

• Experience of working with children or young people with Autism and/orSpeech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN).
• Good literacy,numeracy and ICT skills.

The successful candidate will be committed to improving outcomes for students with autism by enabling them to communicate effectively, build positive relationships, developindependenceand achieve their full potential. The ability to share knowledge and effective practice through training and CPD opportunities for colleagues would be an advantage.

Desirable qualifications and training

• Level 2 or Level 3 Award in Understanding Autism (or equivalent).
• Autism Education Trust (AET) training, including Making Sense of Autism or Good Autism Practice.
• Training in Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN).
• Experience using communication books or electronic communication devices.
• Training in sensory processing and supporting sensory regulation.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a dedicated SEND team and make a genuine difference to the lives of young people with autism.

What the school offers its staff

Witchford Village College is a successful and expanding 11-16 Community College covering a rural catchment area close to the beautiful and historic city of Ely, 16 miles north of Cambridge.

As a college, we are committed to investing in our teaching assistants, in developing their talent through high-quality training and experiences. We also encourage our exceptional teaching assistants the opportunity to undertake further training as a route into teaching profession.

We offer sector leading staff benefits alongside bespoke, high-quality CPD programmes, cross-trust events, and exceptional opportunities for career development within our innovative family of schools across East Anglia.

• We value our staff very highly and prioritise our support for colleagues across all schools as a result.
• We enhance life for students, staff and parents by working together as a community of schools.
• We value world class outcomes in progress, attainment and development for all.
• We are wholly inclusive celebrating diversity and understanding individual needs.

Commitment to safeguarding

Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults. We expect all staff, volunteers and trustees to share this commitment. Our recruitment process follows the keeping children safe in education guidance. Offers of employment may be subject to the following checks (where relevant): childcare disqualification Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) medical online and social media prohibition from teaching right to work satisfactory references suitability to work with children You must tell us about any unspent conviction, cautions, reprimands or warnings under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975.