SEMH Teaching Assistant

Protocol Education Ltd; Dudley; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 22,000; Full time

Job summary

A specialist educational provider in Dudley is seeking an SEMH Teaching Assistant to support children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs. You will play a crucial role in helping students manage their feelings and access learning, all within a nurturing environment focusing on therapeutic support. The role demands experience working with children with complex needs, a calm demeanor, and a passion for building relationships that enhance learning. Expect a supportive team and ongoing training opportunities.

Benefits

Ongoing training and development

Genuinely supportive team

Chance to make a lasting difference

Qualifications

• Experience supporting children with SEMH, trauma, ASD, PDA, or additional needs is required.
• Ability to remain calm in challenging situations.

Responsibilities

• Support pupils emotionally and academically in the classroom.
• Help pupils manage their feelings and build routines.

Skills

Experience supporting children or young people with SEMH

Calm demeanor during challenges

Ability to build relationships

Job description

We’re working with an independent specialist setting in Dudley that provides SEN education within a calm, carefully tailored learning environment. The school supports children and young people aged 6 to 16 (and up to 19) with complex needs, including:

• Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs

• Attachment and trauma backgrounds

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)

• Moderate Learning Difficulties (MLD)

What makes this setting different?

This is a small, nurturing school where relationships come first. Class sizes are intentionally small, giving staff the time and space to really understand each pupil. The focus is on re-engaging young people with education and helping them feel safe enough to learn again.

Therapeutic support is woven into everyday school life, not bolted on. That includes:

• An on-site qualified therapist supporting pupils and staff

• Sensory rooms and specialist spaces, including a therapeutic village

• Regulation-focused activities such as story massage

• A strong, consistent approach rooted in PACE, Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy

• A deep understanding of complex trauma that shapes how adults respond, teach, and support

Your role

As an SEMH Teaching Assistant, you’ll be a steady, reassuring presence in the classroom. You’ll work closely with teachers and therapists to support pupils emotionally and academically, helping them manage their feelings, build routines, and access learning in a way that works for them.

No two days are the same, but you’ll always be part of a team that has your back.

This role could be a great fit if you:

• Have experience supporting children or young people with SEMH, trauma, ASD, PDA or additional needs

• Stay calm when things feel challenging and see behaviour as communication

• Believe relationships are the foundation of learning

• Want to work somewhere that values support staff and invests in doing things properly

What’s in it for you?

• A genuinely supportive, close-knit team

• Clear structures, consistency, and strong therapeutic input

• Ongoing training and development

• The chance to make a real, lasting difference to young people who need it most

If you’re the kind of Teaching Assistant who takes pride in being the calm in the storm and wants to feel valued for the work you do, this could be a brilliant next step.

All applicants will require the appropriate qualifications and training for this role. Please see the FAQs on the Protocol Education website for further details.

All pay rates quoted will be inclusive of 12.07% statutory holiday pay. This advert is for a temporary position. In some cases, the option to make this role permanent may become available at a later date.

Protocol Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We undertake safeguarding checks on all workers in accordance with the DfE statutory guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’, this may also include an online search as part of our due diligence on shortlisted applicants.

We offer FREE online safeguarding and Prevent Duty training to all our workers. All candidates must undertake or have undertaken a valid enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and subscribe to the DBS Update Service.

Full assistance provided. For details of our privacy policy, please see visit the Protocol Education website.