Complex Needs Teaching Assistant

Complex Needs Teaching Assistant | Sunderland | Full Time

Location: Sunderland
Job Type: Full Time, Term Time Only
Start Date: September 2026
Working Hours: Monday to Friday, school hours
Pay: £100–£125 per day, depending on experience

Are you patient, caring and confident supporting pupils with complex needs?

Protocol Education are recruiting for a Complex Needs Teaching Assistant to join a specialist SEND setting in Sunderland.

This is a rewarding opportunity for an experienced Teaching Assistant or Support Worker who wants to work closely with pupils who require more personalised support throughout the school day.

You could be supporting pupils with complex learning needs, communication difficulties, autism, physical needs or additional behavioural and emotional needs.

Your day-to-day responsibilities may include:

• Providing personalised 1:1 support
• Working with small groups
• Supporting pupils to access learning
• Supporting communication
• Encouraging independence and life skills
• Supporting sensory regulation
• Helping pupils participate in activities
• Promoting positive behaviour
• Supporting transitions
• Following individual support plans
• Working alongside teachers and specialist staff
• Building trusting relationships with pupils

Experience within a specialist school, care setting, residential environment or healthcare setting would be particularly useful.

We're looking for someone who is:

• Patient
• Calm
• Observant
• Caring
• Resilient
• Adaptable
• Reliable
• Comfortable supporting pupils with complex needs

A relevant qualification is desirable, but transferable experience will also be considered.

What Protocol Education offers:

• Competitive daily pay
• Weekly PAYE payments
• FREE SEND and online training
• Dedicated education consultant
• Long-term and permanent opportunities
• Ongoing support
• £50 Refer a Friend bonus

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.

Full assistance provided. For details of our privacy policy, please see visit the Protocol Education website.

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