SEMH Specialist | Behaviour & Inclusion Mentor

Tradewind Recruitment; Lancashire; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Tradewind Recruitment is seeking an experienced SEMH Specialist for a dedicated secondary academy in Blackpool. You will support students aged 11-16 with SEMH challenges, delivering nurture sessions, and working within the inclusion team starting September 2026.

You will collaborate with SENCOs, Educational Psychologists, and external agencies, using trauma-informed approaches and de-escalation techniques to help pupils engage with learning and build resilience.

Qualifications

• Proven experience supporting SEMH or trauma-affected youths.
• Experience in specialist schools or PRUs or similar settings.
• Strong de-escalation skills and emotional resilience.
• Enhanced DBS on Update Service (or willingness to obtain).

Responsibilities

• 1-to-1 & Small Group Nurture: Deliver structured pastoral interventions and emotion-coaching sessions to help students identify triggers and build coping strategies.
• Inclusion Suite & Classroom Support: Support pupils within nurture rooms, sensory bases, and mainstream classrooms to maintain focus and curriculum engagement.
• Proactive De-escalation: Apply low-arousal techniques and positive handling strategies (e.g., Team Teach, CPI, MAPA) to safely manage dysregulation and crisis moments.
• Trauma-Informed Practice: Work from a relational, trauma-informed perspective, treating behaviour as communication.
• Multi-Agency & Safeguarding Link: Collaborate with SENCOs, Heads of Year, Educational Psychologists, and external agencies to track targets on individual behaviour/EHCP plans.

Skills

SEMH experience

De-escalation

Emotional resilience

Team Teach

MAPA

DBS Update Service

Safeguarding

Job description

Are you an experienced SEMH practitioner, youth worker, or resilient support assistant looking for a high-impact school role in Blackpool?

A dedicated secondary academy and specialist provision in Blackpool is recruiting a compassionate, proactive SEMH Specialist (Social, Emotional & Mental Health Support) to join their inclusion team starting this September 2026.

In this role, you will work closely with vulnerable young people (aged 11-16) who experience significant barriers to learning, including anxiety, developmental trauma, attachment difficulties, ADHD, and emotional dysregulation.

Position Overview

• 1-to-1 & Small Group Nurture: Deliver structured pastoral interventions and emotion-coaching sessions to help students identify triggers and build coping strategies.
• Inclusion Suite & Classroom Support: Support pupils within nurture rooms, sensory bases, and mainstream classrooms to maintain focus and curriculum engagement.
• Proactive De-escalation: Apply low-arousal techniques and positive handling strategies (e.g., Team Teach, CPI, MAPA) to safely manage dysregulation and crisis moments.
• Trauma-Informed Practice: Work from a relational, trauma-informed perspective, treating behaviour as communication.
• Multi-Agency & Safeguarding Link: Collaborate with SENCOs, Heads of Year, Educational Psychologists, and external agencies to track targets on individual behaviour/EHCP plans.

Candidate Requirements

• Proven practical experience supporting children or teenagers with SEMH needs, complex trauma, or severe behavioural challenges.
• Background in specialist schools, alternative provision/PRUs, youth justice, residential care, sports mentorship, or psychological support.
• Strong de-escalation skills and emotional resilience with an empathetic, non-judgemental approach.
• Positive handling training (e.g., Team Teach, Safety-Care, MAPA) is highly desirable.
• Enhanced DBS on the Update Service (or willingness to process a check before September).

Why Apply for This Role?

• Consistent Schedule: Regular daytime weekday hours with no weekend or night shifts, plus 13 weeks of paid school holidays.
• Direct Daily Impact: Meaningful work helping local Blackpool youth re-engage with education and build long-term resilience.
• Supportive Environment: Work within a dedicated multi-disciplinary inclusion and pastoral department.
• Help Blackpool secondary students build emotional resilience and achieve their potential.