SEND Support Worker

SEND Support Worker / Teaching Assistant – Complex Autism

Bradford
Full-Time or Part-Time | Monday–Friday | Long-Term | Temp-to-Perm
Immediate Start

Are you experienced in support work, Autism, learning disabilities, complex care, behaviour support or SEND?

We are recruiting SEND Support Workers / Teaching Assistants to join a highly specialist school in Bradford supporting children and young people aged 3–19 with severe Autism, significant communication and interaction needs and complex learning difficulties.

Your role is primarily about providing care, communication, emotional regulation, behaviour and independence support to help them safely access their education and everyday school life.

What Does the Role Involve?

You’ll work closely with children and young people who may be non-verbal or minimally verbal and who require support throughout their school day.

Depending on the pupil, you could be:

• Supporting communication using visual and alternative communication strategies
• Helping pupils regulate their emotions and sensory needs
• Building strong, consistent and trusting relationships
• Supporting pupils who can display physically challenging behaviour linked to their Autism, communication difficulties or distress
• Recognising triggers and helping prevent escalation
• Supporting with personal care, toileting, feeding and changing where required
• Helping pupils develop everyday independence and life skills
• Supporting transitions, routines and changes throughout the school day
• Working 1:1 or within small specialist classes
• Supporting pupils to engage with learning at a level appropriate to their individual needs
• Following individual communication, behaviour and support plans

For many pupils, progress isn’t simply measured academically. It could be communicating a need, managing a transition, developing independence, regulating an emotion or successfully engaging with another person.

Who Would Suit This Role?

We’re particularly interested in people from backgrounds such as:

Support Work | Residential Care | Autism Services | Learning Disabilities | Complex Care | Children’s Homes | Mental Health | Healthcare | Youth Work | Behaviour Support | SEND Education

You don’t necessarily need years of school experience.

In fact, someone with strong experience supporting individuals with Autism, learning disabilities, challenging behaviour or complex needs could be extremely well suited to this environment.

You’ll need to be:

• Calm and resilient when behaviour becomes challenging
• Comfortable supporting pupils with very complex needs
• Patient, nurturing and consistent
• Confident working with non-verbal communication
• Willing to support with personal care
• Able to remain calm during incidents of distressed or physical behaviour
• Comfortable working across the 3–19 age range
• Reliable and committed to working Monday–Friday
• Genuinely passionate about supporting children and young people with SEND

A Different Kind of School Role

If you’re coming from care or support work and have considered moving into education, this could be an excellent opportunity.

Your existing skills in de-escalation, communication, personal care, safeguarding, behaviour management, relationship building and supporting independence can transfer extremely well into this environment.

Equally, if you’re already working as a SEND Teaching Assistant and want to develop your experience within a highly specialist and complex Autism setting, we’d love to hear from you.

This is a full-time, long-term position with the potential to become permanent for candidates who are the right fit for the school.

Apply today for an immediate conversation about the role.