Role: SEMH Teaching Assistant

Location: Exeter

Contract: Full time, term time only

Start date: February half term

Salary: Starting at £14.45 per hour

Do you have a passion for transforming the lives of young people with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs? Are you ready to inspire, guide and support students as they navigate challenges and develop skills for lifelong success? We’re seeking a dedicated SEMH Teaching Assistant to join a forward-thinking SEN school in Exeter and help make a lasting impact.

About the role:

As a SEMH Teaching Assistant, you will work with students aged 7 - 16 (KS2 - KS4), creating a positive and structured learning environment. Collaborating closely with teachers and support staff, your focus will be to:

Provide targeted behavioural interventions to support students’ emotional and social development
Empower students with coping strategies, self-regulation strategies and positive habits for their education and beyond
Build strong, trusting relationships to foster emotional resilience and growth

Your work will be instrumental in helping students overcome barriers to learning and thrive academically, socially and emotionally.

Key responsibilities:

Support students in managing and de-escalting challenging behaviours
Deliver one-to-one and small group interventions to address specific SEMH needs
Work collaboratively with teachers to develop and implement individual behaviour plans
Create a consistent, nurturing and safe environment that reinforces boundaries and encourages progress.
Serve as a role model for students, inspiring confidence and positive change

Who we’re looking for:

We’re seeking an individual who embodies:

A relational approach: Building strong connections with young people through empathy and trust
Behaviour management expertise: Strong skills in managing and de-escalating challenging situations
Resilience and adaptability: Thriving in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
A sense of humour: Engaging positively and authentically with students
Proactive problem solving: A solution-focused mindset and can-do attitude

Requirements:

Previous experience working with children or individuals with additional needs
Experience in education or care settings is desirable but not required - transferable skills from related roles are highly valued
A commitment to safeguarding and promoting student welfare

You will work Monday to Friday, term time only, and play an active role in the school day, including joining students for meals and providing consistent supervision and support.

If you’re driven to create a positive change and inspire young people, we want to hear from you. Apply today to start making an impact!

Working with Long-term Teachers:

We are an independent agency working with Nurseries, Primary, Secondary and Special Schools.

LTT was founded with the aim of creating a genuine, transparent and straightforward service to help candidates secure their next role. We place a huge emphasis on delivering an exceptional service where you will be supported, listened to and valued throughout.

Your dedicated consultant will invest time to understand your experience, skill-set and what your ideal role looks like. You will have frequent updates with your progress through compliance, applications for specific roles as well as receiving additional information on roles which we feel may be of interest to you.

We are proud members of the REC and we have the highest standard of compliance. Working with us means you will get the very best support and guidance through the clearance process from your own specific point of contact from our in-house compliance team.

In addition you will receive:

Guarantee Pay Scheme opportunities
Permanent job roles
Support and advice during the clearance and onboarding process
Working to Agency Workers Regulations
Interview preparation, advice and support
Statutory employment rights, such as; sick pay, holiday pay, maternity and paternity pay