Specialist Education & Care Assistant


Company:	senploy
Salary:	£90 - £90
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	IVYBRIDGE, DEVON
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	18 Aug 2026
Closing date:	13 Sept 2026

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Summary

Learning Support Practitioner - SEND & Specialist Education

Location: Ivybridge, Devon

Pay: £90 per day

Contract: Full-Time | Term-Time

Want a career where you can develop professionally while making a meaningful difference to young people?

A specialist education setting in Ivybridge is looking for a compassionate and motivated Learning Support Practitioner to work with children and young people who need additional support to thrive in education.

This is an opportunity to gain valuable experience with pupils who may have Autism, ADHD, SEMH needs, communication difficulties and other additional needs.

You'll learn from experienced professionals, develop specialist skills and gain the practical experience needed to take your career in education or SEND further.

For children with additional needs, having the right person beside them can completely change how they experience education.

You'll provide consistent, positive support that helps pupils feel understood, develop confidence and become increasingly independent.

Your responsibilities will include:

- Supporting pupils individually and within small groups

- Helping young people access lessons and learning activities

- Adapting your approach to different learning and communication needs

- Encouraging independence rather than simply completing tasks for pupils

- Supporting emotional regulation and positive behaviour

- Helping pupils develop communication and social skills

- Building trusting and appropriate relationships

- Recognising when pupils need additional reassurance or support

- Encouraging engagement from young people who may have struggled with education previously

- Working closely with teachers and specialist colleagues to support individual goals

You'll quickly discover that progress looks different for every pupil - and some of the smallest steps can represent the biggest achievements.

This isn't a role where you'll simply be expected to know everything from day one.

You'll have the opportunity to develop your understanding of areas such as:

- Autism and neurodiversity

- ADHD

- Social, emotional and mental health needs

- Communication difficulties

- Positive behaviour support

- Emotional regulation

- Inclusive learning

- Safeguarding

- Relationship-based approaches

The experience you gain can help you build a strong foundation for your next career move.

Specialist education can open the door to a wide variety of career paths.

You might decide to progress further within classroom support, move towards teaching or explore another profession working with children and young people.

Future pathways could include:

- Higher Level Teaching Assistant roles

- Specialist SEND support

- Teaching or teacher training

- Pastoral and wellbeing roles

- Behaviour mentoring

- Youth work

- Psychology and educational psychology

- Speech and language support

- Occupational therapy

- Social work or wider children's services

For graduates considering careers in psychology, teaching, therapy or social care, the hands-on experience gained in this position could also be particularly valuable.

Experience working with children, young people or vulnerable adults would be beneficial, whether gained through education, care, youth work, coaching, mentoring, residential services or community settings.

We're particularly interested in your approach.

You'll need to be someone who:

- Genuinely enjoys helping young people succeed

- Builds relationships naturally

- Has patience and empathy

- Can remain calm and consistent when situations become challenging

- Is willing to listen, learn and develop

- Can adapt to individual needs

- Works effectively with colleagues

- Is dependable and professional

- Brings energy and positivity to the working day

At £90 per day, this full-time, term-time opportunity gives you the chance to earn while developing experience that could become an important part of your future career.

You'll gain practical SEND experience, strengthen your CV, learn from specialist professionals and develop highly transferable skills in communication, behaviour, safeguarding and relationship building.

Most importantly, you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that your work is helping young people overcome barriers and recognise what they're capable of achieving.

If you're looking for a role that gives you purpose today and possibilities for tomorrow, we'd like to hear from you.

Apply with your CV today for this Learning Support Practitioner opportunity in Ivybridge and take your next step into specialist education.

This vacancy is being advertised on Senploy - the UK's specialist SEND and education job board.

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