SEMH Pastoral Lead

Pastoral Lead – Secondary SEMH School (Manchester)

Are you passionate about supporting young people with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs, including anxiety, trauma, emotional dysregulation, attachment difficulties, low self-esteem and behaviours linked to unmet emotional needs? Do you believe in the power of strong relationships, consistency and compassion to change lives?

Teaching Personnel is working closely with a specialist Secondary SEMH provision in Manchester to recruit an experienced and dedicated Pastoral Lead. This role is ideal for a pastoral professional who is committed to helping pupils overcome barriers to learning, re-engage with education and develop the emotional skills needed to succeed both in and beyond school.

• Lead and oversee pastoral and emotional wellbeing support across the SEMH setting
• Build strong, consistent relationships to promote trust and emotional safety
• Design and implement individual behaviour and support plans, risk assessments and intervention strategies
• Provide mentoring, check-ins and targeted emotional regulation support
• Support behaviour management using restorative and de-escalation approaches
• Monitor attendance, behaviour and wellbeing, intervening early where concerns arise
• Liaise with parents/carers, safeguarding leads and external professionals such as CAMHS and social care
• Maintain accurate pastoral, safeguarding and behaviour records
• Promote resilience, emotional literacy and positive coping strategies throughout the school

• Proven experience supporting SEMH pupils, ideally within a secondary, alternative provision or SEND setting
• Strong understanding of trauma-informed practice and inclusive behaviour strategies
• Calm, empathetic and resilient approach to challenging situations
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills
• Commitment to safeguarding and student wellbeing
• Experience in pastoral leadership, inclusion, behaviour support or mentoring (desirable)
• Relevant qualifications in education, psychology, counselling or youth work (desirable)
• Enhanced DBS on the Update Service (or willingness to apply)

Teaching Personnel is the UK’s leading education recruitment agency, specialising in SEND and SEMH roles. By working with us, you benefit from:

• A dedicated team with in-depth knowledge of SEMH and specialist provisions
• Free CPD and training, including SEMH, trauma-informed practice and safeguarding
• Ongoing professional support throughout your placement
• Competitive pay and transparent communication
• A people-first ethos — we focus on placing you where you can truly make a difference

If you’re driven by purpose and ready to support young people at critical points in their educational journey, we would love to hear from you.

Apply now through Teaching Personnel.

All applicants will require the appropriate qualifications and training for this role. Please see the FAQ’s on the Teaching Personnel website for 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.

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We offer all our registered candidates FREE child protection and prevent duty training. All candidates must undertake or have undertaken a valid enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Full assistance provided.

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