Learning Support Assistant
About LinkAble
LinkAble is a charity that supports children, young people, and adults with a learning disability or autistic people to create the life they choose to live. It offers them weekly activities and experiences that they may struggle to access in the wider community, supporting them to learn new skills, form lasting friendships, and lead fulfilling and more independent lives.
About the Role
We are looking for a calm, creative and relationship-focused practitioner with experience supporting children and young people with learning disabilities and autistic young people.
This role will support LinkAble’s developing Alternative Provision service providing personalised, practical and engaging learning opportunities for children and young people who are currently unable to access school full time. The role will focus on rebuilding confidence, reducing anxiety, supporting social interaction and wider learning through play, activity-based sessions and community experiences.
Available Shifts
We are currently looking for applicants who can work one or more days, Monday–Friday, with hours agreed around learner need and commissioned provision. shifts:
- Sessional / flexible hours, term time. Initially 1–3 days 09:45 till 15:30 week days
Location
LinkAble, Woking inclusive centre (arts, baking, sensory room) including allotment, woodland play space, parks, town walks and other appropriate local venues
Key Responsibilities
- Plan and deliver safe, engaging and individualised sessions for children and young people accessing Alternative Provision / Education Other Than at School, using practical activities, play, creative work, community-based learning and structured routines to support engagement.
- Support learners to build confidence, resilience, communication, independence and social skills, with a view to helping them re-engage with education where appropriate.
- Deliver and adapt basic functional skills, life skills and personal development activities in practical, accessible and creative ways, taking account of each learner’s needs, interests, EHCP outcomes, agreed targets and emotional readiness.
- Provide 1:1 support, and where appropriate support small group work, ensuring children and young people feel safe, included and able to participate at a pace that is right for them.
- Use a trauma-informed, autism-aware and person-centred approach, including flexibility, patience, clear communication, sensory awareness and reasonable adjustments to reduce anxiety and barriers to learning.
- Maintain accurate records of attendance, session content, progress, incidents, safeguarding concerns and any changes in presentation, sharing these with the Coordinator / Manager in line with LinkAble procedures.
- Communicate professionally with parents, carers, colleagues, schools, social workers, case workers and other professionals as agreed, contributing observations and updates to support reviews and joined-up planning.
- Support learners safely in centre-based and community-based environments, including travel to local venues where agreed, ensuring appropriate risk assessments, supervision, safeguarding and health and safety measures are followed.
- Be professionally curious and proactive in safeguarding, reporting any concerns immediately to the Designated Safeguarding Lead and following LinkAble’s safeguarding policies at all times.
- Work within LinkAble’s policies and procedures, including confidentiality, data protection, equality and diversity, behaviour support, incident reporting, lone working where applicable, medication, first aid and health and safety.
- Contribute to the development of the EOTAS / Alternative Provision service by sharing feedback, helping to develop resources, reflecting on what works well and supporting a flexible, responsive and high-quality offer.
What We're Looking For
Essential:
- At least 1 year’s experience supporting children or young people with SEND or SEMH who face significant challenges to attending school
- Ability to build trusting relationships with learners who may be anxious, withdrawn, dysregulated or disengaged from education
- Experience planning and delivering practical, creative or play-based learning activities, including functional skills, communication and social skills.
- Understanding of safeguarding, child protection, professional curiosity and the importance of reporting concerns promptly
- Calm, compassionate, flexible and resilient approach, with the ability to adapt sessions in response to learner need
- Confident communication skills with children, young people, parents, carers, colleagues and external professionals
- Ability to keep clear records of attendance, progress, incidents and concerns in line with organisational procedures
- Commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion and enabling children and young people to feel safe, valued and respected
- Willingness to undertake relevant training, including safeguarding, first aid, behaviour support, autism, SEND
- Patient, calm and personable approach and able to engage children and young people.
- Ability to work regular day time hours during term times with opportunity to work additional hours on other schemes.
Desirable:
- Knowledge or experience of trauma-informed practice and person centred practice, including de-escalation techniques
- Education, youth work, or play therapy or health and social care qualifications
- Experience working within Alternative Provision, EOTAS, a school, specialist setting, outreach service or community-based education programme
- Understanding of EHCP outcomes, individual learning plans, review processes or local authority funded education packages
- Driver with willingness to drive one of our minibuses with training and subject meeting our criteria for drivers.
What We Offer
- £16 per hour (including 12.07% rolled up holiday pay) £14.08 basic equivalent
- A rewarding role supporting young people to live fulfilling and independent lives.
- A friendly and supportive team environment.
- Opportunities to develop your skills and experience within the charity sector.
- Ongoing training and support.
- Company pension
- Free eye test
- Retail discount card
Start Date
September/October 2026
Pay: £16.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Employee discount
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
- Store discount
Physical Setting:
Shift:
Work days:
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Woking GU21 5HH: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Experience:
- young people with SEND facing challenges attending school: 1 year (required)
Work Location: In person
