LD6 has a dedicated post-16 SEND and EHCP provision, supporting young people with Education, Health and Care Plans through personalised pathways focused on preparation for adulthood, employability, independence, and progression into further education, training, supported internships and employment. LD6 operates within the wider LDT framework while providing a specialist, learner-centred model aligned with SEND Code of Practice requirements and local authority expectations. For more details please visit: https://ldtraining.ac.uk
Position: 1:1 SEND Teaching Assistant (SEMH)
Department: LD6
Employment Type: Full Time - Fixed Term (40 weeks), Term Time Only
Salary: £19,230.76 (pro-rata for 40 weeks)
Reporting Manager: Head of Post16
Highest Qualification & Professional Experience:
Essential:
GCSE English and Maths (Grade 4/C or equivalent) and either a Level 2 qualification in Learning Support, Health & Social Care, or equivalent experience supporting learners with SEND in an FE, HE, or adult learning environment.
Desirable:
Level 3 qualification in Learning Support or SEND, experience supporting Supported Internship programmes, and/or assessor qualifications.
Personal Specifications:
Essential:
- Experience working with young people with SEND and EHCPs in an educational environment
- Understanding of inclusive education principles and the barriers to learning for students with additional needs.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build positive relationships with students and tutors.
- Ability to support students in academic settings.
- Knowledge of safeguarding and commitment to promoting student welfare.
- Patience, adaptability, and enthusiasm for supporting young people in achieving their goals.
- Understanding of Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs, including how anxiety, dysregulation and impulsivity present and affect learning and behaviour.
- Ability to recognise and respond calmly to signs of anxiety, dysregulation or escalating behaviour, maintaining a consistent, non-confrontational approach.
- Understanding of Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) and the impact of severe anxiety on a young person's ability to access education.
- Ability to build and sustain a consistent, trusting, relationship-based approach with a young person who may present with high levels of anxiety, avoidance or withdrawal.
- Resilience and emotional stability to work supportively and consistently with a student presenting complex and, at times, high-need SEMH behaviours.
Desirable:
- Experience supporting students in post-16 education.
- Experience or training in emotional regulation support, de-escalation techniques, positive behaviour support or restraint-reduction approaches (e.g. Team Teach, PACE, attachment-aware or trauma-informed practice).
- Awareness of Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) and experience supporting reintegration into education following prolonged disengagement.
- Ability to remain calm, consistent and containing when working with a student who is anxious, dysregulated or displaying behaviours that challenge.
- Understanding of supported internships and vocational pathways for students with SEND.
- Knowledge of assistive technologies and adaptive learning techniques.
- Formal qualifications in SEND support, education, or youth work.
- Experience supporting a student with an EBSA or reintegration plan, including phased returns to education.
- Knowledge of anxiety management techniques and strategies for supporting young people with severe school-related anxiety.
- Experience liaising with external agencies such as CAMHS, educational psychology or attendance/EBSA support services.
About the Position:
The SEND Teaching Assistant will provide dedicated classroom support to learners with Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs) across Supported Internship Programmes and Level 2 courses. The role is essential in ensuring that students with additional needs receive the guidance, encouragement, and tailored support required to succeed in their studies. By working closely with tutors, the Teaching Assistant will help create an inclusive and structured learning environment that fosters student engagement, confidence, and academic progression.
This post is a 1:1 SEND Teaching Assistant role supporting a young person whose primary area of need is Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH). The student experiences significant difficulties with emotional regulation, impulsivity, social interaction, attention and behavioural regulation, all of which impact his ability to engage safely and consistently within educational environments. He experiences difficulties managing frustration, sharing adult attention, sustaining friendships and responding appropriately within group situations, and can become dysregulated when routines, expectations or activities do not meet his immediate needs. He requires high levels of adult support to maintain safety, engagement and emotional regulation throughout the day.
The student also presents with severe anxiety, including significant Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA), which has resulted in prolonged disengagement from education, extreme social withdrawal and increasing dependence upon his parents. He experiences overwhelming anxiety in response to social situations, unfamiliar environments and perceived observation by others, significantly limiting his ability to access education and participate within the wider community. He demonstrates reduced emotional resilience, heightened avoidance behaviours and difficulty expressing and regulating emotions when overwhelmed. His SEMH needs have resulted in substantial disruption to his education, independence, emotional wellbeing and confidence, requiring a highly personalised, relationship-based approach to enable him to re-engage successfully with learning.
The Teaching Assistant will assist in implementing differentiated teaching strategies, adapting resources, and providing one-on-one or small group support to address individual learning needs. They will play a key role in helping students develop essential academic, social, and communication skills, enabling them to progress towards their educational and career goals. Additionally, the Teaching Assistant will contribute to maintaining a positive and supportive classroom atmosphere, helping students build independence while ensuring they feel valued and understood.
As part of a collaborative team, the Teaching Assistant will liaise with tutors, SEND professionals, and other stakeholders to monitor student progress, provide feedback, and participate in review meetings. The role requires patience, adaptability, and a strong commitment to safeguarding and promoting student well-being. Through dedicated in-class support, the Teaching Assistant will empower young people with SEND to reach their full potential and achieve meaningful learning outcomes.
Key Responsibilities: -
- Working with your manager and team to contribute to the development and implementation of strategic and operational plans
- Working with your manager to deliver day-to-day operational business activities in line with LDT goals, principles, values and customer service excellence
- Working with your manager to ensure compliance with all business and personal objectives
- Student Support: Provide one-to-one and group support to students with EHCPs, ensuring their academic development needs are met.
- In-Class Assistance: Support learners in classroom-based learning, reinforcing key concepts and adapting teaching methods to suit individual needs.
- Collaboration with Tutors: Work closely with teaching staff to implement inclusive teaching strategies and differentiated learning approaches.
- Personal Development: Encourage students to develop independence, self-confidence, and resilience through targeted interventions and mentoring.
- Safeguarding & Welfare: Ensure the safety, well-being, and safeguarding of all students in line with organisational policies and procedures.
- Progress Monitoring: Maintain records of student progress, provide feedback to key stakeholders, and contribute to review meetings for EHCP students.
- Emotional Regulation Support: Provide consistent, relational 1:1 support to help the student recognise, understand and regulate his emotions, using agreed strategies, visual supports and co-regulation techniques.
- De-escalation & Safety: Recognise early signs of rising anxiety or dysregulation and respond calmly and proactively to reduce risk, using low-arousal approaches and agreed behaviour/risk management plans to maintain the safety of the student and others.
- Supporting EBSA & Reintegration: Support a gradual, personalised reintegration into education in line with an agreed EBSA/reintegration plan, including flexible starts, safe spaces, alternative provision or reduced timetables as appropriate.
- Anxiety Management: Use agreed strategies (e.g. calming techniques, sensory breaks, predictable routines, visual timetables) to reduce anxiety triggered by social situations, unfamiliar environments or the sense of being observed.
- Building the Relationship: Act as a trusted, consistent adult, building a secure and predictable relationship that underpins the student's ability to engage with learning and try new or challenging activities.
- Social & Peer Support: Support the development of social interaction skills, turn-taking, sharing adult attention and sustaining friendships, through modelling, structured activities and small-group opportunities where appropriate.
- Communication with Family & Professionals: Maintain regular, sensitive communication with parents/carers and contribute to liaison with external professionals (e.g. CAMHS, educational psychology, EBSA/attendance teams) as directed by the SENDCo or line manager.
- Personalised Planning: Contribute to the development, review and implementation of the student's EHCP outcomes, individual SEMH/behaviour support plan and risk assessment, adjusting strategies in response to his presentation on a given day.
- Independence & Confidence Building: Gradually reduce reliance on adult support where appropriate, encouraging self-regulation, self-advocacy and independence in a way that is paced to the student's readiness and does not increase anxiety.
The postholder will be expected to:
- Uphold the organisation’s values of equality, diversity, inclusion, and respect, and to actively promote fundamental British values in accordance with the Prevent Duty.
- Ensure compliance with the organisation's safeguarding policy, procedures, and established ground rules for maintaining appropriate and professional behaviour at all times.
Additional Notes for this Post:
- This is a dedicated 1:1 role; the postholder will work primarily with a single student rather than across a wider class or caseload, though flexibility to support wider SEND provision may be required as directed.
- The postholder will follow the student's individual risk assessment, behaviour support plan and reintegration/EBSA plan at all times, seeking guidance from the SENDCo or line manager where a situation falls outside agreed protocols.
- Given the nature of the student's needs, flexibility, consistency and a calm, non-judgemental manner are essential, as is a willingness to adapt planned activities at short notice in response to the student's presentation.
Please send a letter of application together with a full CV to
[email protected] :-
HR Department
LD Training will be pleased to receive applications from candidates from all backgrounds and regardless of age, race, gender and is fully compliant with all relevant aspects of UK law.
Pay: £25,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
