Aspiring Social Worker – Learning Support Assistant

Maidenhead | September 2026 Start

Pay: £108 per day
Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:30am – 3:30pm
Contract: Full-time, Term Time Only

Aspiring Social Worker – Learning Support Assistant Maidenhead – Education and Training

Are you an aspiring Social Worker looking to build your career supporting the UK's most vulnerable children and young people?

Do you want to gain frontline experience that will give you a competitive edge for social work training and future roles in safeguarding, family support, or children's services?

This is not just a classroom support role. This is an opportunity to work with young people who have experienced trauma, loss, neglect, and systemic disadvantage—the very children who would be on a social worker's caseload. You will gain real-world insight into how adversity shapes behaviour, learning, and wellbeing, and develop the relational skills needed to make a lasting difference.

Aspiring Social Worker – Learning Support Assistant Maidenhead – Education and Training

About the Role

This specialist provision in Maidenhead supports young people who have struggled in mainstream education due to:

• Anxiety and depression

• Emotionally based school avoidance (EBSA)

• Trauma and negative school experiences

• Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs

• Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) including family breakdown, loss, and exposure to domestic adversity

As a Learning Support Assistant, your role will be to rebuild confidence, trust, and emotional safety—the very foundations that have been fractured for these young people. You will work in a small, nurturing setting with a strong focus on:

• Emotional regulation

• Relationship building as a vehicle for change

• Personalised, trauma-informed approaches

• Behaviour as communication – understanding the 'why' behind the behaviour

Aspiring Social Worker – Learning Support Assistant Maidenhead – Education and Training

Why This Role is Ideal for Aspiring Social Workers

Working in a school with vulnerable children is invaluable experience for anyone pursuing a career in social work. You will develop skills and insights that are directly transferable to social work practice:

• Understanding the impact of trauma, neglect, and adversity on child development and wellbeing

• Building trusting relationships with children who have experienced relational breakdowns and may be wary of adults

• Working at the intersection of education, safeguarding, and mental health – where many social work interventions take place

• Developing safeguarding awareness and understanding when and how to escalate concerns

• Supporting children at risk of exclusion, disengagement, or entering the care system

• Collaborating with multi-agency teams including social care, CAMHS, and educational psychology – mirroring social work practice

• Applying a person-centred, strengths-based approach – core to social work values

• Gaining insight into systemic factors (poverty, inequality, housing insecurity) that impact children and families

• Understanding the care pathway from early intervention to statutory social work involvement

This role provides a foundation in relational practice that is essential for social work – the ability to sit with discomfort, hold hope, and advocate for children who are often unheard.

Aspiring Social Worker – Learning Support Assistant Maidenhead – Education and Training

What You'll Be Doing

• Supporting pupils 1:1 and in small groups, building consistent, trusting relationships

• Helping students manage anxiety, low mood, and school avoidance

• Supporting emotional regulation and confidence building

• Encouraging engagement in learning and daily routines

• Working closely with pastoral teams, SENCOs, and external professionals

• Promoting independence, resilience, and life skills

• Observing and recording behaviour and progress to inform support plans

• Contributing to multi-agency meetings and reviews where appropriate

Aspiring Social Worker – Learning Support Assistant Maidenhead – Education and Training

What You'll Gain – Social Work-Relevant Experience

• Direct experience with children who have complex emotional and behavioural needs

• Insight into child development, attachment, and trauma – essential knowledge for social work

• Safeguarding and child protection awareness in a real-world setting

• Experience of multi-disciplinary working – mirroring social work practice

• Understanding of the intersection between education, mental health, and social care

• Practical application of relational, trauma-informed approaches

• Reflective practice skills – critical for social work training and registration

• A competitive CV for social work applications, demonstrating frontline experience with vulnerable children

Aspiring Social Worker – Learning Support Assistant Maidenhead – Education and Training

What We're Looking For

We'd love to hear from you if you:

• Are a Psychology, Social Work, or Social Science graduate, or have relevant experience in care, youth work, or support roles

• Have a genuine interest in social work, safeguarding, or children's services

• Are patient, resilient, and emotionally intelligent – able to hold distress without becoming overwhelmed

• Have strong communication and relationship-building skills

• Understand how anxiety, trauma, and deprivation impact behaviour and learning

• Are passionate about social justice, inclusion, and advocating for vulnerable children

• Are reflective and open to learning – committed to your own professional development

No school-based experience is required – your degree, attitude, empathy, and willingness to learn are what matter most.

Full training and ongoing support will be provided.

Start Date: September 2026

We are recruiting for the September 2026 academic year intake. Early application is recommended to secure your place.

Aspiring Social Worker – Learning Support Assistant Maidenhead – Education and Training

Milk Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. We are proudly APSCo Compliance+ accredited, reflecting our dedication to the highest standards in safer recruitment. All applicants will be subject to thorough compliance checks in line with DfE, Keeping Children Safe in Education, and APSCo guidelines.

Apply Now

Click 'Apply Now' to be considered for the September 2026 start in Maidenhead and take the first step towards a meaningful career in social work.

Aspiring Social Worker – Learning Support Assistant Maidenhead – Education and Training