Therapy Assistant

Job description

Launch Your Therapy Career or Take Your Experience to the Next Level

Are you passionate about making a real difference in the lives of children and young people with learning disabilities, autism and other complex needs? Whether you already have experience delivering therapeutic programmes or you're looking to develop your career within a specialist Therapy Team, this could be your perfect next step.

As a Therapy Assistant at MacIntyre School & Children's Homes, you'll work alongside our specialist Therapy Team to help children and young people develop their communication, independence, participation and quality of life. You'll combine direct therapeutic work with coaching staff, producing resources, gathering information and helping ensure therapy approaches are embedded consistently across education and care.

We welcome applications from:

• Experienced support workers or teaching assistants who have supported children and young people with complex needs
• Practitioners who already have experience delivering therapeutic programmes and interventions
• People with experience of approaches such as Makaton, Intensive Interaction, sensory integration or Social Stories
• Those interested in developing their experience within Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Positive Behaviour Support or other therapeutic approaches

Why This Role is Perfect for Career Development

Working as part of a multidisciplinary Therapy Team gives you an opportunity to build specialist skills while continuing to work directly with children and young people.

This role offers an opportunity to:

• Develop your knowledge and practical experience of specialist therapeutic approaches
• Work alongside qualified therapists and other specialist professionals
• Deliver therapy programmes directly with children and young people
• Develop your skills in observation, assessment, outcome monitoring and report writing
• Coach and support education and care staff to embed therapy into everyday practice
• Build valuable experience for a future career within therapy or another specialist profession

The role is specifically designed to work under the guidance and supervision of qualified therapists, with opportunities to develop specialist intervention skills and undertake relevant learning and development.

The Role

In this varied and rewarding position, you will:

Directly Work with Children and Young People:

• Facilitate individual and group therapy sessions, either alongside a Therapist or under their direction
• Deliver agreed therapy programmes and interventions
• Carry out observations and gather information to contribute to therapeutic assessments
• Understand therapeutic goals and outcomes and provide feedback on progress
• Help produce specialist therapy and communication resources
• Develop your knowledge of approaches such as PECS, Intensive Interaction and Makaton
• Contribute to reports and Annual Reviews relating to therapeutic progress

Therapy Support & Staff Development:

• Work alongside education and care teams to help them understand and consistently deliver therapy programmes
• Observe staff practice and provide constructive feedback and reflection
• Mentor and provide practical guidance to colleagues
• Support qualified Therapists with coaching and training staff
• Contribute to staff induction and the development of therapy training materials
• Attend class and house meetings to review programmes and progress

Work as Part of Our Specialist Team:

You'll work collaboratively with our Therapy Team, education colleagues, children's homes, families and other professionals involved in supporting our young people.

You'll also help monitor the effectiveness of interventions, maintain accurate clinical records, produce resources and ensure therapeutic approaches remain focused on the individual needs and outcomes of each child or young person.

About You

Essential Experience and Skills:

• Hands-on experience working with children and young people with complex needs
• Experience delivering therapeutic programmes or interventions
• Experience of communication approaches such as Makaton, Social Stories or Intensive Interaction
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• The ability to communicate effectively with children and young people who have significant communication differences
• Confidence working collaboratively with colleagues while also being able to organise and prioritise your own workload
• Ability to maintain professional boundaries, confidentiality and accurate records
• A flexible approach and ability to travel between MacIntyre locations

Qualifications

You will need five GCSEs including Maths and English at Grade C/4 or above, together with one of the following:

• Three A Levels at BBC or above
• BTEC 18 units or Cambridge Technical graded DDM
• Merit at T Level
• Access Level 3 - 15 credits at Distinction and 30 at Merit
• A minimum of 60 Open University credits

Ideal Candidates Will Have:

• Experience working directly within a Therapy Team
• A relevant therapeutic qualification or previous study in an area such as Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy or Positive Behaviour Support
• An enthusiasm for learning and developing specialist therapeutic skills
• Confidence supporting and guiding other staff to put therapeutic programmes into practice

We Particularly Welcome Applications From:

• Support workers with experience supporting children and young people with learning disabilities, autism or complex needs
• Teaching assistants or education professionals with hands-on SEND experience
• Practitioners who have experience delivering communication or therapeutic programmes
• People considering a future career in Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Positive Behaviour Support or another therapeutic profession
• Anyone with relevant experience who is passionate about helping children and young people achieve meaningful outcomes and is ready to develop their therapeutic expertise

If you're looking for a role where you can combine hands-on work with children and young people with the opportunity to develop specialist therapeutic knowledge and experience, we'd love to hear from you.

#IND

Welcome to our Wingrave community

We have four modern houses within our school campus, situated right next to the heart of the village of Wingrave. Each house is a real home, accommodating up to five young people in their own bedrooms, which are decorated and equipped to match their individual tastes.

Because our homes are registered in pairs, you will work across two houses, supporting up to ten young people in total. You will never be doing this alone; you will be backed by a large, collaborative staff team and experienced home managers who are there to guide and support you every step of the way.

We celebrate the successes and personal gifts of each child, and we want our team to be truly aspirational for the young people we support. When faced with new challenges, we work together to ensure our homes remain a positive, deeply supportive, and rewarding place to come to work.

Your Career Progression & Benefits:

Wherever you're starting from, we'll help you succeed.

You'll receive a full induction, a mix of online and face-to-face training, and mentoring from experienced colleagues while you learn the role.

As your career develops, you'll have access to ongoing learning, professional qualifications where relevant, and opportunities to progress, all fully supported by MacIntyre.

Pay and benefits

Alongside your salary, you'll enjoy a range of benefits including:

• 6 weeks' annual leave per year including public holidays
• Pension scheme
• Paid DBS check
• Health and wellbeing support, including an Employee Assistance Programme
• Shopping discounts through Blue Light Card and our staff discounts scheme
• Ongoing training and career development

See the full range of benefits on the Careers page of our website.

How to apply

Click Apply to complete a short application and upload your CV.

We may close this vacancy early if we receive enough applications, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Please note: we do not offer Skilled Worker visa sponsorship. You must already have the right to work in the UK.

Safer recruitment

We are committed to safeguarding the children, young people and adults we support. If we offer you a job, we'll work with you to complete the appropriate pre-employment checks.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we work in.

If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, we're happy to help, call us on 01908 357016. Our recruitment website also includes accessibility tools such as translation, OpenDyslexic font and display options.