Position: Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) Teaching Assistant
Hours: Full-time
Role Overview:
As a SEMH Teaching Assistant, you will support students with social, emotional, and mental health needs under the direction of the class teacher/SENCO/SEN Manager. Your role will focus on creating a nurturing, inclusive learning environment where students can thrive both academically and emotionally. You will support students in KS3-5 to develop emotional regulation, social skills, and positive mental health while also assisting with their academic needs in subjects such as language, reading, writing, spelling, and mathematics. You will play a key role in the delivery of personalized support plans and monitor student progress to ensure they feel supported and confident in their learning.
Responsibilities:
- Provide one-on-one or small group support to students with social, emotional, and mental health needs, focusing on building self-esteem, emotional resilience, and social skills.
- Assist in implementing personalized behaviour support plans and strategies to manage and de-escalate emotional challenges.
- Foster a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment where students feel respected and understood.
- Collaborate closely with teachers, therapists, and other support staff to address students’ holistic needs and encourage their personal and academic growth.
- Support students in their academic learning, with particular attention to emotional regulation, building concentration, and encouraging positive relationships with peers.
- Monitor and track student progress, providing regular feedback to the teaching team to help tailor further support.
- Maintain accurate records of students’ emotional and academic progress, noting achievements and areas requiring additional support.
- Promote student independence and self-confidence through personalized interventions that focus on their emotional and social development.
Requirements:
- Previous experience as a Teaching Assistant, particularly with students facing social, emotional, and mental health challenges, is preferred.
- Experience working with students with emotional regulation difficulties or mental health needs is highly desirable.
- A compassionate, patient, and empathetic approach to supporting students with SEMH needs.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build positive relationships with students, staff, and families.
- Willingness to obtain an enhanced DBS check.
- Ability to maintain a calm, positive, and productive environment that promotes emotional well-being.
- A passion for helping students with SEMH thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.
- The right to work in the UK.
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.
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