Tradewind Recruitment
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EBSA Support Worker / School Anxiety & Inclusion Assistant
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Location: Preston & Blackpool, Lancashire (On-site)
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Base Salary: £110 – £145 per day (Paid weekly via PAYE)
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Employment Type: Full-time, Contract (Term-time only)
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Start Date: September 2026
Are you a compassionate pastoral professional, youth mental health worker, or experienced TA looking for a deeply rewarding role? Do you want to play a pivotal part in helping vulnerable children feel safe, supported, and able to return to the classroom?
We are recruiting specialised EBSA (Emotionally Based School Avoidance) Support Workers for a network of secondary schools and academy trusts across Preston and Blackpool for the upcoming academic year starting in September 2026.
The Role & Your Impact
Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) is a severe barrier to education driven by underlying anxiety, trauma, or mental health struggles. Your mission is to provide the bridge between home and school to re-engage these pupils.
Key Responsibilities:
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Creating Safe Spaces: Work 1:1 with targeted pupils within nurture hubs or inclusion units to make them feel secure and reduce school-gate anxiety.
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Re-Integration Plans: Implement structured, step-by-step return schedules for children struggling with school refusal or phobia.
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Nurture & Well being: Deliver emotional regulation, resilience, and anxiety-management interventions.
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Collaborative Liaison: Act as the vital link between the pupil, their family, the SENDCO, and external mental health services.
Candidate Requirements (Google Job Criteria)
To be successful in this role, you must possess a genuine understanding of psychological and sociological factors affecting children's health and behaviour.
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Experience: Minimum 1 year working with children/young people in a pastoral, youth work, or SEN capacity (experience with school refusal, ASC, or mental health is highly desirable).
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Skills: Active listening, a non-judgemental approach, and excellent skills in managing complex group dynamics and emotional distress.
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Qualifications: Level 3 Teaching Assistant, Youth Work, or Psychology/Mental Health degree equivalents are preferred. Trauma-Informed or ELSA training is a massive advantage.
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Compliance: Must hold or be willing to process an Enhanced DBS on the Update Service.
Benefits & Work Hours
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Hours: Monday to Friday, approx. 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM (Term-time only).
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Pay: Competitive daily rates under a transparent, fair PAYE model (no umbrella company fees).
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Longevity: Secure, long-term academic year contract for 2026/2027.
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Location Accessibility: Positions available across both central Preston and coastal Blackpool communities.
How to Apply
Help us tackle school avoidance and change a young person's future. Click "Apply Now" to submit your CV for our September 2026 cohort, or email your profile directly to
> Search Engine Optimisation Notice: This job posting is optimised for Google for Jobs indexing. Key indexing terms included: School Refusal Support Preston, EBSA Jobs Blackpool, Pastoral Assistant Lancashire, School Mental Health Worker 2026.
To apply for this job please visit www.reed.co.uk.
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