Senco - SEN School in Aylesbury

Make a real difference, one lunchtime at a time For many young people with special educational needs, lunchtime isn't just a break; It's a time to relax, enjoy food, make friends, and learn important life skills. Working Monda y to Friday between 11:30 am and 1:00 pm , this role fits perfectly around existing commitments, school runs, or someone seeking a rewarding part-time position during term time. If you have natural empathy, great listening skills, and the warmth to help a young person feel safe and supported, your transferable skills are exactly what we are looking for. No two days are quite the same, but your core focus will always be the happiness, safety, and well-being of the young people in our care. Help young people prepare for lunch (such as handwashing), encourage healthy eating, and support them to build independence at their own pace. Facilitate fun lunchtime activities and games where every young person feels included, valued, and heard. Get to know each young person's unique personality, strengths, and triggers so you can help de-escalate moments of distress gently and respectfully. Support with personal hygiene and toileting needs when required, always preserving dignity and comfort. You are open, honest, trustworthy, and passionate about creating an inclusive environment where young people feel safe and valued. You can build rapport easily with young people and collaborate well with your team. You have basic IT skills (for emails, e-learning, and brief records) and are eager to learn and grow in the role. At MacIntyre School, we have four modern houses within the school campus adjacent to the heart of the village of Wingrave. Each house accommodates up to five young people in their own bedrooms, decorated and equipped to their individual tastes. The homes are registered in pairs, which means you will work over two homes supporting up to ten young people with the support of a large staff team and experienced home managers. We're absolutely delighted to announce that following our recent Ofsted inspection, our children's homes were awarded a glowing 'Good' rating! The inspectors had some truly wonderful feedback, including: "Staff value children's voices and use individualised communication aids creatively to gain children's views. For example, one child is helped to express their views through story telling. Staff work with the organisations' therapists to help children to develop their vocabulary. Children can regularly give their views on the home including activities, room décor and foods." "Staff are attentive to children, and they respond promptly to help children calm when they are upset. Staff use known calming strategies, such as fragrances and massage, to help children feel better. Staff seek out ways to reduce restrictions for children, such as replacing a mechanical walking restraint with an object of reference. One professional said, 'Staff have good insight into the underlying reasons for a child's distress and work well to reduce incidents for them.'" We celebrate the successes and personal gifts of each child - we want our staff to be aspirational for the young people we support. Learn and grow with us Wherever you're starting from, we'll help you succeed. You'll receive a full induction, a mix of online and face-to-face training, and mentoring from experienced colleagues while you learn the role. As your career develops, you'll have access to ongoing learning, professional qualifications where relevant, and opportunities to progress, all fully supported by MacIntyre. Pay and benefits Alongside your salary, you'll enjoy a range of benefits including: 5.6 weeks' annual leave per year including public holidays Pension scheme Paid DBS check Health and wellbeing support, including an Employee Assistance Programme Shopping discounts through Blue Light Card and our staff discounts scheme Ongoing training and career development See the full range of benefits on the Careers page of our website. We may close this vacancy early if we receive enough applications, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. Safer recruitment We are committed to safeguarding the children, young people and adults we support. Equality, diversity and inclusion We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we work in. If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, we're happy to help, call us on 01908 357016. Our recruitment website also includes accessibility tools such as translation, Open Dyslexic font and display options.