Facilities Assistant in Chard

This role does not offer sponsorship. Due to the rural location of the school and limited access to public transport, a full UK driving licence and access to your own vehicle is essential.

As we continue to expand and enhance our services, we’re looking for a skilled, proactive Facilities Assistant to join our dedicated team. If you have a specialist trade background—be it plumbing, joinery, electrical, decorating, or similar—and a passion for keeping things running smoothly, this could be the perfect role for you.

About the Role

This hands-on role places you at the heart of maintaining a safe, welcoming, and fully functional environment for our pupils and staff. You’ll take professional ownership of your trade while supporting the wider maintenance team in everything from routine upkeep to urgent repairs. Your expertise will be key to ensuring our school buildings, equipment, and grounds meet the highest standards of safety and functionality.

What You’ll Do

• Take charge of your specialist trade or area of expertise, delivering high-quality maintenance and repairs.
• Assist the maintenance team with both planned projects and reactive tasks.
• Conduct regular site inspections to spot and resolve Health & Safety concerns.
• Advise staff on the safe use and maintenance of machinery and equipment.
• Support risk assessments and ensure compliance with COSHH and other regulations.
• Maintain tools and equipment, keeping everything in top condition.
• Travel across the school site and to suppliers as needed.

What We’re Looking For

• Proven experience in facilities management or a relevant trade (plumbing, joinery, electrical, decorating, etc.).
• Strong knowledge of Health & Safety and compliance standards.
• Ability to work independently with initiative, but also collaborate effectively within a team.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and clear communication.
• Flexibility and responsiveness to urgent maintenance needs.
• Full UK Driving Licence.

About the school

3 Dimensions School is in an exciting phase of growth and development, now operating across two sites. This expansion allows us to offer a wider range of educational places and create even more opportunities for young people with SEN, including learning difficulties, speech, language and communication needs, Autism, ADHD, SEMH, PDA, attachment difficulties, and those who have experienced previous trauma.

As part of Options Autism within the Outcomes First Group, 3 Dimensions School is an inclusive, forward-thinking community that embraces diversity and celebrates individuality. The school is within easy reach of Chard, Ilminster, Honiton, and the surrounding areas.

For over 19 years Options Autism have provided care and education to pupils, young people and adults with autism, complex needs and learning difficulties. We are a leading provider of education for neurodivergent young people and young adults. As part of Outcomes First Group, we are leading our sector in setting and delivering new approaches that provide measurable outcomes for those in our care.

We are really proud to say that in 2025, Outcomes First Group were officially certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for the sixth year running.

Why join Options Autism?

We place the outcomes of the pupils and vulnerable young adults in our services at the heart of everything we do, so you’ll wake every day in the knowledge that your role will have a significant positive impact on the lives of others. We are committed to the safeguarding and promoting the welfare of pupils and young people. All applicants will be subject to social media checks and successful applicants to a fully enhanced DBS.

Benefits

Your health and wellbeing are important to us, so you’ll get an exceptional reward package including:

• Life Assurance.
• Pension scheme with options to increase your contributions.
• “Your Wellbeing Matters” – access to a wide range of first-class mental health support services and physical health checks.
• A market-leading benefit offering through our Flexible Benefits Platform, Vista, enables you to choose the package that’s right for you, including:

• A wide range of health, wellbeing, and insurance benefits.
• 100’s of discount options valid in the UK and abroad.
• Cycle to Work Schemes.
• Electric Car Purchase Scheme.
• Critical illness cover.
• Family Growth Support - inclusive benefits package covering enhanced maternity and paternity leave, along with paid fertility treatment support.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive a high volume of suitable applications.

*You’ll work 80% of your contractual hours for 100% of your pay, giving you more time to do the things that make you happy. 4DWW is subject to successful completion of probation and is not a contractual benefit.

Outcomes First Group is committed to carrying out a fair, thorough and efficient recruitment process in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education. Whilst we aim to keep applicants informed throughout, Outcomes First Group does not accept liability for any loss of earnings or other associated costs incurred by applicants as a result of delays or changes in the compliance process. All stages of the compliance process are subject to necessary safeguarding checks and compliance with statutory requirements, which may affect timescales.