Job description
Emotional Literacy Support Assistant
Position: ELSA / Therapy Assistant
Location: Manchester and Greater Manchester
Contract Type: Temporary, Full Time
Rate of Pay: £ – £ per week (DOE)
Working Hours: 08:30 – 15:30
The Role Overview:
Are you an experienced, confident, and emotionally resilient Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) with a proven background in supporting children with additional emotional or social needs?
We are working with number of clients seeking a skilled ELSA / Therapy Assistants to join their dedicated wellbeing and SEND teams. This role is ideal for someone who has hands-on experience delivering therapeutic interventions, supporting children with SEMH needs, and building strong, trusting relationships with pupils who require consistent emotional support.
Your expertise will play a crucial role in helping pupils develop self-regulation, confidence, communication skills, and emotional literacy.
As an ELSA / Therapy Assistant, you will:
1. Deliver structured 1:1 and small-group ELSA sessions, using your previous experience to tailor interventions to individual needs.
2. Support pupils with anxiety, attachment needs, trauma-informed work, emotional regulation, low confidence, and social skills.
3. Apply evidence-based strategies and therapeutic approaches you have used successfully in previous roles.
4. Use your experience to identify triggers, reduce barriers to learning, and empower pupils to develop healthy coping mechanisms.
5. Work collaboratively with teachers, the SENDCo, pastoral leads, and external professionals to ensure a holistic approach to emotional development.
6. Keep accurate records of progress, review session outcomes, and contribute to wider support plans.
Requirements:
Previous experience in an ELSA role or delivering therapeutic/pastoral interventions is essential.
* Strong understanding of emotional literacy, child development, and SEMH presentations.
* Experience supporting pupils with a range of additional needs, including anxiety, ASD, attachment needs, and behavioural challenges.
* Ability to de-escalate situations calmly and use reflective, trauma-informed practice.
* Excellent communication skills and the ability to build secure relationships with vulnerable young people.
* Flexibility, empathy, and the confidence to work independently as well as part of a multidisciplinary team.
TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS ROLE THROUGH PROSPERO TEACHING, YOU MUST:
Hold Right to Work in the UK.
* Hold an enhanced child barred list DBS certificate registered on the update service, or be willing to apply for a new one.
* Provide two professional, child-related references covering the last two years.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Prospero Teaching is acting as an employment business/education recruitment agency in relation to this vacancy. The successful candidate will be required to register and pass all safeguarding and vetting checks with Prospero Teaching. welfare.
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