Can you stay calm, collected, and compassionate when faced with challenging behaviour?
Do you have the resilience to be the consistent adult role model a vulnerable young person needs?
Are you ready to move away from "tick-box" teaching and focus on building genuine relationships that change lives?
If you answered "yes" to these questions, Randstad Education is looking for you. We are currently recruiting resilient SEMH (Social, Emotional, and Mental Health) Support Assistants to work across specialist provision and Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) in Leeds.
This is not a standard Teaching Assistant role. You will be working with students who have often been excluded from mainstream education and who express their distress through their behaviour. It is challenging work, but for the right person, it is incredibly rewarding.
The Role
Working on supply gives you the chance to experience different specialist settings across Leeds.
Your day-to-day will involve:
De-escalation: recognising triggers and using verbal strategies to calm tense situations before they escalate.
Engagement: finding creative ways to get students interested in learning, often outside of a traditional classroom setting (e.g., vocational skills, sports, or outdoor learning).
Mentoring: Acting as a positive role model for students who may lack stability at home.
Safety: Ensuring the physical and emotional safety of the student and the class.
Why Work on Supply with Randstad?
Flexible Diary: You choose when you work. This is perfect for those balancing other commitments or those who want to avoid burnout by taking regular breaks.
Competitive PAYE Rates: We pay weekly via PAYE, meaning no hidden umbrella fees eat into your hard-earned money.
Specialist Support: You will be looked after by consultants who understand the SEN/SEMH sector in Leeds and won't send you to a placement you aren't suited for.
Requirements
Experience: Experience with challenging behaviour is essential. This could be in schools, residential care, youth work, the prison service, or security.
Resilience: The ability not to take things personally and to start every day with a clean slate.
Vetting: A valid Enhanced DBS on the Update Service (or willingness to apply immediately).
How to Apply
If you have the grit and the heart to support Leeds' most vulnerable young people, we want to hear from you.
Randstad Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. All candidates must undertake or have undertaken a valid enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
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