Teaching Assistant (Social, Emotional, Mental Health) – Be Someone a Child Can Count On
Start Date: September 2025
Full-time & Flexible Options | Specialist Settings | Via Teaching Personnel
This is not your average teaching assistant role.
We’re looking for people who are ready to step into classrooms where students don’t always come in ready to learn because they’re carrying things far heavier than a school bag. These are children and young people who may be in or leaving care, who’ve faced trauma, unstable home lives, exclusion, or ongoing mental health challenges. They’re bright, capable, and full of potential, but they need the right kind of support to thrive.
That’s where you come in.
We work with a range of specialist settings, including:
Pupil Referral Units (PRUs)
For students who’ve been permanently or temporarily excluded from mainstream schools.
Alternative Provisions
Smaller, more flexible learning environments for students who aren’t suited to mainstream education.
Mental Health Units and Therapeutic Schools
Supporting students with acute or long-term mental health needs.
Behaviour-Focused Provisions
Often using trauma-informed or restorative approaches to learning and behaviour.
These settings are diverse, but what they have in common is a need for adults who can stay calm under pressure, build trust, and support not just learning but healing.
What You’ll Be Doing
Building Relationships
You’ll spend time one-to-one or in small groups with students who may initially push you away. Over time, your presence becomes part of their safety net.
Supporting Emotional Regulation
Helping students recognise and manage difficult emotions using de-escalation, calming techniques, structure, and empathy.
Encouraging Engagement
Motivating students to take part in learning, even in small ways, and celebrating wins that others might overlook.
Maintaining Safe Spaces
Creating consistency, routine and a calm environment where young people can begin to trust again and focus.
This work is challenging, but incredibly rewarding. You’ll leave each day knowing you made a tangible difference, even if it was just helping a student stay in the room, finish an activity or feel seen.
Why This Role Might Be for You
You’ve seen what happens when a young person is written off and want to be part of the reason they’re not.
You value patience over punishment.
You can stay calm when others can’t.
You don’t take things personally.
You want to work in education - but on the front lines of where it really matters.
What’s On Offer
* Full-time and flexible placements available
* Ongoing work in specialist settings tailored to your skills and interests
* CPD and guidance from a team who understand the environment
* A chance to build meaningful experience in trauma-informed, therapeutic and alternative education
Once you apply, a member of our team will be in touch to learn more about you and match you with settings that align with your strengths.
All applicants will require the appropriate qualifications and training for this role. Please see the FAQ’s on the Teaching Personnel website for 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.
Teaching Personnel is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We undertake safeguarding checks on all workers in accordance with 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 all our registered candidates FREE child protection and prevent duty training. All candidates must undertake or have undertaken a valid enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Full assistance provided.
For details of our privacy policy, please visit the Teaching Personnel website.