Teaching Assistant

Professional Expectations

The postholder will be expected to:

• Demonstrate Greenleaf's organisational values in everyday practice.
• Maintain professional boundaries at all times.
• Treat children, colleagues and external professionals with dignity and respect.
• Be reliable, consistent and emotionally available to young people.
• Maintain confidentiality.
• Communicate concerns appropriately and professionally.
• Work flexibly according to the needs of the school and its young people.
• Act as a positive role model.
• Promote equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Challenge discriminatory, unsafe or inappropriate practice.

Person Specification

Essential

Experience

• Experience of working with children or young people in education, care, youth work, community services or another relevant setting.
• Ability to develop positive and appropriate relationships with children and young people.
• Experience of working effectively as part of a team.

Knowledge and Skills

• Understanding of safeguarding and child protection responsibilities.
• Understanding that children's behaviour can communicate underlying needs.
• Ability to remain calm and professional in challenging situations.
• Good verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to follow individual plans, risk assessments and professional guidance.
• Ability to maintain accurate records.
• Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and other professionals.
• Commitment to children's rights, inclusion and relationship-based practice.

Personal Qualities

• Patient and compassionate.
• Consistent and reliable.
• Emotionally resilient.
• Curious rather than judgemental about behaviour.
• Reflective and willing to learn.
• Able to maintain clear professional boundaries.
• Positive and solution focused.
• Committed to helping young people achieve.

Desirable

• Experience supporting care-experienced children and young people.
• Experience supporting young people affected by trauma or disrupted attachment.
• Experience working with additional support needs.
• Experience within residential childcare, specialist education or alternative education.
• Knowledge of Scotland's education and children's services landscape.
• Knowledge of GIRFEC and SHANARRI wellbeing indicators.
• Understanding of The Promise.
• Understanding of trauma-informed and relational practice.
• Relevant qualification in education, childcare, social care or additional support needs.
• First Aid qualification.
• Full UK driving licence.

Greenleaf Benefits

With greater expectations come greater rewards. If you’re selected to become part of the Greenleaf family, you’ll not only enjoy a salary that’s higher that the sector average, but you’ll also enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• 29 days holiday entitlement, increasing with every two years of service
• Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) with a 24/7 wellbeing line and free counselling
• Health Cash Plan, which includes dental and optical cover, physio therapies, and a 24/7 GP helpline.
• A range of savings including discounts, offers, and money back on vouchers
• Progression pathways and opportunities to develop and progress in your career
• Pension scheme with Nest Pensions

Job Description – Teaching Assistant

Job Purpose

The Teaching Assistant will play an important role in supporting the delivery of high-quality, nurturing and individualised education to children and young people attending Greenleaf School.

Our young people may have experienced trauma, disrupted education, care transitions and other barriers to learning. The Teaching Assistant will work alongside teachers, education colleagues, care teams and other professionals to create a safe, predictable and engaging learning environment where every young person is supported to participate, achieve and progress.

The role requires a relationship-based and trauma-informed approach, recognising that behaviour is communication and that positive relationships are central to successful learning.

Key Responsibilities

1. Supporting Learning and Teaching

• Support teachers in the planning and delivery of engaging, differentiated and individualised learning activities.
• Work with individual young people and small groups under the direction of the teacher.
• Support young people to engage with their individual learning programmes and agreed educational outcomes.
• Adapt activities and resources to meet individual learning needs, abilities and communication styles.
• Encourage independence, confidence, curiosity and participation in learning.
• Support young people to develop literacy, numeracy, digital and wider life skills.
• Assist with practical, vocational, outdoor and community-based learning where appropriate.
• Provide feedback to teaching staff regarding engagement, progress and any barriers to learning.
• Contribute to the preparation and organisation of classrooms, learning resources and educational activities.

2. Supporting Children and Young People

• Develop safe, consistent and professional relationships with children and young people.
• Promote a nurturing environment in which young people feel respected, listened to and valued.
• Support young people who may experience emotional dysregulation, anxiety, frustration or difficulty engaging with education.
• Use trauma-informed, relational and restorative approaches when responding to behaviour.
• Recognise individual triggers, strengths, communication needs and strategies identified within young people's plans.
• Encourage young people to recognise their achievements and develop positive aspirations for their future.
• Support young people to make appropriate choices and increasingly take responsibility for their learning.

3. Additional Support Needs

• Provide appropriate support to young people with additional support needs in accordance with individual plans and professional guidance.
• Support communication, emotional regulation, sensory needs and learning needs where required.
• Implement agreed strategies consistently across the school day.
• Work collaboratively with teachers, psychology, care staff and other professionals to ensure a coordinated approach.
• Contribute observations and information to reviews of young people's progress and support needs.

4. Safeguarding and Wellbeing

All Greenleaf employees have a responsibility to safeguard and promote the wellbeing of children and young people.

The Teaching Assistant will:

• Remain alert to signs that a child or young person may be experiencing harm, abuse, neglect or exploitation.
• Follow Greenleaf's child protection and safeguarding procedures at all times.
• Immediately report safeguarding concerns in accordance with organisational procedures.
• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries.
• Support young people to understand their rights and how to raise concerns.
• Promote a culture where young people feel safe to speak and know that adults will listen and respond.
• Maintain confidentiality while recognising that safeguarding information must be shared appropriately.

5. Positive Behaviour and Regulation

• Support young people to develop emotional regulation and positive coping strategies.
• Use calm, consistent and respectful communication.
• Apply agreed behaviour support and risk-management strategies.
• Use de-escalation and relational approaches wherever possible.
• Participate in Greenleaf's approved training relating to trauma, safeguarding, behaviour and crisis management.
• Contribute to post-incident reflection and learning where appropriate.
• Never use punitive, humiliating or unnecessarily restrictive approaches.

6. The Promise and Children's Rights

The Teaching Assistant will contribute to Greenleaf's commitment to keeping The Promise and promoting children's rights.

This includes:

• Listening to and respecting the views of children and young people.
• Supporting young people to participate in decisions affecting their education.
• Recognising the importance of relationships, belonging and consistency.
• Avoiding unnecessary stigma associated with being care experienced.
• Promoting inclusion, dignity, respect and equality.
• Helping young people understand and exercise their rights.
• Supporting meaningful participation rather than making decisions for young people wherever possible.

7. Recording and Assessment

• Maintain accurate, factual and timely educational records.
• Contribute observations to assessment and progress monitoring.
• Record achievements and evidence of learning where required.
• Support teachers to identify progress against individual educational outcomes.
• Contribute information to reviews, meetings and reports where requested.
• Ensure information is managed confidentially and in accordance with Greenleaf policies and data protection requirements.

8. Partnership Working

The Teaching Assistant will work as part of a wider multidisciplinary team.

This may include working alongside:

• Teachers and education staff
• Residential care teams
• Learning & Skills practitioners
• Greenleaf Psychology
• Social workers
• Health professionals
• Local authorities
• Parents, carers and other significant adults
• External education and support professionals

The Teaching Assistant will communicate professionally and ensure that relevant information is shared appropriately to support consistent outcomes for young people.

9. Health, Safety and School Environment

• Support the maintenance of a safe, welcoming and well-organised school environment.
• Follow all health and safety, fire safety and risk-management procedures.
• Participate in risk assessments relating to learning activities where required.
• Maintain appropriate supervision of young people.
• Support safe participation in educational visits, outdoor learning and community activities.
• Report hazards, accidents, incidents or concerns promptly.
• Support high standards of cleanliness, presentation and readiness within learning environments.

10. Professional Development

• Participate in Greenleaf induction and mandatory training.
• Engage positively with supervision, appraisal and professional development.
• Participate in team meetings, training days and development activities.
• Reflect on practice and respond constructively to feedback.
• Maintain knowledge relevant to supporting children and young people within a Scottish education and care context.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of Greenleaf School.

Job Title: Teaching Assistant
Location: Greenleaf School, Dumfries, Scotland
Department: Education
Hours: 40 hours
Salary:£27,976 - £30,447

The successful applicant must meet any registration or professional requirements applicable to the duties of the post. Greenleaf will determine the appropriate registration requirements based upon the final duties and responsibilities attached to the role.