Teaching Assistant – Specialist Behaviour & Emotional Needs in Cardiff

Location: Cardiff, CF11

Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30am-3:30pm

Pay: From £93 per day

Start: ASAP

We are recruiting for a Teaching Assistant to join a specialist local authority provision in Cardiff, supporting children and young people aged 4-17 with complex emotional, behavioural and additional needs. The provision is designed for learners who have struggled to access mainstream education. Most attend on a part-time timetable, with a bespoke programme that combines education, emotional development, social skills and practical experiences within a calm, structured and safe environment.

The role is much more than a traditional classroom TA role. You will support learners both academically and emotionally, helping them to regulate, engage and develop the confidence to access learning. Activities can include:

• Supporting learners when they become dysregulated, anxious or triggered
• Building positive, trusting relationships and providing consistent boundaries
• Supporting learning from early years through to GCSE level
• 1:1 and small-group learning and activities
• Cooking, games and practical life-skills activities
• Community-based activities and experiences
• Supporting social and emotional development
• Helping learners develop strategies to manage behaviour and emotions

Many of the children are neurodiverse and/or have experienced trauma, so the ability to understand what may sit behind a behaviour is particularly important. You will need to remain calm and patient during difficult moments, while providing reassurance, structure and clear boundaries.

We're looking for someone who:

• Has experience supporting children or young people with challenging behaviour, SEMH, SEN or emotional needs
• Is calm, patient and emotionally resilient
• Can respond appropriately when a child is distressed or dysregulated
• Understands the importance of relationships, trust and consistency
• Can adapt their approach to individual learners
• Is genuinely interested in behaviour, emotional development and wellbeing
• Can work effectively as part of a specialist team

This would suit an experienced Teaching Assistant, Behaviour Support Worker, SEN TA, Youth Worker or similar professional looking for a role where supporting a child's emotional development is just as important as supporting their education. If you want a role where you can make a genuine difference to children who have struggled within mainstream education, we'd love to hear from you.

All applicants will require the appropriate qualifications and training for this role. This advert is for a temporary position. In some cases, the option to make this role permanent may become available at a later date.

Teaching Personnel is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We undertake safeguarding checks on all workers in accordance with DfE statutory guidance 'Keeping Children Safe in Education'.

We offer all our registered candidates FREE child protection and prevent duty training. All candidates must undertake or have undertaken a valid enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Full assistance provided.