Helen

My Requirements

We are looking for a Relational Support Practitioner to become a consistent and trusted part of our 11-year-old daughter's small EOTAS educational team.

27 hours per week, across 38 weeks of the year (term time)
Oxford
Employed role, fixed term until 1 July 2027 (with the possibility of being renewed for a further year)
Weekday/daytime/school hours

This is not a teaching role. Our daughter will have separate qualified teachers providing her academic tuition, predominantly at home. This role is about helping her access and engage with her wider educational programme: building a trusting relationship with her, supporting regulation and transitions, helping her engage with tutors and activities, accompanying her to community-based activities, and gradually helping her rebuild confidence and independence. There will also be some social communication work. This reflects the role of her consistent key adult within her EOTAS provision.

We are looking for someone with experience of supporting autistic children or young people. You might currently or previously have worked as a TA, ELSA, SEN practitioner or in another relevant role. We would also be very happy to hear from someone at an earlier stage in their career who has relevant experience with autistic children or young people and is keen to develop this further. For example, the role could suit a gap-year student considering a career in education, psychology or SEND, or a university student looking for a year-long placement or substantial practical experience before returning to their studies. For the right person, this would be an opportunity to gain significant 1:1 experience as part of a bespoke EOTAS programme, working alongside qualified teachers and other professionals. What matters most is demonstrable experience of autism and, ideally, supporting children whose anxiety can present as withdrawal or shutdown. Her EHCP specifically requires relevant autism and anxiety-related shutdown experience.

The right person will be warm, calm, patient and flexible, and able to recognise when to encourage and when reducing demands and allowing space is the right response. Building a secure and trusting relationship will be at the heart of the role.

You must be able to drive and have access to your own car, as the role will include accompanying our daughter to activities and educational provision in the local community.

An enhanced DBS will be required. The precise pattern of the 27 hours can be agreed together and there is some flexibility around the timetable.

The current EOTAS funding is agreed by Oxfordshire County Council until 31 July 2027, and our intention is to seek its continuation for as long as our daughter requires this provision.

If you think you might be the right person, we would love to hear from you and are very happy to have an informal conversation before taking things further.