Floating Support Instructor
New Forest Day Opportunities – Minstead Trust
Location: Minstead, Hampshire
Hours: 37.5 hours per week. 8:30am – 4:30pm Monday to Friday.
Salary: £25,642.50 per annum
Closing date for applications: 16th March 2026*
*Please note: Although a closing date has been set, we may conduct interviews and appoint a suitable candidate prior to this date due to operational need. Early applications are strongly encouraged.
Are you energetic, creative and passionate about supporting people with learning disabilities and/or autism to thrive?
Do you enjoy variety, being outdoors one day and in a creative studio the next? If you like no two days being the same, this could be the perfect role for you.
About the role:
We are looking for a Floating Support Instructor to provide flexible cover across our Day Opportunities service when instructors or 1:1 support staff are on annual leave or off sick.
This is an exciting and varied position. One day you might be helping care for our animals, the next supporting people in the vegetable garden, leading an art session, facilitating a felting workshop in the craft studio, or delivering a small group activity focused on life skills and independence.
You do not need to arrive with all of these practical skills; we will teach you. What matters most is your enthusiasm, openness to learning, and genuine commitment to empowering people with neuro-diverse disabilities.
What you will be doing:
- Planning and delivering engaging, person-centred group and 1:1 sessions
- Supporting people to develop life skills, confidence, independence and wellbeing
- Covering instructor sessions and 1:1 support as required
- Working closely with the Deputy Manager for daily allocation
- Supporting with personal care, communication, healthy eating and medication where required
- Recording progress and recognising achievements
- Managing risk positively and maintaining accurate records
- Building positive relationships with families, carers and professionals
- Contributing ideas and feedback to continually improve our service
What We’re Looking For
Essential:
- Experience supporting people with learning disabilities and/or autism
- Ability to deliver engaging and inclusive activities
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills
- Understanding of person-centred practice and safeguarding
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
- A flexible, positive and solution-focused approach
Desirable (but not essential):
- Skills or experience in arts, crafts, horticulture, animal care or performing arts
You will:
- Bring energy and enthusiasm to your work
- Be comfortable with uncertainty and variety
- Love seeing people learn new skills and grow in confidence
- Be creative, patient and encouraging
- Be willing to step into different environments and give things a go
What benefits can we offer you?
- 25 days, plus Bank Holidays
- Refer-a-Friend scheme worth £750!
- A Celebration Day’s Leave for Your Birthday
- Death in Service Insurance
- Company Pension
- An easy to access Health Care Scheme
- Cycle to Work
- Free Parking on-site
- Blue Light Card Eligibility
- Hanger Farm Membership
- Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Pay
- Company Sick Pay
If you would like to apply for this role download the application form
We are not licenced to sponsor employees for visas; therefore, we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role. You need to have, or be able to obtain, right to work in the UK in order to take up this position.
All staff working for, or on behalf of Minstead Trust, understand their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding adults at risk and know who to escalate concerns to within Minstead Trust.
Due to the nature of this employment, your application is subject to a successful Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS).
No terminology in the advert you have seen is intended to discriminate on the grounds of age, gender, race, colour, religion, disability or sexual orientation, and we will gladly accept applications from all sections of the community.
As a trust, our mission is to support people with learning disabilities to fully develop their individual potential by providing opportunities, enhancing life skills, ensuring informed choice, and influencing society.
- We appreciate each person. Everyone is different – we respect and celebrate this.
- We’re always learning. We all have something to offer and more to learn.
- We’re always improving. Striving to give our best and to have more impact.
- We push for change. We will challenge society to be fully inclusive.
- We find the joy in everyday life. We have the freedom to be ourselves and enjoy what we do.
Minstead Trust is a values-driven charity focused on supporting adults with learning disabilities across Dorset and Hampshire. As a Trust we put the people we support at the heart of everything we do. We support them to achieve greater independence and live happier and healthier lives. This can be done through support to live in their own homes, learning new skills at day opportunities or receiving work training to move towards employment.
We celebrate people by working to provide excellent support to those with wide-ranging care needs. Without our incredible team of staff and volunteers, we simply wouldn’t be where we are today!
