SEMH Teaching Assistant / Behaviour Mentor | Barnet
Barnet, North London | £95–£100 per day | Full-time only | Monday–Friday
Can you stay calm when a young person can't?
That ability is far more valuable in an SEMH environment than trying to be the loudest person in the room.
Parker Smith Inclusion is recruiting SEMH Teaching Assistants and Behaviour Mentors for full-time roles within specialist SEND settings across Barnet.
We are particularly interested in people who understand that challenging behaviour often has something sitting underneath it — frustration, anxiety, previous experiences, communication difficulties or a young person simply not knowing another way to respond.
Your role
You could be supporting young people who have previously struggled within education.
Your role may include:
- Building trusting but professional relationships
- Supporting pupils to remain engaged with education
- Helping young people recognise and regulate emotions
- Providing 1:1 and small-group support
- De-escalating difficult situations calmly
- Maintaining clear, predictable boundaries
- Supporting pupils following incidents rather than defining them by those incidents
- Working alongside teaching and pastoral teams
- Encouraging confidence and independence
We're not looking for someone who wants to “control behaviour”
We're looking for someone who can understand it.
You need to know when to challenge, when to listen and when a pupil simply needs a consistent adult who isn't going to give up on them.
Essential
- Able to work full-time, Monday–Friday
- Calm under pressure
- Emotionally resilient
- Confident maintaining boundaries
- Reliable and consistent
- Able to build relationships without becoming overfamiliar
Particularly relevant backgrounds include:
- SEMH
- Behaviour mentoring
- Youth work
- Alternative provision
- SEND
- Care and support work
- Mental health
- Sports coaching
- Community work
School experience isn't necessarily essential if your transferable experience is strong.
The rewarding part?
Progress in SEMH isn't always a grade on a piece of paper.
It might be the pupil who starts attending lessons consistently.
The young person who begins asking for help instead of walking out.
Or the pupil who eventually realises that one difficult day doesn't mean an adult has given up on them.
Parker Smith Inclusion
We specialise exclusively in SEND recruitment and understand that SEMH settings are not right for everybody.
We'll be straightforward about what a role involves before you accept it.
You'll receive specialist support, transparent advice and PAYE placements where applicable.
If you are looking for a full-time SEMH Teaching Assistant or Behaviour Mentor role in Barnet, apply today and I will contact you personally to discuss your experience.
Parker Smith Inclusion is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. Relevant vetting, references and an Enhanced DBS check will be required where applicable.