Experience in care work, but want to try something new?
A role as a Learning Support Assistant in a further education college could be the perfect option!
Working in learning support is ideal for those with care experience – in many cases, you’ll be providing one-on-one care to a learner, including personal care. The only difference is that the care helps support them in an education environment!
Many of the skills and qualities important in care work are transferable to working with disadvantaged learners in a further education environment – including:
- A supportive and non-judgemental outlook
- Positivity, flexibility, and patience
- The drive and determination to improve someone’s quality of life
- Commitment and reliability
- The ability to build a rapport with people from all walks of life
Learning Support Workers are integral to a college’s mission to support their learners – they allow those with additional needs to achieve their full potential. This includes students with disabilities and learning difficulties, but may also extend to those with short or long term health issues, or where family or other circumstances have disrupted their education. Essentially, any learner who could benefit from some extra support could be assigned an LSA, whether that’s for full one-on-one support during their college day, or just the occasional support meeting.
Every learner is different, so the work of an LSA will always be tailored to the learner – but a typical day may include any of the following:
- Support with work in-class under a lecturer’s supervision
- Carry out a learner’s personal care plan
- Look after the learner’s physical needs (e.g. helping to the toilet or support at mealtimes)
While there are full-time roles available in learning support, most LSAs – around 65% – work part-time, often to mirror their assigned learner’s contact hours. This also makes the role a good fit for someone with other commitments, or even alongside studying a part-time qualification. The role usually pays between £8-£15 per hour (depending on the location) and permanent roles are available as well as temporary and ongoing contracts.
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Want to find out whether becoming a Learning Support Worker could be an option for you? Give our friendly consultants a call on 0115 911 1222 or email jobs@protocol.co.uk
