Trauma-Informed | Neurodiversity-Affirming | Relationship-Led | Community & Outreach
At Freedom, we support children and young people aged 0–25 who experience the world differently — including those with autism, ADHD, trauma histories, attachment differences, and complex emotional or behavioural needs.
We are developing a specialist team of highly skilled practitioners to deliver meaningful, relationship-led support across family homes, education settings and community spaces.
This is not task-based care.
This is work rooted in connection, emotional safety, and understanding behaviour as communication.
We are looking for people who are curious, reflective, and compassionate — whether your background is in SEN education, residential children's care, youth work, mentoring, behaviour support, or therapeutic roles.
The Role
As a Specialist Support Practitioner, you will work closely with children and young people to help them feel safe, understood, and supported to engage with their world.
Your role will involve:
* Providing person-centred, relationship-led support tailored to each child or young person
* Creating calm, predictable, emotionally safe environments
* Supporting emotional regulation before expectation or demand
* Building consistent, trusting relationships over time
* Using reflective practice to understand the meaning behind behaviour
* Supporting development, confidence, independence, and participation
* Working flexibly across home, education, residential, and community settings
* Recording and reflecting on practice professionally and thoughtfully
This is skilled, emotionally intelligent work.
It requires patience, presence, boundaries, and the ability to remain steady in complex moments.
You are someone who asks:
"What is this behaviour telling me?" rather than "How do I stop it?"
Who This Role Is For
We welcome applications from people with experience supporting children and young people with additional or complex needs, including those from backgrounds such as:
* SEN or alternative education
* Residential children's care
* Youth work or mentoring
* Behaviour support or pastoral roles
* Therapeutic or psychology-informed settings
You may have:
* A Level 3 qualification in Childcare, Health & Social Care (or equivalent experience)
* Experience supporting neurodivergent children or young people
* An understanding of trauma, attachment, or emotional regulation
* A calm, reflective, and emotionally regulated approach
* Confidence working independently while being part of a wider team
Most importantly, you share our values and believe that relationships create change.
What We Offer
* Full specialist training in trauma-informed and autism-informed practice
* Ongoing supervision, mentoring, and reflective practice
* Flexible working patterns to support work-life balance
* Clear development and progression opportunities
* A supportive, values-led leadership team
* The opportunity to help shape a specialist, growing service
* A culture that prioritises staff wellbeing, learning, and quality
We invest in our people — because our people are the service.
This is currently a zero hour role, but will lead to contracted work once we have the team up and running.
If you are interested and your experience/qualification parallels the above descriptions please apply and let us know your current availability.