SEND Support Assistant | Psychology Graduates Welcome

Protocol Education Ltd; Ferryhill; On-site; GBP 17,000 - 20,000; Full time

Job summary

Protocol Education are recruiting for a 1:1 SEND Support Assistant to join a specialist school in Ferryhill, supporting a pupil with Autism. You'll gain valuable experience understanding behaviour, emotional regulation, sensory needs and individualised support — all while making a real difference to a child's school experience.

This role is Full Time, Term Time Only, starting September 2026, with pay £92.63–£108 per day depending on experience.

Qualifications

• Recent psychology graduates welcomed to apply.
• Interest in SEND, autism and mental health.
• Willingness to learn with guidance.

Responsibilities

• Support a pupil on a 1:1 basis
• Develop an understanding of Autism and sensory needs
• Support emotional regulation and anxiety
• Help manage transitions and changes in routine
• Use structured and predictable approaches
• Encourage communication and independence
• Support classroom learning and engagement
• Follow individual behaviour and support plans
• Work alongside experienced SEND professionals

Skills

Psychology graduate

Behaviour management

Communication

Empathy

Resilience

Education

Psychology degree

Job description

SEND Support Assistant | Psychology Graduates Welcome | Ferryhill

Location: Ferryhill Job Type: Full Time, Term Time Only Start Date: September 2026 Pay: £92.63–£108 per day, dependent on experience

Looking to turn your Psychology degree into practical experience?

If you've recently graduated in Psychology and are considering a career working with children, SEND, behaviour or mental health, this could be the opportunity you've been looking for.

Protocol Education are recruiting for a 1:1 SEND Support Assistant to join a specialist school in Ferryhill, supporting a pupil with Autism.

You’ll gain valuable experience understanding behaviour, emotional regulation, sensory needs and individualised support — all while making a real difference to a child's school experience.

What you'll learn and do

• Support a pupil on a 1:1 basis
• Develop an understanding of Autism and sensory needs
• Support emotional regulation and anxiety
• Help manage transitions and changes in routine
• Use structured and predictable approaches
• Encourage communication and independence
• Support classroom learning and engagement
• Follow individual behaviour and support plans
• Work alongside experienced SEND professionals

The pupil can become dysregulated, so the role requires someone who can remain calm, patient and consistent during challenging situations.

Who would suit this role?

This position could be ideal for:

• Psychology graduates
• Criminology or Sociology graduates with relevant experience
• Experienced Teaching Assistants
• Autism Support Workers
• Care Workers
• Youth Workers
• Behaviour Mentors
• Residential Support Workers

We're looking for someone who is reliable, empathetic, resilient and genuinely interested in understanding the reasons behind behaviour.

Build your experience with Protocol Education

You'll receive:

• Weekly PAYE pay
• FREE CPD Academy
• FREE SEND training
• FREE Thrive training
• Dedicated consultant support
• Long-term SEND opportunities
• Experience within specialist education

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.