EBSA Support Worker (Emotionally Based School Avoidance)

• EBSA Support Worker / School Anxiety & Inclusion Assistant • Location: Preston & Blackpool, Lancashire (On-site) • Base Salary: £110 - £145 per day (Paid weekly via PAYE) • Employment Type: Full-time, Contract (Term-time only) • Start Date: September 2026 Are you a compassionate pastoral professional, youth mental health worker, or experienced TA looking for a deeply rewarding role? Do you want to play a pivotal part in helping vulnerable children feel safe, supported, and able to return to the classroom? We are recruiting specialised EBSA (Emotionally Based School Avoidance) Support Workers for a network of secondary schools and academy trusts across Preston and Blackpool for the upcoming academic year starting in September 2026. The Role & Your ImpactEmotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA) is a severe barrier to education driven by underlying anxiety, trauma, or mental health struggles. Your mission is to provide the bridge between home and school to re-engage these pupils. Key Responsibilities: • Creating Safe Spaces: Work 1:1 with targeted pupils within nurture hubs or inclusion units to make them feel secure and reduce school-gate anxiety. • Re-Integration Plans: Implement structured, step-by-step return schedules for children struggling with school refusal or phobia. • Nurture & Well being: Deliver emotional regulation, resilience, and anxiety-management interventions. • Collaborative Liaison: Act as the vital link between the pupil, their family, the SENDCO, and external mental health services. Candidate Requirements (Google Job Criteria)To be successful in this role, you must possess a genuine understanding of psychological and sociological factors affecting children's health and behaviour. • Experience: Minimum 1 year working with children/young people in a pastoral, youth work, or SEN capacity (experience with school refusal, ASC, or mental health is highly desirable). • Skills: Active listening, a non-judgemental approach, and excellent skills in managing complex group dynamics and emotional distress. • Qualifications: Level 3 Teaching Assistant, Youth Work, or Psychology/Mental Health degree equivalents are preferred. Trauma-Informed or ELSA training is a massive advantage. • Compliance: Must hold or be willing to process an Enhanced DBS on the Update Service. Benefits & Work Hours • Hours: Monday to Friday, approx. 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM (Term-time only). • Pay: Competitive daily rates under a transparent, fair PAYE model (no umbrella company fees). • Longevity: Secure, long-term academic year contract for 2026/2027. • Location Accessibility: Positions available across both central Preston and coastal Blackpool communities. How to ApplyHelp us tackle school avoidance and change a young person's future. Click "Apply Now" to submit your CV for our September 2026 cohort, or email your profile directly to > Search Engine Optimisation Notice: This job posting is optimised for Google for Jobs indexing. Key indexing terms included: School Refusal Support Preston, EBSA Jobs Blackpool, Pastoral Assistant Lancashire, School Mental Health Worker 2026.