Job Description:

Location: Colchester, Essex
Role: SEMH Support Staff / Learning Support Assistant
Experience: SEMH or relevant transferable experience highly desirable

Are you experienced in supporting people with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs, challenging behaviour or complex needs?

Perhaps your experience hasn't been within a school, but you've developed valuable skills working in a residential home, the Prison Service, NHS mental health services, care, youth work or another challenging environment.

We are looking for resilient, confident and compassionate individuals to join a specialist education setting in Colchester, supporting children and young people with SEMH and additional needs.

You do not need to come from a traditional education background.

We are particularly interested in hearing from people who have experience working with individuals with mental health needs, challenging behaviour, trauma or complex social and emotional needs.

Your experience could include:

• Residential care or children's homes – supporting young people with complex needs, trauma or challenging behaviour
• Prison Service or secure settings – managing challenging situations, maintaining professional boundaries and using de-escalation skills
• NHS or mental health services – supporting individuals experiencing mental health difficulties or complex emotional needs
• Youth work, outreach or mentoring – building positive relationships with vulnerable or disengaged young people
• SEMH or SEN schools – supporting pupils with behavioural, emotional or additional needs
• Care and support work – helping individuals with complex needs develop independence and positive routines

If you've developed the ability to remain calm under pressure, build trust, set clear boundaries and understand behaviour, your experience could transfer extremely well into an SEMH school environment.

• Supporting pupils with SEMH and additional needs throughout the school day
• Building strong, positive and professional relationships with young people
• Supporting pupils on a 1:1 basis and in small groups
• Helping pupils regulate their emotions and remain engaged with learning
• Using positive behaviour management and de-escalation strategies
• Supporting young people who may have experienced trauma or significant challenges
• Encouraging confidence, independence and positive decision-making
• Working alongside teachers, pastoral teams and other specialist professionals
• Helping create a structured, safe and supportive environment

• Ideally has previous SEMH experience or strong transferable experience
• Has worked within residential care, the Prison Service, NHS mental health services, youth work, SEN, support work or a similar environment
• Is confident working with young people who may display challenging behaviour
• Can remain calm and professional in difficult situations
• Understands the importance of boundaries, consistency and relationship-building
• Is patient, resilient and compassionate
• Can recognise that behaviour can often be a form of communication
• Is willing to learn and develop within a specialist education environment
• Wants to use their existing experience to make a positive difference to young people's lives

Your existing experience could give you exactly the skills needed to succeed within an SEMH setting.

Whether you've worked on a residential unit, on a prison wing, within an NHS mental health setting or supporting vulnerable people in the community, you may already have experience in de-escalation, behaviour management, safeguarding, relationship-building and supporting people through challenging situations.

This is an excellent opportunity to take those skills and use them to help young people re-engage with education, develop confidence and work towards a more positive future.

Our staff are paid on a PAYE basis, so you can rest assured you're paying the correct level of Tax and National Insurance, with no hidden admin charges or umbrella deductions from your hard-earned pay.

If you are interested in this position, then click 'APPLY NOW' and I will be in touch regarding this fantastic opportunity.

Email: (url removed)
Contact Number: (phone number removed)

About TeacherActive

TeacherActive is one of the UK’s leading education recruitment agencies, with over 20 years of experience supporting schools and education professionals. We place teachers and support staff into a wide range of temporary, contract and permanent roles, helping candidates find rewarding opportunities that suit their experience, availability and career goals. We pride ourselves on providing an excellent service to both our schools and candidates.

Equal Opportunities Statement

TeacherActive is an equal opportunities employer and operates as an Employment Business and Employment Agency in providing temporary, contract and permanent job seeking services.

Safeguarding and DBS Compliance

Registration may involve an enhanced DBS check, ID checks and the supply of good professional references, depending on the role. We are committed to safeguarding and compliance across all placements. 

Regular external audits have shown repeatedly that our standards are exceptional. We are passionate about finding the right staff for each education environment.