Learning Support Worker

Job purpose: The role is to offer support to Special Educational Needs (SEN)  students to enable them to develop their skills, confidence, engagement, social skills and help guide them towards gaining their accreditation with DV8 Sussex and support their onward progression route.

Educational Health Care Plan Students have a range of disabilities and needs relating to cognition and learning, social, emotional and mental health, communication and interaction and/or sensory and physical.  The role will be supporting these students on a 1:1 or 1:2 basis in the classroom.  

The role is classroom based in one of our Music, Media, Fashion, Games Development or KS4 (14-16) courses in Dv8 Sussex. There are roles available in both our Brighton and Bexhill campuses.

Company outline:

Dv8 Sussex specialises in delivering innovative training for young people across a range of creative subjects. All courses are taught by industry professionals and designed to provide a real experience of working in a creative environment.

We recognise the strengths of learning through doing something that is challenging, inspiring and fun. The young people on our courses are supported to progress into employment, apprenticeships or further education following their time with us. All courses contain qualifications embedded within activities (such as successfully releasing a music track and staging live performances and events). In addition to vocational subjects, students also undertake GCSE or Functional Skills Maths & English programmes which are end of year exams.

Course outline:

Dv8 Sussex study programmes are industry-led creative courses that enable young adults to learn what it is like to develop skills in a professional environment. They weave together accredited vocational learning, English & maths and work-related experience. Each course provides added value to students by their completing a series of projects which develop a wide range of skills including enterprise, innovation and problem-solving.

Dv8 Sussex also deliver an engaging and creative English, Maths, ICT and Business and Enterprise curriculum at the DV8 Bexhill Centre, as part of College Central’s Core+ programme for 14-16 year-old learners.

Dv8 Sussex is an equal opportunities employer and positively welcomes applications from all sections of the community. We are committed to safeguarding all learners enrolled on our programmes and appointment of successful applicants will be subject to satisfactory references being obtained, and an enhanced disclosure and barring service (DBS) check.

Key Duties Associated with the job role 

1. Understand  the needs of and support assigned student in class to achieve learning aims.
2. Contribute to the monitoring, reviewing and tracking of student progress against EHCP outcomes 
3. Take an active role in report writing and recording data.
4. Liaise with parents and external agencies, where appropriate, to ensure individual support and a collaborative approach is taken.
5. Support Course Tutors in identifying suitable progression plans for assigned student. 
6. Assist learner during all sessions and examinations. 
7. Maintain and update own professional knowledge and practical skills annually including attending relevant staff development/INSET days.
8. Attend meetings to review student progress and Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP).
9. To facilitate the learning of students with identified SEN needs in line with the SEN Code of Practice.
10. To work collaboratively with tutors to produce resources which support learners with identified SEN needs and EHCPs.
11. To complete any other duties deemed reasonable in relation to the role of a learning support worker.
12. To contribute towards the safeguarding of all learners at DV8 Sussex in line with the Safeguarding policy.
13. To ensure that Dv8’s Equality & Diversity policies, procedures and initiatives are actively promoted to all staff and learners at all times.

Key person characteristics sought

• Dedicated to learning
• Helpful
• Perceptive 
• Encouraging of others 
• Organised
• Resilient
• Patient
• Resourceful
• Creative
• Able to set and maintain clear boundaries

Essential Criteria 

• Maths and English GCSE (or equivalent) Grade C or above.
• Ability to build positive relationships with young people.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Previous experience of supporting young people’s learning in a 1:1 capacity.
• Skills in managing challenging behaviour and a range of behavioural needs. 
• An understanding of best practice in helping overcome barriers to learning.
• Experience of working with, or strong understanding of, Special Educational Needs.
• Willingness to develop own professional capacity through training and evaluate practice.
• IT skills.
• An understanding of best practice in safeguarding young people. 

Desirable Criteria 

• Holding, or working towards, accredited Learning Support / Teaching assistant qualification
• Experience of working within a post 16 learning environment.
• Youth work, IAG or counselling qualifications.
• Creative vocational subject knowledge, relevant to Dv8 Sussex course curricula.