Learning Support Assistant - Birmingham, United Kingdom - Queen Alexandra College

Description

To promote independence for our students through learning and enabling support.

Working Pattern: 32.5 Hours, 39 weeks, Term Time Only
Permanent Contract

Key Responsibilities

Learning

• Recognising & Recording progress of students against their targets

• Understand Curriculum area and broad course objectives including the techniques utilised to evidence progress (such as photographs, videos, and witness statements).

• Participate in team meetings

• Adaptable approach to different learning styles of our students

• Understand disability theory & practical implementation of this to engage students in learning

• Adapt styles of communication to develop a positive and constructive learning environment

• Liaise and implement strategies from specialists (IT/SLT/ Physio)

• Support communication through the development of your own skills in communication methods (PECs/Makaton/BSL)

• Support Tutors to ensure the classroom environment is suitable for students sensory or support needs

• Support Tutor in the creation and preparation of differentiated resources.

Personal Tutoring

• Undertake tutorials with your assigned students on a regularly directed basis.

• Agree with your assigned students, a range of targets and review these regularly.

• Attend and participate in the annual and transitions reviews for your students

Social & Emotional Support

• Recognise the social and emotional needs of our students and adapt your support in line with the agreed strategies to support positive improvements

• Contribute to the development and updating of Positive Support Plans and Risk Assessments

• De-escalate behaviour that challenges in line with the positive behaviour support plan, utilising all training and MAPA techniques where applicable.

• Undertake preventative work to reduce the likelihood of behaviour that challenges.

Break & Lunch Support

• During unstructured time, support students to ensure ratios and safety are addressed at all times.

• Support the students to engage with their peers or chosen activities.

• Lead and support students during club/ directed study or enrichment activities, sharing your knowledge where applicable.

Personal Care

• Support students with a range of hygiene needs, including feeding, toileting and changing clothes.

• Ensure the personal care needs are met in line with care plan and performed with respect and dignity.

• Support students to access the full campus and activities, which may require you to push wheelchairs/ guide wheelchairs/ sighted guide students.

General

• Use technology to access information on students to ensure their support needs are met.

• Ability to talk to external professionals, families and careers, where directed to support students

• Participate in personal education, including mandatory and skills development training

• Actively engage with Peer Mentoring for yourself, along with new and existing colleagues.

• Support students to access activities in the community to develop their independence.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Essential

• Level 2 – English & Maths (equivalent)
• Experience of working effectively with young adults with barriers to learning
• Excellent oral communication and interpersonal skills
• Good IT skills, including word processing, Excel and Microsoft Programmes
• Ability to communicate effectively with young adults with barriers to learning, including those who may present behaviours that challenge
• To have previous experience of SEN learners with moderate to severe learning difficulties and be able to provide the associated curriculum, approaches and strategies.
• Ability to communicate effectively with staff, parents, carers, and other external contacts, at all levels, using a variety of media.
• To be able to demonstrate learning strategies as appropriate to people with visual impairment and autism and/ or complex disabilities.
• To be familiar with communication methods and access technology as appropriate to learners with visual impairment and other disabilities

How to apply

We look forward to receiving your application and knowing more about your qualifications, skills,
personal qualities and experience that you would bring to the role and to QAC. Please take time to
review the job description above.

Please upload a CV/Resume* with details of your full employment history (since leaving school,
including education, employment and voluntary work) including reasons for any gaps in
employment. This should also include a statement of the personal qualities and experience you
believe are relevant to your suitability for the post and how this meets the job description and
person specification requirements. Your CV/Resume* will be re-produced in a standard format by
the system (without personal identifiers) to assist us in our anonymised shortlisting process.
Under Section 7 of SVGA 2006 it is an offence to apply for the role if the applicant is barred from
engaging in regulated activity relevant to children. The College's Safeguarding Policies are
available here

As part of our commitment to safer recruitment, and in line with updated guidance published in
September 2022, we will carry out an online search of all shortlisted candidates. This search may
enable us to identify any incidents or issues that have happened, and publicly available for review
online, which we may wish to explore with you in further detail during the interview process. As part
of your application we have asked you to provide the account names, usernames and/or handles for
any social media platform that you use, as well as the names of any websites that you own, post on,
or contribute to. A Google search will also be conducted. These checks will only be conducted if you
are shortlisted for interview. Please see our safer recruitment and selection policy for further
information. Queen Alexandra College (QAC) is a national residential College and registered charity that supports a diverse range of student/client abilities and needs. Our College provides education, training, routes to independent living and employment through an innovative, holistic approach to learning and support.
QAC offers a vibrant, varied and fun educational experience for both residential and day students. Our curriculum aims to maximise adult life, independence and work opportunities for all students. Class sizes are small and support levels high.
All students, clients and staff are supported within safe and well-resourced environments. We have educational and learning sites based in Birmingham, one of Europe's most welcoming and vibrant cities, with a rich and diverse culture. Our main site is based in Harborne, a pleasant leafy Birmingham suburb, on a friendly and green 8-acre campus with excellent facilities and resources.

As QAC has grown, we now have new educational and learning sites – Pinewood Campus (dedicated to employment progression) and Umberslade Campus (dedicated to horticulture and outdoor learning).
QAC makes a positive difference to the lives and learning of people with disabilities and learning difficulties. We have high expectations of staff, students and clients whilst being responsive, innovative and collaborative. Our College values drive how we work with students, clients, stakeholders and as a team. We continue to attract and retain staff of the highest calibre, who are proud of QAC's achievements and who wish to be an integral part of ongoing and future successes. As Leaders in Diversity which drives the culture at QAC and we warmly welcome applications from individuals who share our values, from all backgrounds, to add to our committed and diverse team.