1:1 Autism Support Assistant | Ferryhill

Location: Ferryhill
Job Type: Full Time, Term Time Only
Start Date: September 2026
Pay: £92.63–£108 per day, dependent on experience

See the child, not just the behaviour.

Protocol Education are looking for a 1:1 SEND Support Assistant to work in a specialist school in Ferryhill, supporting a pupil with Autism.

The pupil can find busy environments, transitions and changes to routine difficult, which can sometimes lead to periods of dysregulation and challenging behaviour.

Your role will be about much more than managing behaviour. You'll help the pupil understand their environment, feel secure, develop trust and gradually build the skills they need to become more independent.

The role

You'll be responsible for:

• Providing consistent 1:1 support throughout the school day
• Helping the pupil manage transitions and changes
• Supporting sensory regulation and emotional wellbeing
• Using structured routines and clear expectations
• Supporting learning and classroom activities
• Encouraging communication and independence
• Recognising triggers and responding appropriately
• Following individual support and behaviour strategies
• Building a strong, positive relationship with the pupil

About you

The school would particularly welcome applications from candidates with:

• Psychology backgrounds
• Autism experience
• SEND experience
• Behaviour support experience
• Care or residential experience
• Youth work or mentoring backgrounds

Most importantly, you'll need to be patient, calm, resilient and consistent.

You don't have to know everything about Autism from day one. A willingness to learn, listen and understand the individual child is just as important as previous experience.

What you'll get

• Weekly PAYE pay
• No umbrella companies
• FREE CPD and SEND training
• FREE Thrive training
• Dedicated consultant support
• Long-term opportunities in Ferryhill and across County Durham
• The chance to develop valuable specialist experience

If you're someone who wants to understand, support and encourage a child — even when the day gets difficult — we'd love to hear from you.

Apply today.

All applicants will require the appropriate qualifications and training for this role. Please see the FAQs on the Protocol Education website for further details.

All pay rates quoted will be inclusive of 12.07% statutory holiday pay. This advert is for a temporary position. In some cases, the option to make this role permanent may become available at a later date.

Protocol Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. We undertake safeguarding checks on all workers in accordance with the DfE statutory guidance ‘Keeping Children Safe in Education’, this may also include an online search as part of our due diligence on shortlisted applicants.
We offer FREE online safeguarding and Prevent Duty training to all our workers. All candidates must undertake or have undertaken a valid enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and subscribe to the DBS Update Service.

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