Sen learning support assistant jobs

Role Overview

The Tower Project’s award-winning JET Service is seeking a passionate and skilled Disability Employment Adviser to help transform the employment prospects of adults and young people with learning disabilities and autism.

This is a varied community-facing role combining personalised employment support, employer partnership working and in-work coaching. You will manage a caseload of aproximatley 25 clients at different stages of their employment journey and work collaboratively with colleagues, employers and referral partners to create meaningful employment opportunities.

You will be supported by the Employment Support Team Lead and will play an important role in delivering positive, measurable outcomes for individuals across East London.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

IAG and Employment Support

You will act as the key adviser for a cohort of clients, delivering high-quality, person-centred employment support that leads to sustained paid outcomes.

You will:

• Build positive working relationships with referral partners including the Community Learning Disability Team, education providers and local support organisations.
• Complete vocational profiling, better-off calculations and personalised support plans focused on employment aspirations.
• Deliver one-to-one sessions to support CV development, interview preparation, confidence building and workplace readiness.
• Support clients to access appropriate training, qualifications and work experience opportunities aligned to their goals.
• Help clients identify and overcome barriers to employment through practical, solution-focused support.

Employer Partnerships and Job Matching

You will contribute to the development and maintenance of inclusive employer partnerships across the local area.

You will:

• Support the development of relationships with employers in a range of local sectors to support client progression.
• Promote inclusive recruitment practices and reasonable adjustments.
• Provide guidance and reassurance to employers on supporting employees with learning disabilities and autism.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues to match clients to suitable roles that reflect their strengths and aspirations.
• Maintain ongoing contact with employers to support sustained placements and positive working relationships.

In Work Support and Job Coaching

Where clients progress into employment, you will provide initial structured in-work support to help clients succeed and grow in their roles

You will:

• Conduct job and task analysis to ensure clear understanding of workplace expectations.
• Support employers to implement appropriate adjustments.
• Deliver workplace coaching using structured approaches such as Training in Systematic Instruction (TSI), gradually reducing support as independence develops.
• Monitor progress in partnership with the employer and client to support sustained employment.

Career Development

Support clients who are in sustained employment to explore progression opportunities, further training and career development pathways.

Monitoring and Administration

• Maintain accurate and timely client records in line with organisational requirements.
• Contribute to performance reporting, case studies and outcome data as required.
• Ensure compliance with safeguarding, confidentiality and data protection standards.

General Responsibilities

• Work towards agreed performance targets and contribute to overall team outcomes.
• Represent the service professionally at meetings and partnership events. 
• Build and maintain positive relationships with clients, employers and stakeholders.
• Keep up to date with relevant employment and benefits legislation.
• Follow the organisation’s policies, procedures.
• Participate in supervision, appraisal and ongoing professional development.
• Contribute to a positive, collaborative and inclusive team culture.

Learning Support Assistant (LSA) – Autism / SEND

Ambitious About Autism is recruiting a Learning Support Assistant (LSA) to support autistic children and young people aged 4–19 at TreeHouse School (Ofsted Outstanding) specialist school in Muswell Hill.

• Full time, permanent (term time only)
• Hours: 8.45am – 4.35pm
• Salary: £26,638 – £28,005 per annum (paid across 52 weeks)
• Location: Muswell Hill, North London (N10 3JA)
• Start date: February 2026 (flexible depending on notice period)

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

You will work 1:1 with autistic pupils, supporting them to access the curriculum while building independence, confidence, and self-esteem through classroom learning and community based activities. This role includes 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)
• Autism specific training and ongoing CPD
• Supportive leadership and a strong wellbeing culture
• Varied, meaningful work with real impact
• 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.

Networks for Nature spans c60 square miles from the River Dee to the River Mersey, including Chester and Ellesmere Port. This is a collaborative partnership project working with Cheshire West and Chester Council, The Land Trust, Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Canal and River Trust, and Sustrans with the aim to drive nature recovery in a mixed-use landscape, creating diverse habitats for species to thrive now and for years to come. We will empower communities to have an active role in conservation action and stewardship and will focus on making nature more accessible to and inclusive for everyone to enable connection and improve wellbeing. To find out more about Networks for Nature visit Networks For Nature | Conservation at Chester Zoo.

As a Wildlife and Wellbeing Officer, you’ll work closely with the Wildlife and Wellbeing Assistant Manager and Networks for Nature project staff to engage and empower communities to make a real impact on conservation efforts and to improve access to nature. You will support with maintaining and establishing community relationships, supporting the development and delivery of a programme of wildlife and wellbeing activities and supporting in building the capacity of community groups, community leaders and other stakeholders within the Networks for Nature project area. You will deliver a broad range of activities, including Family Wildlife Clubs, Wildlife and Wellbeing Clubs, Community Action Days, activities linked to Green Social Prescribing (GSP), GSP workshops for healthcare professionals and activity stands within community settings. You will also actively promote and develop community network links.

Due to the working rota of 10 days in 14 and working every other weekend, there will be some cross-over between the activities delivered within this role and the Community Volunteer Officer role.

We’re looking for someone who can:
 

• Activity Planning & Delivery: Help plan and run a broad programme of wildlife and wellbeing activities to community groups, including Family Wildlife Clubs, Wildlife and Wellbeing Clubs, Conservation Action Days, activities linked to Green Social Prescribing (GSP), GSP workshops for healthcare professionals and activity stands at community events. Effectively adapting each activity to meet the needs of each group.

• Community Relationships: Develop and maintain relationships with community groups to support their continued participation in the project and commitment to creating habitats for UK Wildlife. Including administrative support, dealing with queries via email and telephone and attending meetings, consultations and networking events.

• Content Creation: Research and contribute to the development of resources and new engagement activities designed to support participation in the Networks for Nature project.

• Measuring Impact: Work closely with the Wildlife and Wellbeing Assistant Manager to support in the delivery of an evaluation programme for the Networks for Nature project, including collection and collation of data from project participants, initial analysis of results and presenting findings to key stakeholders.

• Safety & Risk Assessments: With support from the Wildlife and Wellbeing Assistant Manager, ensure that all activities are safe and appropriately risk assessed.

• Developing Expertise: Proactively develop own expertise as a conservation educator, focused on community engagement, UK wildlife and nature and wellbeing.

 

What makes Chester Zoo a great place to work?

Well, where do we start? Here goes…

We’re a huge team of conservationists, scientists, educators, animal welfare experts, marketeers, visitor experience professionals, environmental policy influencers; the list goes on. Each and every one of us is on a mission to make Chester Zoo the best in the world, and our planet a better place.

As the UK’s biggest and best zoo, we have ambitious goals, exciting plans, and there’s always lots going on here. We’re an inclusive and diverse organisation, made up of nearly 500 permanent and 500 seasonal team members, and we know how important it is to invest in our colleagues to help boost their career development. We have ambitious goals, and we want you to be with us for the long term on our exciting journey.

Our working environment could not be more different from a typical office – where else can you see critically endangered orangutans from your office window, or stroll among rare giraffes and tigers on your lunch break?

The Package
 

• Temporary contract until 30th September 2028

• 35 hours per week

• Salary £23,187.50

• The postholder will work 10 days over 14, working every other weekend and with two regular days off in the week

• 33 days annual leave plus the option to buy or sell up to 5 days (pro rota)

• Staff pass so you can visit the zoo during your time off, plus multiple complimentary tickets for your friends and family

• Cycle to work scheme

• Healthcare plan and employee assistance programme

• Discounted gym membership

• Discounts on cinema tickets, restaurants, high street shops and more via Perks

• Pension scheme with generous employer contributions up to 9% 

Our Requirements:
 

• An understanding & affinity to the organisation’s mission, vision & values, with a strong interest in the conservation of UK nature.

• Experience delivering educational and wellbeing focused activities with a range of different audiences across a variety of ages and needs, preferably within an environmental education or conservation focused organisation.

• Experience presenting to audiences.

• Experience developing quality resources for learning.

• Experience of delivering activities/training with a range of audiences.

• Sound working knowledge of computer software systems e.g. Microsoft Office Suite

• Excellent interpersonal skills

• Excellent communication and literacy skills including by phone, face to face and via email/online discussion boards

• Excellent time management, administration and planning skills.

• Experience of working in a busy office environment as part of a team & on own initiative

• Full driving licence
 

Although not essential, the following would be desirable:
 

• Knowledge and understanding of the health and wellbeing benefits of accessing nature and the models used to deliver these benefits.

• Experience working with audiences with special educational needs and/or mental health challenges and/or socio economically deprived.

• Experience working collaboratively with community partners.

• Experience monitoring and evaluating engagement activities in a community context.

Due to the nature of the organisation and the role, this post is subject to a DBS check.