SEND Care Assistant

Salary: £115 per day

Hours: Weekdays during school holidays only

Contract: Fixed-term (1-year, with possibility of extension)

Closing Date: 22nd April 2026

Interview Date: As applications received

Job Purpose

Are you passionate about supporting children and young people with SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities)? We are looking for caring and enthusiastic Care Assistants to provide high-quality support to primary and secondary-aged children at our inclusive multi-sports holiday camps. You will play a vital role in helping every child feel safe, supported and able to enjoy sport in a way that works for them.

What We Offer

• Flexible working opportunities during the school holidays;

• London Living Wage salary as a minimum;

• Ongoing support from experienced staff, helping you build confidence and skills in a rewarding environment;

• The opportunity to work with the official charity of a Premier League football club;

• The chance to make a real difference to the lives of young people in South London through inclusive sport.

Job Description

As SEND Care Assistant, you will:

• Support the individual needs of primary and secondary-aged children with SEND attending our 9am–3pm school holiday sports and healthy living camps;

• Provide 1:1 and small group support to ensure children feel safe, engaged and able to participate throughout the day;

• Work closely with coaching staff to ensure all activities are inclusive and accessible, supporting each child to take part to the best of their ability;

• Provide pastoral support, promoting positive behaviour, wellbeing and a supportive camp environment;

• Communicate effectively with parents and carers, sharing relevant updates and feedback from each day;

• Report any concerns or incidents involving SEND participants to the Disability Inclusion Coordinator in a timely and appropriate manner.

Person Specification

As successful candidate, you will:

• Have experience supporting children with SEND, including a range of physical, emotional and learning needs, demonstrating genuine care, patience and empathy (ideally within a SEND or mainstream school setting);

• Be confident engaging children 1:1 in ways that are safe, supportive and fun, helping each child feel included and valued;

• Be able to recognise individual needs and adapt quickly to provide the right support in the moment;

• Have training or practical experience in behaviour support and de-escalation techniques;

• Be self-motivated with the ability to work positively and effectively within a team;

• Be available to work during school holidays.

Safeguarding

We are committed to ensuring the welfare and protection of all children, young people and adults who take part in our activities, and all staff are expected to share this commitment. All successful candidates will go through safer recruitment checks (including a criminal records check) before commencing employment.

Equalities

We endorse the principle of equality and strive to ensure that all our staff and participants have a genuine and equal opportunity to participate to the full extent of their own ambitions and abilities, and can be assured of an environment in which their rights, dignity and worth are respected.

We want our staff to reflect the diversity of our local community, and we welcome applications from individuals of all age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion of belief and marriage and civil partnership.

As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy.

If you require any reasonable adjustments to be made to support your application, please just let us know.

• Department
• Disability Sport
• Locations
• South London
• Hours
• Sessional

South London

OUR BENEFITS

• Flexible and remote working

• Generous holiday allowance

• Healthcare plan

• Employee Assistance Programme

• Match tickets for CPFC home games

• & plenty more!

Our Values

• TEAMWORK 🤝

We support everyone around us and treat them with respect, working together to achieve great results.

We are proud to represent Palace and aspire to be the best in everything we do.

• INNOVATION💡

We are not afraid to try new things, we are creative and inspiring, always seeking new ways to progress.

About Palace For Life Foundation

The Palace for Life Foundation is the official charity of Crystal Palace FC which has been working with the south London community for over 30 years. We use the power of football and the Palace brand to change the lives of young people across south London, particularly the most vulnerable. We work with 18,000 people each year, inspiring them to find a better path and to lead a healthier life.