SEND Learning Support Assistant

Educato Limited; Rochdale; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 24,000; Full time

Job summary

Educato Recruitment is seeking a dedicated SEMH Support Assistant to assist pupils in a secondary provision in Rochdale. You will provide day-to-day help to pupils with SEMH needs, support emotional regulation, and encourage engagement with lessons and school activities.

We value calm, patient approaches and the ability to adapt to individual pupil needs while maintaining boundaries and ensuring a safe learning environment.

Qualifications

• Experience supporting secondary pupils with SEMH or similar needs.
• Ability to build positive relationships and maintain boundaries.
• Comfort working with young people who may require additional emotional support.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day support to secondary pupils with SEMH and associated needs.
• Build positive relationships to help pupils feel safe, understood and ready to learn.
• Support emotional regulation and help pupils develop strategies to manage difficult situations.
• Encourage engagement with lessons, routines and wider school activities.
• Respond appropriately to challenging behaviour and support pupils individually or in small groups.

Skills

SEMH experience

Patience

Boundary setting

Job description

Educato Recruitment is looking for a dedicated SEMH Support Assistant to work within a secondary alternative provision in Rochdale, supporting young people with social, emotional and mental health needs.

The provision supports pupils who may have found mainstream education difficult to access, whether due to emotional regulation, behavioural difficulties, anxiety, disengagement or other barriers to learning. The successful candidate will play an important role in helping pupils feel supported, build positive relationships and develop the confidence to engage with education.

This role would suit someone who understands that every pupil has different needs and that building trust can take time. You'll need to be approachable and understanding, whilst also being confident in maintaining boundaries and supporting pupils through challenging moments.

The role will involve:

• Providing day-to-day support to secondary-aged pupils with SEMH and associated needs.
• Providing day-to-day support to secondary-aged pupils with SEMH and associated needs.
• Building positive relationships and helping pupils feel safe, understood and ready to learn.
• Building positive relationships and helping pupils feel safe, understood and ready to learn.
• Supporting emotional regulation and helping pupils develop strategies to manage difficult situations.
• Supporting emotional regulation and helping pupils develop strategies to manage difficult situations.
• Encouraging engagement with lessons, routines and wider school activities.
• Encouraging engagement with lessons, routines and wider school activities.
• Responding appropriately to challenging behaviour and situations where pupils become dysregulated.
• Responding appropriately to challenging behaviour and situations where pupils become dysregulated.
• Supporting pupils individually and in small groups, depending on their needs.
• Supporting pupils individually and in small groups, depending on their needs.
• Working closely with teaching staff and colleagues to provide consistent support.
• Working closely with teaching staff and colleagues to provide consistent support.

Previous experience in an SEMH school, alternative provision, PRU or secondary setting would be beneficial. We'd also welcome applicants from youth work, mentoring, residential support, care or other roles involving young people with additional needs.

You should be confident working with pupils who may be reluctant to engage, struggle with trust or need additional support to manage their emotions and behaviour.

Above all, we're looking for someone who is calm, patient, reliable and willing to adapt their approach to individual pupils.

Working with Educato

We understand that working in SEMH and alternative provision can be demanding, and having the right support around you matters.

Educato specialises in education recruitment across Greater Manchester and the North West. Our team brings together experience in teaching, school support and education recruitment, giving us a practical understanding of the environments our candidates work in.

We'll take the time to understand your experience, talk you through the setting and provide support throughout your placement.

If you're passionate about helping young people overcome barriers to education, we'd love to hear from you.