Job Title:
Alternative Provision Support Practitioner
Salary: Starting £13.50 per hour depending on experience
Hours: 0 hour contract with the scope to contracted hours. Between hours of 09:30 and 16:00 Monday – Friday. Term Time Only
Location: ZEN Sensory, Tanfield Lane, Wath, Ripon
About ZEN: ZEN is an approved, nurturing alternative provision supporting children who may find traditional educational environments challenging. We work with children with a range of individual needs including, SEND, autism, ADHD, SEMH needs, PDA, sensory processing differences, anxiety and barriers to engagement with education.
Whether it is supporting children to reintegrate back into school or offering therapeutic support to home schooling, our provision promotes resilience, self confidence and emotional regulation for all pupils through targeted, tailored activities to help the child thrive. Sessions may include sensory and play-based learning, creative activities, practical experiences, animal interaction and activities designed to develop confidence, communication, independence, emotion regulation and engagement.
As our commissioned placements continue to grow, were looking for the right person to join our small team.
Job Description: We are looking for a kind, patient and reliable Alternative Provision Support Practitioner to support children attending ZEN. This isn’t a traditional classroom room. Some children may arrive feeling anxious, dysregulated or disengaged from education so we are looking for someone who can take time to build trust and understand each individual child.
You may be supporting children 1:1 or as part of a small group alongside ZENs directors and other staff.
The role may include:
- building positive and trusting relationships with children and young people
- supporting sensory, creative and play-based enrichment activities
- helping children work towards their individual outcomes and targets
- supporting emotional regulation and responding calmly to distressed or dysregulated behaviour
- adapting activities according to a childs interests, communication style and needs
- encouraging confidence, independence and positive engagement
- supporting safe interaction with ZENs sensory equipment and where appropriate our animals
- recording relevant information about sessions and pupils progress
- following individual risk assessments, support plans and safeguarding procedures
- working collaboratively with the ZEN team, schools, families and other profesionals
Who We’re Looking For:
- calm, patient and compassionate
- reliable and professional
- able to build relationships without placing unnecessary pressure on the child
- be comfortable working with children whos behaviour or communication may sometimes be challenging
- flexible and willing to adapt plans according to the child in front of you
- committed to safeguarding and promoting children’s welfare
- willing to learn and develop as ZEN grows.
Experience supporting children with SEND, autism, ADHD, SEMH or within an alternative provision would be particularly valuable.
Relevant qualifications in education, childcare, SEND, health and social care or related area would be desirable but we would also welcome applications from people with strong relevant experience and the right values and approach.
Training and Safeguarding
ZEN is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. The successful applicant will be subject to ZENs safer recruitment procedures, including appropriate identity, employment history, references, right to work and Enhanced DBS/ Children’s barred list checks.
Relevant safeguarding and role-specific training will be required and supported by ZEN.
If you feel like you would like to a part of our team, with the potential to grow with the company, then we would love to hear from you.
To apply for this role, please send your CV and cover letter to:
Contact@zensbsensory.co.uk