Salary: From £24,246 - salary negotiable and based on experience
Type: Permanent, Full Time, All-Year-Round
Do you have a passion for providing pastoral and Social, Emotional and Mental Health support to young people? Are you looking for a rewarding, full-time role where you can make a daily difference to learners who benefit from a trauma-informed and nurturing environment?
New Meaning Training is seeking an SEMH Practitioner to join our team in High Wycombe, where our journey began over 10 years ago. This centre remains at the heart of our organisation and is preparing for a significant expansion in 2026. As we grow, we are strengthening our SEMH and pastoral support team to ensure learners receive the individualised care and structure they need to succeed.
In this role, you will provide targeted pastoral and SEMH interventions for learners with medium-level needs, delivering strategies specified in Section F of their EHCPs and working closely with the SEMH Lead. You’ll help create a safe, structured environment that empowers learners to improve their emotional regulation, confidence, and readiness for learning.
Key Responsibilities
* Deliver effective 1:1 and small group SEMH and pastoral interventions, including those specified in EHCPs.
* Build consistent, supportive relationships with learners who may find it difficult to trust or engage.
* Implement trauma-informed practices as part of NMT’s Loving Care Approach, modelling calm, empathetic, and restorative behaviour.
* Support learners with their social, emotional, and pastoral development, including anxiety management and self-regulation strategies.
* Collaborate with tutors to adapt lesson content to meet the pastoral and emotional needs of individual learners.
* Help tutors and staff implement EHCP strategies effectively across the curriculum.
* Respond calmly to dysregulation and use de-escalation techniques in line with training.
* Keep accurate and up-to-date records of interventions, attendance, and learner progress.
* Maintain your own diary of sessions with learners and communicate outcomes with the SEMH Lead.
* Promote awareness of SEMH and pastoral support among the wider staff team through informal coaching and collaborative working.
* Be visible and supportive at key times such as learner arrival and departure.
* Apply safeguarding policies and procedures consistently, contributing to a safe and supportive environment.
Participate in training and CPD as required, and actively engage with coaching, supervision, and internal systems.
About us
New Meaning Training (NMT) offers education with a difference. We are an alternative education provider dedicated to helping young people aged 15–25 discover their strengths and develop the confidence and skills to earn their own living.
For the 2025–2026 academic year, around 300 young people from across Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Berkshire, Warwickshire and the West Midlands will join one of our programmes. Many learners are referred by secondary schools, pupil referral units and Special Educational Needs (SEN) settings.
Since opening our first centre in High Wycombe in 2015 (originally known as “Toolshed”), we have grown to seven centres across five counties. Each centre delivers a tailored mix of programmes that may include: Construction Multiskills, Motor Mechanics, Creative Art & Design, Sports, Computing and Transition Support for young people with Education Health Care Plans (EHCPs). All programmes incorporate Functional Skills qualifications in Maths and English, alongside tutorials to support personal growth and employability. In Buckinghamshire we now have four centres; our Headquarters in High Wycombe, a Lifeskills centre based at Thomley Activity Centre, an Enrichment Centre in Aylesbury and a brand new centre in Milton Keynes.
NMT programmes are tailored to the individual needs of each learner, taking into account Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) as well as Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs. We apply the principles of a Loving Care Approach (trauma-informed practice) across all our centres, ensuring that every young person receives the support they need to thrive.
* Experience delivering SEMH or pastoral support interventions to young people.
* Experience supporting young people in educational or youth settings.
* Understanding of trauma-informed practice, anxiety, and social skills development.
* The ability to connect with learners who face emotional or behavioural challenges.
* A team-oriented, proactive attitude and strong communication skills.
* A compassionate and calm presence, especially in high-pressure situations.
* Excellent organisational skills, including record-keeping and time management.
* A willingness to learn, develop, and grow through CPD and coaching.
* An enhanced DBS check is required. NMT takes safeguarding seriously and follows all relevant procedures. Further information can be found at https://www.gov.uk .
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