Sen learning support assistant jobs

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 is on 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.

The Tower Project is an East London based disability charity that delivers a wide range of innovative services for children, young people and adults with learning disabilities and autism.

At the forefront of its innovative services delivery is the award-winning Tower Project Job, Enterprise, and Training (JET) Service, East London’s leading provider of supported employment and training services for young people and adults with learning disabilities and autism.

As Job Coach, you will empower adults of all ages with learning disabilities and autism to build real workplace skills through our paid accessible apprenticeship programmes. You will deliver focused, hands-on coaching to help apprentices succeed on their apprenticeships and progress into sustained employment, whether with their placement host or another employer.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Job Coaching

You will provide hands-on workplace coaching that enables clients to develop competence, independence and resilience, supporting successful progression into sustained employment.

• Deliver in-work coaching, breaking tasks into manageable steps and systematically fading support.
• Conduct detailed job and task analysis to ensure clarity of role expectations.
• Support apprentices to develop technical skills, workplace behaviours and professional standards.
• Produce in work communication passports for apprentices and identify and implement reasonable adjustments in partnership with employers.
• Support apprentices to manage workplace anxiety, communication differences and confidence barriers.
• Develop natural workplace supports, including peer mentors and team-based assistance.
• Provide structured travel training to promote independent commuting.
• Monitor progress against apprenticeship goals and employment outcome targets.

Employer Partnerships and Placement Support

Maintain professional, positive relationships with employers and placement hosts secured through the JET employer engagement strategy.

• Act as the key day-to-day contact for employers once an apprentice is placed.
• Support employers to implement inclusive practices and reasonable adjustments.
• Provide guidance on supporting employees with learning disabilities and autism.
• Identify progression opportunities within existing employer partnerships.
• Escalate new employer development opportunities to the Employment Support Team.

Advice, Guidance and Development

You will deliver structured, person-centred support that enables clients to clarify their employment aspirations and take practical, achievable steps towards sustained paid work

• Develop vocational profiles identifying strengths, aspirations and support needs.
• Deliver structured one-to-one sessions reviewing progress and updating action plans.
• Support development of employability skills including CV preparation, interview techniques and workplace communication.
• Encourage independence, resilience and self-advocacy.

Monitoring & Reporting

• You will ensure accurate tracking of client progress and contribute to demonstrating service impact.
•  Maintain accurate and up-to-date digital records and action plans.
• Track outcomes and contribute to performance data and reporting requirements.
• Contribute case studies and evidence demonstrating sustained employment outcomes.
• Ensure compliance with safeguarding, data protection and health and safety policies.
• Support employers with completing workplace risk assessments prior to placement start.

Professional Responsibilities

• You will uphold high professional standards while contributing to the overall success of the service.
• Work towards agreed KPIs relating to sustained employment and progression.
• Participate in supervision, appraisal and ongoing professional development.
• Maintain knowledge of supported employment practice and inclusive workplace standards.
• Promote equality, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of work.
• Represent the service professionally with employers and partner organisations.
• Undertake any other reasonable duties required to support effective service delivery

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.