Complex Communication and Autism Teaching Assistant

Coombe House School; Leeds; On-site; GBP 21,000 - 26,000; Full time

Job summary

Co‑op Academies Trust in Leeds is seeking a dedicated role to supervise and support pupils with special needs, ensuring safety and access to learning. The post holder will assist a qualified teacher, delivering planned activities and differentiating to individual needs, while supporting health, wellbeing and safeguarding in and out of lesson times.

Formal training will be provided in specialist strategies, safeguarding, GDPR, and Team Teach.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and provide support for pupils with special needs and disabilities, ensuring their safety and access to learning activities.
• Deliver planned learning activities to pupils under the professional direction of a qualified teacher, adapting to individual needs.
• Assist with health, safety and wellbeing, including personal care, moving and handling and communication needs.

Job description

To supervise and provide support for pupils with special needs and disabilities, ensuring their safety and access to learning activities. The post holder will complement the class teacher in delivering effective teaching and learning, proactively supporting the teacher in making sure that all pupils receive an appropriate and suitably challenging creative curriculum. You’ll deliver pre‑planned lessons to a learner who is educated away from the classroom but under the direction of a teacher. You will also help ensure the safety, health and wellbeing of pupils, through the delivery of care, support programmes, interventions and therapies (including feeding, personal hygiene, mental health, physical health and behavioural) across lesson and non‑lesson time. Formal training will be provided where necessary in specialist strategies, moving and handling, medical interventions, safeguarding, PREVENT, GDPR and Team Teach (de‑escalation and physical intervention to support challenging behaviour).

Responsibilities

• Supervise and provide support for pupils with special needs and disabilities, ensuring their safety and access to learning activities.
• Work under the instruction/guidance of teaching/senior staff and the supervision of your line manager.
• Provide learning activities for individuals and groups of pupils under the professional direction and supervision of a qualified teacher, differentiating and adapting learning programmes to suit the needs of allocated pupils.
• Be accountable for the support, progress and supervision of pupils within the scope of the role, including raising safeguarding concerns at the earliest opportunity and participating in school/NHS incident reporting protocols.
• Assess, record and report on development, progress and attainment as agreed with the teacher.
• Monitor and record progress and attainment, drawing any problems which cannot be resolved to the attention of the teacher.
• Assist with the implementation of individual pupils’ Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), Behaviour Plans, and NHS Care Plans – including meeting, personal hygiene, moving and handling, health, physiotherapy, eating and drinking, communication, sensory, de‑escalation and physical intervention needs.
• Deliver health interventions deemed appropriate to the role in line with Appendix 1, delegated nursing tasks (based on Royal College of Nursing guidance).
• Respond appropriately to the pupils’ needs to ensure physical and emotional wellbeing, and social development, taking into account diversity (e.g. language, culture, ability, race and religion).
• Adopt an adaptable and responsive approach to engage and motivate pupils and promote self‑esteem.
• Prepare, create and maintain a purposeful, orderly and supportive learning environment to minimise barriers to learning. Take responsibility for the care, storage, preparation, maintenance and use of equipment, including specialist resources such as communication, sensory, moving and handling, physiotherapy and medical equipment.
• Ensure familiarity with pupils’ pre‑determined learning intentions and the school’s evidence recording system to contribute accurately to the assessment of pupil progress. Provide constructive feedback to pupils, the teacher and other relevant colleagues.
• Promote positive values, attitudes and responsible behaviour. Respond to challenging behaviour in accordance with pupils’ Behaviour Support Plans and report incidents in line with the school’s policy and reporting systems.
• Encourage pupils to interact and work cooperatively with others and engage all pupils purposefully throughout the day.
• Liaise with parents and other partners as directed by teachers and senior staff; communicate and establish constructive relationships with members of the public, other professionals and organisations to support achievement and progress of pupils.
• Gather and report information from/to parents/carers as directed, taking into account parental/carer concerns and dealing with them sensitively under the direction of the teacher.
• Support pupils in the use of ICT in learning activities as directed by the teacher and develop pupils’ competence and independence in its use.
• Support teacher and other senior staff in the use of ICT for recording and reporting purposes (e.g. uploading photographs and data input for Evidence for Learning assessment tool).
• Continue to promote learning and development during lunch and break time.
• Support pupils out of lesson times, including transport before and after school and at lunchtimes, accompanying teaching staff and pupils on visits, trips and out of school activities; take responsibility for a group under the leadership of the teacher.
• Provide support for classroom colleagues through admin processes and resources, and work as partners with class teams by taking an active part in team meetings and planning discussions.
• Contribute to a positive safety culture. Put pupils first and their safety foremost.
• Carry out any other reasonable request as and when required.
• Engage professionally with training courses and opportunities provided either by the school or external providers (e.g. NHS organisations, Team Teach, Moving and Handling) and keep skills, knowledge and certification up to date.
• Apply school policies and ensure procedures are followed, including child protection, health, safety and security and confidentiality, and report any concerns.
• Follow Standard Operating Procedures (e.g. Missing Child Procedure and Emergency Services Procedure) and contribute to their review.
• Participate in your own performance development, identify and address any training needs or other learning activities and engage actively with your line manager.
• Contribute to school life and the overall vision, values and guiding principles of the school and Trust.

Training and Support

• Formal training will be provided where necessary in specialist strategies, moving and handling, medical interventions, safeguarding, PREVENT, GDPR and Team Teach (de‑escalation and physical intervention to support challenging behaviour).
• Training and supervision relating to healthcare interventions will be provided by NHS professionals.

Equality and Diversity

Co‑op Academies Trust as an aware employer is committed to safeguarding and protecting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults as its number one priority. This commitment to robust recruitment, selection and induction procedures extends to organisations and services linked to the Trust on its behalf. Co‑op Academies Trust is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of children and young people and expects all its employees and volunteers to share this commitment. This post is exempt under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2020. The successful applicant will be subject to an enhanced check by the DBS and satisfactory references. All our colleagues are expected to demonstrate a commitment to co‑operative values and principles.

Contact

Co‑op Academy Brierley
Jeannette Tonner [Brierley]
brie‑[e-mail]
Cross Green Lane
Leeds
West Yorkshire
LS9 0BA

Key Role Information