Behaviour Support Worker; SEMH

Location: Shildon, County Durham

Hours: Monday to Friday | 9:00am – 2:30pm

Contract: Term Time Only

Start Date: 7th September 2026

Do you enjoy building positive relationships, staying calm under pressure and helping young people make better choices?

We are looking for a resilient, patient and compassionate Behaviour Support Worker to join a specialist provision in Shildon, supporting pupils with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs who have been permanently excluded from mainstream education.

This is not a traditional classroom role. It is about mentoring, supporting, encouraging and helping young people overcome barriers to learning. Every day is different, and no two students are the same.

We’re far more interested in who you are than the job title you’ve had.

• Youth work or mentoring
• Residential childcare or supported living
• Care work
• Security or the prison service
• The Armed Forces, Police, Fire or Ambulance Services
• Sports coaching or personal training
• Outdoor education
• Customer‑facing roles where you’ve managed difficult situations
• Warehousing, logistics or construction where you’ve supervised or mentored others
• Community work or volunteering

• Supporting pupils with SEMH and behavioural needs.
• Building positive, professional relationships with young people.
• Encouraging engagement in learning and personal development.
• Helping pupils regulate emotions and make positive choices.
• Managing challenging behaviour using a calm and consistent approach.
• Working closely with teachers and other professionals to support each student’s progress.
• Maintaining a safe, structured and nurturing environment.

• Patient, resilient and reliable.
• Confident, approachable and able to set clear boundaries.
• A positive role model with a good sense of humour.
• Passionate about helping young people succeed.
• Able to work well as part of a close‑knit team.
• Committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.

• A rewarding role where you can genuinely change lives.
• Full support and training from an experienced team.
• Term‑time‑only hours offering an excellent work‑life balance.
• The opportunity to develop a career within specialist education.

Safeguarding is our highest priority. All successful applicants will be subject to an enhanced DBS check, satisfactory references and all appropriate safeguarding checks.

We are an equal opportunities employer.