Job Title: Learning Support Assistant – SEMH & Youth Justice Pathway
Location: Islington, North London
Start Date: September 2026
Pay: £101.40–£110/day (depending on experience) | Term time only | 8:30am–3:45pm

Learning Support Assistant – SEMH & Youth Justice Pathway – Islington – Education and Training - Learning Support Assistant – SEMH & Youth Justice Pathway – Islington

Are you a Criminology, Psychology, or Social Science graduate wanting to understand the real link between SEMH, school exclusion, and the youth criminal justice system—specifically within the context of inner-London exploitation, county lines, and serious youth violence?

Learning Support Assistant – SEMH & Youth Justice Pathway – Islington – Education and Training
This role places you directly with vulnerable children at high risk of knife crime, gang exploitation, criminalisation, and the school-to-prison pipeline. Islington faces significant challenges with Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) and serious youth violence, with strong cross-borough gang links to Camden, Hackney, and Haringey. This frontline, trauma-informed experience is essential if you are aspiring to be a Forensic Psychologist, Youth Justice Officer, Probation Practitioner, Clinical Psychologist, or Social Worker.

Learning Support Assistant – SEMH & Youth Justice Pathway – Islington – Education and Training - Learning Support Assistant – SEMH & Youth Justice Pathway – Islington

The Role: SEN Learning Support Assistant (SEMH Focus)
You'll join a specialist SEMH school, AP (Alternative Provision), or PRU (Pupil Referral Unit) in Islington, supporting pupils whose needs stem from:

• ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences)
• Community violence and crime exposure (gangs, county lines, cross-borough rivalries)
• Family breakdown, poverty, and housing instability
• Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) and gang affiliation
• Knife crime and serious youth violence

Many pupils have been permanently excluded from mainstream schools or are on the edge of the justice system. Your job: help them re-engage with learning, regulate emotions, and make safer choices—often in crisis moments.

What You'll Gain – Practical Youth Justice & SEMH Experience
You'll be actively involved in:

• Emotional regulation & de-escalation – supporting pupils in distress or aggression
• Restorative practice – facilitating conversations around harm and repair
• 1:1 & group mentoring – focusing on decision-making, peer pressure, and risk
• Behaviour support – implementing tailored plans with specialist staff
• Safeguarding – risk assessments, incident reporting, and contextual safeguarding (with a focus on gang exits and county lines disruption)
• Knife crime prevention – workshops and reflective discussions on violence and safety
• Trauma-informed practice – building trust with young people who've experienced harm and rejection

Why This Role Is Ideal for Criminal Justice Careers
The school has strong links to Islington's Youth Offending Team (YOT), Early Help, CAMHS, and Forensic/Clinical Psychology pathways. You'll see firsthand how SEMH, trauma, and exclusion predict youth offending—giving you a credible foundation for:

• Forensic Psychology Doctorates
• Youth Justice & Probation Graduate Schemes
• Social Work (Children & Families)
• Clinical Psychology (CAMHS/secure settings)
• Counselling & Therapeutic Services
• Policing and Community Safety roles

Free, career-focused training includes:

• Trauma-Informed Practice
• Behaviour De-escalation & Positive Handling
• Contextual Safeguarding & Exploitation Awareness (County Lines focus)
• Youth Mental Health First Aid
• Restorative Practice & Conflict Resolution
• Knife Crime & Serious Violence Prevention

Plus free access to Milk Academy with 1,000+ accredited CPD courses.

Who We're Looking For

• Graduates in Criminology, Psychology, Sociology, Youth & Community Work, or related Social Sciences
• Calm, reflective, emotionally intelligent individuals comfortable with high-risk, challenging behaviour
• Those who see behaviour as communication and believe in early intervention over punishment
• Passionate about violence reduction, safeguarding, and social justice
• Able to commit September 2026 – July 2027

Key Info

• Location: Islington, North London (excellent transport links via the Victoria, Piccadilly, and Northern lines, plus Overground and multiple bus routes)
• Pay: £101.40 - £110 per day (London weighted)
• Hours: Mon–Fri, 8:30am–3:45pm (term time only)
• Start: September 2026

Why Milk Education?

• 5-star rated agency with 3,000+ reviews
• Wellbeing-led – mental health platform with counselling
• Eco-friendly – UK's only environmentally conscious education agency
• 24/7 consultant support
• Free wellbeing resources, PSHE materials, and school prep packs
• Access to Unbottled – lived-experience speakers on violence, exploitation, and resilience
• Fast-track registration and flexible compliance

Learning Support Assistant – SEMH & Youth Justice Pathway – Islington – Education and Training - Learning Support Assistant – SEMH & Youth Justice Pathway – Islington
Ready to launch your career in youth justice, forensic psychology, or social care right here in the heart of North London?

Apply now for a September 2026 start.

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

Milk Education is an equal opportunities employer. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age. By applying, you agree to our Privacy Policy, available on our website. Milk Education is acting as an employment agency in relation to this vacancy.