SEND Teaching Assistant - PMLD & Complex Needs
Job description
Original text imported from Reed
Location: Sheffield
Salary: £92.63–£100 per day (PAYE)
Contract: Full-time, Long-term
Start Date: Immediate
Looking for a role that’s as challenging as it is rewarding?
We’re working with a specialist school in Sheffield area that supports pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD) and complex medical or physical needs. They’re looking for a compassionate, resilient SEND Teaching Assistant to join their team full-time.
This is a hands-on role where you’ll make a real difference every single day. No two days are the same, and that’s exactly what makes it special.
Your day-to-day will include:
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Supporting children with complex learning, physical and medical needs
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Assisting with mobility, personal care, and feeding routines
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Using specialist equipment and communication tools (training provided)
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Creating a safe, nurturing, and sensory-rich environment
You’ll need to bring:
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Resilience, adaptability, and a calm, caring approach
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A willingness to get involved and learn new skills
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Some experience supporting SEND, care work, or relevant personal experience
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An open mind and a big heart — this is a team that values kindness and connection
What you’ll get from us:
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Opportunity to upskill in Moving & Handling and Personal Care (where required)
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Weekly pay through PAYE — no umbrella deductions
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Free access to our online CPD Academy for ongoing training and professional growth
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Supportive consultants who genuinely understand the world of SEND
Whether you’ve worked in SEND before or want to turn lived experience into a meaningful career, this could be your next big step.
Apply today or contact Joe Palmer at to chat through the role in more detail.
Support that changes lives starts with you.
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.
Key skills
AI-extracted from the job advert
Application advice
5 AI-generated recommendations to maximise your chances.
⭐ Highlight any direct PMLD or complex needs experience at the top of your CV — the advert names this as the core requirement and it will be the first thing screened.
📊 Quantify your SEND experience where possible: "Supported 4 pupils with PMLD across daily personal care, mobility, and feeding routines over 18 months".
🎯 Mention any moving and handling training or personal care certifications explicitly, as the advert flags these as upskilling priorities — showing existing knowledge gives you an edge.
🔒 Confirm your enhanced DBS status and DBS Update Service subscription clearly in your CV or cover letter — Protocol Education requires this for all candidates and it speeds up compliance checks.
🌐 Reference any CPD or safeguarding training (including online courses) you have completed, as the advert specifically promotes its CPD Academy and values ongoing professional growth.
Suggested CV bullets
3 bullets our AI drafted for this specific advert, mirroring its ATS keywords.
Add these 3 bullets under your most recent experience:
- •Delivered daily personal care, mobility assistance, and feeding support for 5 pupils with PMLD across a 12-month placement in a specialist SEN school, maintaining zero safeguarding incidents.
- •Implemented sensory activity plans for 3 non-verbal pupils using AAC devices and tactile resources, contributing to a 20% increase in observed engagement recorded in termly reviews.
- •Completed moving and handling refresher training and DfE-aligned safeguarding CPD within first 4 weeks of role, ensuring full compliance with school policy and DBS Update Service requirements.
Free to copy — tailoring requires a 30-sec CV upload.
Your cover letter is ready
We've drafted a cover letter for Protocol Education. Preview the opening, then unlock the full personalised version.
Letter preview — tailored to Protocol Education
Dear Hiring Manager,
Protocol Education's SEND Teaching Assistant vacancy supporting pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD) and complex needs in Sheffield is precisely the role I have been seeking. Having developed hands-on skills in personal care, mobility support, and sensory environment management, I am confident I can contribute meaningfully from day one.
My background in SEND support has equipped me with a calm, resilient approach when working alongside children with complex medical and physical needs. I hold a valid enhanced DBS certificate registered with the Update Service, and I have completed safeguarding training aligned with DfE guidance. I am comfortable using specialist equipment and communication tools, and I am committed to ongoing professional development through platforms such as Protocol Education's CPD Academy.
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Interview questions
10 questions generated from this advert.
Technical
- ›How have you used specialist communication tools or AAC devices to support a non-verbal pupil with PMLD?
- ›Describe your experience with moving and handling techniques — which equipment have you used and what training have you received?
- ›How do you create a sensory-rich environment for pupils with profound and multiple learning difficulties?
- ›What steps do you take when assisting a pupil with complex medical needs during a feeding routine?
- ›How do you record and report changes in a pupil's physical or medical condition to the class teacher or SENCO?
Behavioural
- ›Tell me about a time you supported a child who became distressed — how did you de-escalate the situation?
- ›Describe a situation where you had to adapt quickly to an unexpected change in a pupil's needs or routine.
- ›Give an example of when you worked as part of a multidisciplinary team to support a child with complex needs.
- ›Tell me about a time you had to learn a new skill or technique on the job to better support a pupil.
- ›Describe a moment when your resilience was tested in a care or education setting — what kept you going?
STAR answer examples
Model answers using the Situation-Task-Action-Result framework. Adapt to your own experience.
Tell me about a time you supported a child who became distressed — how did you de-escalate the situation?
Describe a situation where you had to adapt quickly to an unexpected change in a pupil's needs or routine.