Work With Us

Compass Learning & Education is looking for experienced and compassionate Children & Young People's Therapists / Psychotherapists to join our growing team of freelance practitioners across Greater Manchester.

As this role is on a self-employed basis, we are unable to accept any applicants whose Right to Work is dependent on a Student visa.

Compass provides personalised education, SEND, mentoring and reintegration support for children and young people who may be struggling to access education.

Many of the young people we support experience SEMH needs, anxiety, emotionally based school non-attendance (EBSNA), SEND, low self-esteem, trauma, resulting in disengagement from education. We want to strengthen our offer by providing access to high-quality therapeutic support alongside education and mentoring.

You will provide 1:1 therapeutic support to children and young people referred to Compass. Sessions may take place in schools, community settings, at a young person's home or other agreed locations across Greater Manchester.

Depending on the individual young person, you may support needs including:

• Anxiety and emotional distress
• Emotionally based school non-attendance (EBSA)
• Low self-esteem and confidence
• Emotional regulation
• SEND and associated emotional needs
• Social and relationship difficulties
• Trauma and adverse childhood experiences
• Difficulties engaging with school or education

You will work autonomously within your professional scope while forming part of the wider Compass team supporting the young person.

We are interested in hearing from practitioners trained and experienced in a range of evidence-informed and developmentally appropriate therapeutic approaches for children and young people. These may include:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) or CBT-informed approaches
• Person-centred counselling
• Integrative psychotherapy or counselling
• Play-based and creative therapeutic approaches
• Trauma-informed therapeutic approaches
• Attachment-informed practice
• Solution-focused approaches
• Emotion regulation and anxiety-focused interventions

We particularly welcome practitioners who can adapt their approach for neurodivergent children and young people, including those with autism and ADHD, and those experiencing SEMH needs or barriers to attending school.

Applicants do not need to offer every approach listed above. We are keen to build a diverse network of practitioners with different areas of expertise so that support can be appropriately matched to the individual young person.

Practitioners must only deliver therapeutic modalities for which they hold appropriate training, competence and professional insurance.

You will be expected to:

• Deliver safe, child-centred therapeutic sessions.
• Establish appropriate therapeutic goals and intervention plans.
• Maintain accurate and confidential clinical records.
• Follow Compass safeguarding and child protection procedures.
• Recognise and escalate safeguarding concerns appropriately.
• Maintain appropriate professional and therapeutic boundaries.
• Provide appropriate progress information while maintaining therapeutic confidentiality.
• Liaise professionally with Compass and, where appropriate, schools and other professionals involved with the young person.
• Work within the ethical framework and scope of practice of your professional body.

Applicants must have:

• A recognised qualification in psychotherapy, counselling or an appropriate therapeutic discipline.
• Appropriate professional registration or membership, such as BACP, UKCP or another recognised professional body.
• Training and/or substantial experience of therapeutic work with children and young people.
• Experience supporting children or young people with emotional or mental-health needs.
• Strong safeguarding and child protection knowledge.
• An Enhanced DBS with Children's Barred List Check, which is registered with the update service, or willingness to obtain one before accepting assignments.
• Appropriate professional indemnity insurance for self-employed practice.
• Ability to maintain confidential and professional records.
• Ability to travel to placements across Greater Manchester where required.

Experience of SEND, SEMH, EBSA, trauma-informed practice, alternative provision or working alongside schools would be particularly welcomed.

£40 per hour

This is a freelance, self-employed position with assignments offered according to referrals, practitioner availability and geographical location.

There are no guaranteed minimum hours, and practitioners can choose whether to accept individual assignments.

We are particularly interested in practitioners who have daytime availability during school hours.

Compass is developing a multidisciplinary approach to supporting children and young people who are struggling to access education.

Rather than considering education, emotional wellbeing and reintegration separately, our aim is to bring together education, SEND expertise, mentoring, therapeutic support and carefully planned reintegration around the individual young person.

You'll join a growing network of professionals committed to helping young people rebuild confidence, engagement and connection with education.

We are seeking a passionate and dedicated SEND Tutor to join our educational team. In this vital role, you will provide tailored support to students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), helping them achieve their full potential.

To be eligible for this role you must be resident in the UK and authorised to work in the UK. As this role is on a self-employed basis, we cannot accept applications from anybody whose right to work is dependent on a student visa.

Please provide your personal email address and your most recent up to date CV to recruitment@compass-learning.co.uk

Locations of tutoring will be either in the student's school, in their home, at a local community venue, or online, as agreed upon each posting. We are currently working with local authorities in and around Greater Manchester. Candidates must be able to travel to locations within and around Greater Manchester to receive assignments.

• Plan and deliver one-on-one or small group tutoring sessions, delivering English, Maths & Science to KS3 and KS4 SEND students, adapting teaching methods to suit individual learning needs.
• Develop and implement personalised learning plans that align with each student's specific needs, goals, and abilities.
• Deliver personal development sessions, including a wide range of RHSE topics.
• Deliver mentoring sessions, where appropriate and part of a student's programme, SEMH interventions as planned and resourced by Compass Learning.
• Use a variety of teaching strategies, resources, and assistive technologies to enhance understanding and engagement.
• Monitor and track student progress regularly, adjusting approaches as necessary to ensure continuous development.
• Communicate effectively with parents, caregivers, and school staff to share updates on student progress and discuss strategies for support.
• Foster an inclusive, supportive environment that encourages confidence, independence, and a love of learning.
• Maintain accurate records of tutoring sessions, student achievements, and areas for further development.

• Proven experience in tutoring, mentoring or teaching, particularly working with children or young learners that have SEND barriers, or other challenging circumstances.
• QTS is advantageous
• Good subject knowledge to teach English and Maths up to KS4
• Knowledge of special education practices and strategies tailored for students with diverse needs.
• Strong communication skills to clearly convey concepts and collaborate effectively with families and educational professionals.
• Demonstrated ability to adapt teaching methods to meet individual student requirements.
• Enthusiastic, patient, and committed to creating a positive learning experience for all students.
• Relevant qualifications in education or special education are preferred but not essential; a passion for supporting children's development is key.

Compass provides personalised education, mentoring, therapeutic support and reintegration for children and young people who are struggling to access education. SEND Mentors deliver structured mentoring using the Compass Mentoring Assessment and Intervention Framework alongside academic tuition and therapeutic support, working as part of a wider team around each young person.

To be eligible for this role you must be resident in the UK and authorised to work in the UK. As this role is on a self-employed basis, we cannot accept applications from anybody whose right to work is dependent on a student visa.

Mentoring sessions may take place in the young person's school, in their home, at a local community venue, or online, as agreed for each placement. We are currently working with local authorities in and around Greater Manchester, and candidates must be able to travel to locations within and around Greater Manchester to receive assignments.

You will deliver 1:1 mentoring sessions using the Compass five-strand framework, planned and resourced by Compass and shaped around each learner's Individual Learning and Development Plan. The five strands guide session content:

• Confidence and Identity
• Emotional Wellbeing and Resilience
• Relationships and Community
• Engagement With Education
• Independence and Future Readiness

As well as delivering structured mentoring sessions, you will accompany young people to community-based learning opportunities as part of planned mentoring activities, supporting them to take part safely and confidently. Examples of these community-based sessions include:

• A Confidence and Identity visit to a local library, leisure centre or community space, where the young person tries something new and records the achievement in a personal portfolio.
• A Relationships and Community task such as visiting a café, ordering and paying for a drink, and reflecting on the interaction afterwards.
• An Independence and Future Readiness activity where the young person plans a journey using public transport, completes it with the right level of support, and reviews what helped.
• An Engagement With Education session rehearsing the journey to the home school, meeting an identified member of staff and agreeing how support will be accessed.
• An Emotional Wellbeing and Resilience activity taking part in a chosen outdoor, creative or sensory wellbeing activity in the community.

Where any activity involves a change of usual location, the location will be fully risk assessed, written permission provided by the parent or carer, and commissioner agreement obtained before the activity takes place.

• Deliver safe, child-centred 1:1 mentoring sessions using the Compass five-strand framework.
• Accompany young people to planned community-based learning opportunities, supporting safe and confident participation.
• Follow Compass safeguarding and child protection procedures and escalate concerns appropriately.
• Complete session records and contribute to six-week progress reviews led by the Programme Lead.
• Liaise with the Programme Lead, families, schools and other professionals as appropriate.
• Maintain appropriate professional boundaries while building a trusted, consistent relationship with each young person.
• Work within the planned mentoring programme and escalate needs beyond the mentor's competence promptly.

Compass mentoring is educational, relational and developmental. It does not replace clinical assessment, therapy, social care, safeguarding intervention or specialist SEND provision.

• Experience mentoring, supporting or working with children and young people with SEND, SEMH, EBSA or barriers to attendance.
• Understanding of safeguarding and child protection in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE).
• An Enhanced DBS with Children's Barred List Check, registered with the update service, or willingness to obtain one before accepting assignments.
• Ability to build trusted, consistent relationships with young people.
• Ability to travel to placements across Greater Manchester where required.
• Committed to the strengths-based, reintegration-focused Compass approach.

Experience of community-based learning, outdoor education, coaching or activity leadership would be particularly welcomed.