What is an SEN Support Worker? How do you become one?

Looking for SEN Jobs? Click here to search our current roles

Article updated Feb 2024

The Role of an SEN Support Worker

An SEN Support Worker is a person who helps children and young people with special educational needs, such as Autism, PMLD, SLD, or other learning disabilities and difficulties. In this blog post, we will discuss the role of an SEN Support Worker and outline what they do to help these students.

What is an SEN Support Worker?

An SEN Support Worker assists children with special needs, typically those who are educated in a specialist provision or those who are educated in mainstream schools but require additional support. They provide the necessary help within their school, home or community, supporting students with disabilities, often on a one-to-one basis. While some of these individuals require full-time support, others may only need part-time assistance, with a support worker shared between several students.

What does an SEN Support Worker do?

An SEN Support Worker is a person who works with students to help them succeed in school, in an education setting or within a home environment. They work closely with teachers and parents, observing the student's strengths and weaknesses to provide strategies for success. An SEN Support Worker will often be involved in helping develop an Individual Education Plan (IEP), which identifies what needs special attention from the school and what strategies will help a student succeed.

The SEN Support Worker will track the student's progress and report to teachers, parents, and other professionals.

SEN Support Workers may also work with students in schools or day centres that have special needs programs for children with learning difficulties. They help plan lessons around what is being taught in class to ensure that all individual needs are met.

How to become an SEN Support worker?

There are no formal qualifications required when it comes to becoming an SEN Support Worker. The most important attributes are empathy and understanding towards children with disabilities or special needs. However, some employers may require candidates to have a foundation qualification in either Health & Social Care or Education & Childcare depending on the level of support they will be providing.

SEN Support Workers can work any number of hours per week, but the demand for full time workers is high. Often, part-time positions are available too, which means it's an obvious career of choice for parents who require school-time hours.

SEN Support Worker careers in the UK have a promising future with an estimated growth of up to 15% by 2022, which is well above average when compared to other occupations.

The role has been recognised as a valuable addition for children and families alike, helping them gain independence and reach their full potential.

Depending on skill levels, you could earn approx £20,000 per annum in the role of SEN Support Worker.

What does it take to become an SEN Support Worker?

The role of an SEN support worker is an essential one. This person must have the patience and understanding to help children with special needs reach their full potential in life.

SEN Support Workers work closely with school leaders, teachers, parents, local authorities, and other medical professionals such as doctors, nurses, and therapists so that they better understand what kind of assistance each child needs.

An SEN Support Worker must be compassionate towards these children and serve not just as a caregiver but also as a mentor to these children.

SEN Support Workers provide the necessary support for each child depending on what their disabilities are. In addition, these workers can be trained in this area to know how to work with the different needs of children & young people and treat them accordingly by providing a bespoke care/education package.

SEN Support Workers may be expected to use a wide range of skills and abilities. These will vary depending on the age group you work with, but some examples would include:

• Problem-solving & critical thinking
• Communication
• Teamwork & collaboration
• Flexibility

On top of these general skills, the sector you work in may require additional and more specific skills. For example, if you are working with young adults who have Social, Emotional and Mental Health issues.

In this case, they will likely need help managing their emotions and finding ways to express themselves. Other skills can include:

• Organisation & time management
• Ability to learn quickly and adapt to new situations
• Ability to support others and build relationships with colleagues, clients, service users and their families/carers

Click here to search our current SEN Jobs

How do I become an SEN Support Worker?

You need to be at least 18 years old to work in this position and be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment.

Having good communication skills is very helpful because you will be required to communicate with many people, such as the student's family or caregivers. You might also help the teachers at school get information about the student's needs.

You should have patience, be able to work independently or as part of a team, and love working with people who need help because, in some cases, they cannot care for themselves.

There may also be some physical skills involved in your job if you have to move patients around regularly within the school or home environment. That is why you must be in good physical condition.

Some of these individuals have severe conditions which require constant 1:1 or 2:1 support. In contrast, others might just have minor identified needs that require more assistance than usual while growing up.

Can I become an SEN Support Worker as a recent graduate?

Yes - it is possible to pursue a career as an SEN Support Worker straight after leaving college or university. Some settings may require more hands on experience before offering permanent roles, and others may provide on the job training.

It is essential to find the right school and program that has experienced staff members, for you to learn from and gain experience, and act as your mentor.

Some schools and trusts will offer the opportunity to undertake qualifications to specialise in this field. However, you do need to check the details of how it is handled by the school and program before deciding whether or not to apply. Also, keep in mind that these programs may be more difficult than others to get into. If you are being supported by your employer to gain a relevant qualification, you are often required to commit to a term of employment following graduation, or you may have to refund the cost of the course if you leave or don't complete the course.

What qualifications do you need to become an SEN Support Worker?

There are no specific qualifications required to become an SEN Support Worker. However, to work in this role successfully and be competent, you need:

An appropriate level of education: A good standard of maths or English is essential when working with children who have special educational needs.

A strong understanding of SEN: You need to understand how children with special educational needs learn and develop.

A range of practical skills: SEN Support Workers will need to follow instructions and work well as part of a team. They also need physical strength, patience, and empathy in their job role since some children and young people with additional needs can be challenging at times.

Ability to communicate well: To interact with children and young people and their parents, SEN Support Workers need excellent communication skills.

Good knowledge of what goes on in schools: Successful SEN Support Workers should understand how schools operate since they will be working closely with the school staff team. This includes knowing the structure of the curriculum, general school rules and procedures.

A sensitivity towards SEN children: A SEN Support Worker should have a lot of empathy for vulnerable young people because they will often find it difficult to adjust or cope within an education environment. They need to be patient with them and understand when they present with challenging behaviour since this is often out of frustration and is usually the sign of an unmet need.

Ability to help children develop: The primary role of an SEN Support Worker is to facilitate each child's individual needs and requirements to learn, grow and enjoy their time at school with their peers. This can be done by helping them understand new concepts or supporting them when they get frustrated.

Applying for SEN Support Worker jobs - How does someone go about securing employment as an SEN Support Worker?

There are a variety of different routes that you could take into this line of work. For example, you can get an SEN Support Worker job through university or college, perhaps as part of your course requirements.

A recruitment agency is an easy way to find a suitable position which will save you time and effort when trying to secure employment in this sector. Many jobs are listed in one place on specialist job boards such as Senploy.

Conclusion

What are your thoughts on this topic? Let us know! Whether you're an educator, parent or just someone who wants to learn more about how SEN Support Workers can help those with disabilities in the school setting, we hope that our blog post was helpful. Also, if you would like to learn more about becoming an SEN Support Worker yourself, please visit our website for additional information and resources.

Click here to search our current SEN Jobs

Updated: Feb 2024