Assistant jobs

Learning Support Assistant (LSA) – Autism / SEND

Ambitious About Autism is recruiting for a Learning Support Assistant (LSA) to support autistic young people aged 16–25 at Ambitious College, our specialist further education college.

• Full time, permanent (term time only)
• Hours: 9am - 4.30pm
• Salary: £25,837 - £27,165 per annum
• Location: Tottenham, North London (N15 4FY)
• Start date: February 2026 (flexible depending on notice periods)

Please note, this role may not meet Skilled Worker visa sponsorship criteria

You will work 1:1 with autistic learners, supporting them to access learning, build independence, confidence, and life skills — both on campus and in the community. This role involves personal care.

This role is ideal for candidates with experience or interest in:

• SEN / SEND
• Autism
• Learning Support Assistant or Teaching Assistant roles
• Care, youth work, education, or psychology backgrounds

What we offer:

• Term time only working (paid across 52 weeks)
• Extensive autism specific training and CPD
• Support from leading autism specialists
• Free daily breakfast
• Employee benefits including EAP, cycle-to-work, and season ticket loans
• Full benefits package: please see our website

The official internal title for this role is Specialist Teaching Assistant, but it is advertised externally as Learning Support Assistant to reflect the nature of the role and maximise reach.

Ambitious About Autism is committed to fostering equity, diversity, and inclusion at every level of our organisation. We warmly welcome applications from all qualified candidates, valuing the diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives they bring. We encourage applications from individuals regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or parental status, disability, or age.

Our recruitment process promotes equal opportunities, and we are committed to providing reasonable adjustments for candidates with disabilities or additional needs throughout the recruitment process. Please contact our Recruitment Team for accommodations. We recognise disability as a physical or mental impairment that significantly and long-term affects a person's ability to perform day-to-day activities, as defined by the UK Equality Act 2010. All applications will be considered solely on merit, aligned with our mission to support autistic children and young people.

Ambitious About Autism is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people, and successful candidates will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check. As part of our Safer Recruitment checks, an online search may be carried out in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education.

The safeguarding responsibilities of the post are as per the job description and person specification.
Whether the post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendments to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2021. This means that when applying for certain jobs and activities, certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected', so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS Filter Guidance.

As our Events Assistant you have an exciting opportunity to join our developing charity. Working closely with the Events Manager, volunteers and a small team of colleagues, we are looking for an enthusiastic and committed individual to provide efficient and strong administration and coordination for both existing and new supportive events for bereaved parents and adult siblings. This role also involves supporting the volunteers who facilitate online groups, in-person retreats, support days, and supportive walks.

For this varied and busy role, we are looking for a highly organised individual with excellent interpersonal, written and IT skills. You will be comfortable working across multiple projects, be able to prioritise effectively and manage your time well in this part-time position, as many projects are time sensitive. You will have some experience in event administration and coordination and be able to learn new processes quickly. Excellent attention to detail is essential in this role and you will also be able to build successful relationships with volunteers and staff.  The role requires a high degree of flexibility, including a willingness to work some evenings and weekends. You will work closely with colleagues while also using your own initiative to work independently and complete time sensitive tasks. 

Benefits include:
* Employer pension contributions at 3% of salary
* 5 weeks/25 days (FTE) annual leave (plus bank holidays)
* Personalised training and development budget
* Additional wellbeing/mental health days plus personal wellbeing budget
* Flexible working arrangements

Please note that this role is not involved in fundraising events. 

We value diversity and inclusion and actively support an inclusive culture. We welcome and encourage applications from individuals from all backgrounds, especially those from underrepresented groups and bereaved individuals. 

This role is open to applications from bereaved or non-bereaved individuals.  However, in line with our policy for our volunteer team, we request that any bereaved parents or siblings considering applying for this paid Events Assistant role are at least 4 years bereaved to enable time to be given to your own loss and grief.

The Compassionate Friends (TCF) is the UK’s only national charity providing peer support to bereaved parents whose child, of any age (from 1 month old to an adult child), has died from any cause. We also offer support to bereaved adult siblings and grandparents.

Via over 300 trained and supported volunteers, bereaved parents, adult siblings and grandparents themselves, we support over 25,000 bereaved parents each year through peer support offered in person, over the telephone, by email, online, and in print.