PMLD Teaching Assistant

Senploy; Todmorden; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 22,000; Full time

Job summary

Senploy in Todmorden is seeking a PMLD Teaching Assistant to support pupils with complex learning, communication, physical and personal-care needs in a specialist education setting.

You’ll work closely with individual pupils throughout the school day, assisting with sensory activities, mobility and communication cues while safeguarding dignity and independence.

Prior PMLD or complex-needs experience is useful; ongoing training and support will be provided.

Qualifications

• Previous experience supporting people with PMLD, complex SEND, physical disabilities or significant learning difficulties would be particularly useful.
• Relevant experience may have been gained within a specialist school, SEND provision, care setting or another environment supporting children, young people or adults with complex needs.
• You’ll need to be comfortable with the personal-care requirements of the position and able to provide close physical support where appropriate.

Responsibilities

• Provide individual and small-group support.
• Assist with sensory and communication-based learning.
• Support pupils with complex physical and learning disabilities.
• Use adapted resources and specialist equipment.
• Support mobility and positioning according to individual plans.
• Assist with eating, drinking and personal-care routines.
• Encourage interaction, choice-making and communication.
• Work alongside teachers during structured learning activities.
• Support programmes recommended by therapists and other specialists.
• Observe pupils carefully and record relevant progress or responses.

Job description

Working with pupils with Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD) isn't conventional classroom support.

Learning might happen through sound, touch, movement, sensory exploration or intensive interaction. Communication may be through facial expressions, eye movements, gestures, vocalisations or assistive technology.

Getting to know a pupil well enough to recognise those responses is an important part of the job.

We're recruiting a PMLD Teaching Assistant to work within a specialist education setting in Todmorden, supporting pupils with complex learning, communication, physical and personal-care needs.

You’ll work closely with individual pupils throughout their school day, supporting both their education and their wider physical, communication and developmental needs.

This could involve helping a pupil engage in a sensory activity, supporting them with positioning or mobility, assisting during a therapy session or recognising and responding to their individual communication cues.

You’ll also provide personal care, which may include feeding, toileting and changing. This is an important part of the position and should always be approached in a way that protects each pupil’s dignity, comfort and independence.

During the school day you may:

• Provide individual and small-group support.
• Assist with sensory and communication-based learning.
• Support pupils with complex physical and learning disabilities.
• Use adapted resources and specialist equipment.
• Support mobility and positioning according to individual plans.
• Assist with eating, drinking and personal-care routines.
• Encourage interaction, choice-making and communication.
• Work alongside teachers during structured learning activities.
• Support programmes recommended by therapists and other specialists.
• Observe pupils carefully and record relevant progress or responses.

Pupils with PMLD can have multiple professionals involved in their education and care.

You’ll therefore work alongside teachers and other support staff and may also have input from professionals such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists.

Consistency matters. You’ll need to follow individual support, communication, moving-and-handling and care plans carefully while feeding back anything important you observe.

Previous experience supporting people with PMLD, complex SEND, physical disabilities or significant learning difficulties would be particularly useful.

Relevant experience may have been gained within a specialist school, SEND provision, care setting or another environment supporting children, young people or adults with complex needs.

You’ll need to be comfortable with the personal-care requirements of the position and able to provide close physical support where appropriate.

Just as importantly, we’re looking for someone who is:

Someone who won’t assume that limited verbal communication means limited understanding.

Someone who notices the small responses that tell you whether a pupil is engaged, comfortable, interested or trying to communicate.

And someone who understands that progress for a pupil with PMLD needs to be measured against their own individual starting point.

You’ll receive ongoing support and opportunities to develop your knowledge of specialist SEND practice, including the approaches used when supporting pupils with complex needs.

If you already have PMLD experience - or relevant complex-needs experience and want to move into specialist education - we’d be interested in hearing from you.