Special School Support Assistant
3 days ago
Chichester
Special School Support Assistant - SEMH (Chichester) A warm, caring, and highly supportive SEMH school in Chichester is looking for Special School Support Assistants who can bring patience, empathy, and consistency to their team. The school supports pupils aged 7-16 who have a range of Social, Emotional and Mental Health needs, alongside additional needs such as Autism, ADHD, Attachment Disorders, Anxiety, and Speech and Language delay. The school is set in a peaceful location that offers space and calm for pupils to thrive-because of this, driving is essential. Key Responsibilities • Offering gentle, personalised support to pupils with SEMH needs, autism, ADHD, attachment-related needs, anxiety, and communication differences, • Supporting children and young people who may experience emotional dysregulation, heightened anxiety, sensory overload, or challenges with transitions, routines, and social interactions, • Encouraging engagement through creative, practical, therapeutic, and hands-on learning activities suited to both primary and secondary-age pupils, • Promoting emotional wellbeing, safety, and positive behaviour through calm, consistent, and nurturing approaches, • Helping pupils develop communication skills, emotional regulation strategies, social understanding, independence, and life-skills, • Building trusting, secure relationships through warmth, patience, and clear, supportive communication, • Location: Chichester, • Position: Special School Support Assistant, • Start Date: September 2026, • Contract Type: Full-time with temp-to-perm pathways available; ad-hoc supply roles also offered, • Working Hours: 08:30am - 15:00pm, • Pay Rate: From £14.25 per hour You must: • Have the Right to Work in the UK, • Hold an enhanced child-barred list DBS on the Update Service (or be willing to apply), • Provide professional references covering the last 24 months, • Hold a Level 2/3 qualification in childcare, education, or health & social care or have relevant SEN/SEMH experience supporting young people with complex needs, • Free accredited CPD, including safeguarding, behaviour support, and de-escalation, • Access to a specialist in-house Training & Development Team, • Ongoing support from a dedicated SEN consultant, • A warm, inclusive school community where staff feel valued and supported Know someone who would flourish in a nurturing SEMH setting? You can earn a referral bonus for every successful recommendation (T&Cs apply).