Mentor in Exeter

Are you passionate about enhancing the lives of young people? Are you dedicated to preparing SEMH children for their adult life through in-reach and out-reach programmes? If so, we have the perfect job for you!

We are looking for SAS Mentors to join our rapidly expanding teams due to a long waiting list of children needing our support. We have two teams in Wiltshire - one team works in and around Salisbury and our other team works across the rest of Wiltshire. However, we are currently looking to expand our services further across the South West.

The working hours are 31 hours per week, Monday to Friday - 9am to 3pm (4pm on Tuesday). You will be contracted to work 41 weeks per year - term-time plus two weeks. This is initially a fixed-term contract.

Benefits:

• Casual dress
• Company events
• Company pension
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee discount
• Enhanced maternity leave
• Enhanced paternity leave
• Health & wellbeing programme
• Referral programme

Purpose of the Role:

SAS Mentoring provides in-reach and out-reach for learners all across Wiltshire. We work with learners and young adults of all ages and with a variety of needs and difficulties such as SEMH, ASC, ODD, PDA, trauma, attachment and many more. We are commissioned by provisions, social services, Wiltshire behaviour service and Wiltshire SEND.

Under the guidance of the Senior Leadership Team, the role of a SAS Mentor is critical in fostering a supportive and nurturing environment for our learners by providing a service that specialises in one-to-one support, tutoring, work experience, physical, and emotional development.

As an SAS Mentor you will work with learners to provide support, motivation, and guidance to help them overcome obstacles to their learning. These could include learning difficulties, family issues, mental health problems, or a lack of confidence. You will ensure community integration and prepare learners for working life.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement personalised behaviour management plans to address individual needs
• Build strong rapport and trust with learners, creating a safe and nurturing environment
• Provide one-on-one mentoring and support during challenging situations
• Collaborate with home school provisions, parents, and other professionals to ensure consistent and holistic support
• Monitor learner progress, assessing effectiveness of interventions, and adjusting strategies as needed
• Promote social-emotional development and foster positive relationships within the provision community
• Work within the provision to provide specific programmes or to work 1:1 with a specific child
• Work outreach with a learner that isn't ready to enter a school/classroom environment
• Provide effective mentoring and targeted interventions for our most vulnerable learners, for a variety of issues, such as:

• Challenging Behaviour
• Bereavement
• Bullying
• Making Positive Choices
• Need of a Positive Role Model
• Addressing Risky Behaviours
• Emotional Withdrawal
• Criminal Activity
• Substance Abuse

Essential Requirements:

• 4 or above in Maths, English and/or Science
• Demonstrable experience in supporting children and young people with SEMH needs
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including active listening
• Empathy, patience and emotional intelligence
• Ability to motivate learners
• Skills in persuading, negotiating, and influencing
• Ability to think on your feet and be flexible
• Determination to see problems and solutions through to the end
• Ability to support people from a range of backgrounds
• Non-judgemental approach
• Excellent organisational and time management skills
• Ability to relate to young people in order to build trust, to help them achieve their full potential
• Ability to analyse problems and devise solutions
• Experience of working collaboratively as part of a team, particularly with other teaching staff and external agencies
• Flexibility and adaptability, as well as the ability to work well under pressure
• Report writing skills and the ability to maintain accurate records
• Excellent ICT skills
• A commitment to equality and diversity
• An understanding of confidentiality and the handling of sensitive information
• Knowledge of, and a commitment to, safeguarding in provisions

Desirable Requirements:

• HLTA qualification
• Degree in Education, Psychology, Social Work, or a related field or equivalent experience
• Experience working in an educational setting, preferably within SEMH provisions
• Relevant professional qualifications, certifications or experience in SEMH support
• Specialised training in therapeutic approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness, or other relevant therapies
• In-depth understanding of SEMH issues and the impact on learning and development
• Knowledge of current legislation and best practices related to SEMH and safeguarding
• Skills in crisis intervention and de-escalation techniques
• Training in child protection and safeguarding
• Training in behaviour management techniques
• Mental health first aid or equivalent training
• Experience in developing and implementing individual education plans (IEPs) or behaviour management plans

We are committed to providing positive academic, social and emotional outcomes for our children, underpinned by a strong safeguarding ethos. We follow Safer Recruitment procedures and all interviews, regardless of role, will include questions about approaches to safeguarding. Our Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy is available on our website and follows all guidance in the most recent Keeping Children Safe in Education.

We are equally committed to the welfare of our staff, who are expected to adhere to the highest standards of professional behaviour to maintain confidence and respect of the general public and colleagues.

All posts involving direct contact with children are exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. However, amendments to the Exception Order 1975 (2013 & 2020) provide that certain spent convictions and cautions are protected. These are not subject to disclosure to employers and cannot be taken into account. Guidance and criteria on the filtering of these cautions and convictions can be found on the Ministry of Justice website.

Please note that by submitting an application, you acknowledge that we reserve the right to view any publicly available information published online (including social media platforms) as part of our shortlisting process, in line with current KCSIE guidelines.

As part of our Safer Recruitment commitment, we can only accept applications that are made using our application form. For more information about us and to complete an application form, please visit our website.