The most important point for those currently doing a BTec or NNEB course is that you do not wait until you have finished the course before you start to look for work. Schools are allocated their budgets in April and will usually know how much learning support time they will need for the following September. Therefore they tend to advertise for LSAs during the summer term. To avoid having to buy every local paper going, contact your local Education Office, which normally circulates lists of jobs to schools. If you provide stamped addressed envelopes they will send the weekly lists to you. Most of the vacancies will be for teachers, but at least you will see every job that is on offer. Some areas run summer play schemes for children with special needs and will be looking for temporary workers. Contact your local Social Services to find out about these.
The most important point for those currently doing a BTec or NNEB course is that you do not wait until you have finished the course before you start to look for work. Schools are allocated their budgets in April and will usually know how much learning support time they will need for the following September. Therefore they tend to advertise for LSAs during the summer term. To avoid having to buy every local paper going, contact your local Education Office, which normally circulates lists of jobs to schools. If you provide stamped addressed envelopes they will send the weekly lists to you. Most of the vacancies will be for teachers, but at least you will see every job that is on offer.
Some areas run summer play schemes for children with special needs and will be looking for temporary workers. Contact your local Social Services to find out about these.
How do you get experience?
If you are working as a nanny but have had no special needs experience, you may be able to do an evening LSA course at a local college. Many colleges offer part-time Makaton and British Sign Language courses.
Contact your local pre-school support service to see what voluntary services they offer. In some areas there is a scheme called 'portage' in which workers go into the home, bringing toys and games to show parents how to stimulate their special needs child. They employ some paid workers but are often looking for volunteers, who might accept just one family for a weekly visit. The volunteers are given training and receive guidance from the experienced workers. There are also befriending or even babysitting schemes where volunteers spend time with children with special needs to give their families a break.
Doing voluntary work will give you experience of caring for children with special needs before you decide to take it on as a career. It will also show any potential employer that you are committed to this area of work. If you start now you should have time to gain some kind of experience before April, when most of the LSA jobs will start to be advertised. Good luck!
