SEN Teaching Assistant

Main duties and responsibilities:

• Provide the support, care and teaching identified in learners’ individual learning plans and curriculum.
• Plan, prepare and deliver sessions and activities to learners supporting the development of knowledge and skills as outlined in their individualised curriculum.
• Provide behaviourally based support and reduce behaviours that cause barriers to learning and quality of life.
• Support learners’ participation in social, leisure and educational activities within the local community, applying theory-based learning to practice.
• Facilitate and support learners in decision making, promoting choice and involvement giving full regard to initiatives aimed at promoting individual empowerment.
• Collect, record and analyse data on learners’ progress, ensuring learning support and care is appropriate and effective, making changes where needed.
• Once trained, administer medication in accordance with company policies and procedures, and ensure that medical emergencies are dealt with appropriately.
• Participate in relevant training to achieve required qualifications and attend mandatory training days/courses, on- or off-site, as and when required.

Person specification:

• Educated to a degree level.
• Professional, personal or voluntary experience of working with adults or young people with disabilities.
• Interest in special educational needs, specifically autism.
• Passionate about helping others learn and develop skills.
• A positive, patient, caring and can-do attitude.
• Ability to work as part of a team and build good working relationships with learners, parents and staff.
• Ability to keep accurate records and reports to track learner progress.
• Confidence in maintaining confidentiality and discretion.

Personal qualities:

• Soundly analyses verbal and numerical data.
• Contributes to improve work methods, outcomes and team performance.
• Adapts to new ideas and initiatives relevant to own area of work.
• Manages the workload and completion of tasks by setting timelines and milestones, and involving stakeholders to deliver on time.
• Invites and builds upon the ideas of others.

Building relationships:

• Follows-up with learners during and after the delivery of services to ensure that their needs have been met.
• Ensures service is provided to learners during critical periods.
• Prioritises learners’ issues and address them accordingly.
• Understands the reason behind, or motivation for someone’s actions.
• Recognises what is and is not acceptable/possible at certain times given the organisational rules, structures, decision-making bodies, power relationships, Code of Conduct and values.

Please note: This role is also known as Learning Support Worker. The post holder will be subject to an enhanced disclosure and barring service (DBS) check.