Special Needs Support Assistant

Southend-on-Sea, UK Protocol Education Looking for a role where you can actually see the difference you make? Protocol Education are looking for a Special Needs Support Assistant to join a specialist school in Southend-on-Sea, supporting children and young people with a range of complex additional needs, including Severe Learning Difficulties (SLD), Profound and Multiple Learning Difficulties (PMLD), Autism and physical disabilities. This isn't a standard Teaching Assistant role. You'll be working closely with pupils who require a high level of individual support to access education, communicate, develop their independence and get the most from their time at school. What you'll be doing Supporting pupils 1:1 and in small groups throughout the school day Helping children with SLD, PMLD and complex physical needs access learning Supporting pupils with communication, interaction and engagement Encouraging independence and the development of everyday life skills Providing personal care and physical support where required Supporting pupils who may use wheelchairs, communication aids or other specialist equipment Working alongside teachers, therapists and other specialist professionals Building genuine relationships with pupils and celebrating the small wins that can make a massive difference Who we're looking for You don't necessarily need years of experience working in a school. We're interested in people who are patient, caring, resilient and positive, and who are genuinely comfortable providing hands-on support to children and young people with complex needs. Previous experience within SEND, education, care, support work, healthcare, nursing, childcare or residential settings would be particularly useful. However, the right attitude, reliability and willingness to learn are just as important. You'll need to be comfortable with the practical elements of supporting pupils with complex needs, including personal care where required. A minimum of GCSE Grade C/4 or equivalent in Maths and English is required, while childcare, health and social care or other relevant qualifications would be an advantage. The role Location: Southend-on-Sea Pay: £14.25–£15.38 per hour Hours: School hours, Monday–Friday Contract: Full-time, term-time Start: ASAP If you're looking for a role that's hands-on, challenging and genuinely rewarding, we'd love to hear from you. Apply today and we'll be in touch to discuss the opportunity and whether it could be the right fit for you. Successful applicants will be subject to the relevant safer recruitment and compliance checks, including satisfactory references, right-to-work checks and an enhanced DBS. All applicants will require the appropriate qualifications and training for this role. Please see the FAQs on the Protocol Education website for further details. All pay rates quoted will be inclusive of 12.07% statutory holiday pay. This advert is for a temporary position. In some cases, the option to make this role permanent may become available at a later date. Protocol Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We undertake safeguarding checks on all workers in accordance with the DfE statutory guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’, this may also include an online search as part of our due diligence on shortlisted applicants. We offer FREE online safeguarding and Prevent Duty training to all our workers. All candidates must undertake or have undertaken a valid enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and subscribe to the DBS Update Service. Full assistance provided. For details of our privacy policy, please see visit the Protocol Education website