Christmas and New Year information
Find out all the information you need about our services over the Christmas and New Year period. This includes our opening times, waste collection days, and how to contact us out of hours.
Learning Support Service: training and teaching assistants
Supply cover for schools, training sessions which promote positive strategies and risk assessments for pupils with disabilities and moving and handling of children and inanimate objects.
Teaching assistants
Teaching Assistant service is a professional staffing agency providing qualified and skilled teaching assistants to work with schools, and other educational establishments, in the support of pupils with statutory and non statutory educational needs. All staff have a DBS Enhanced check for regulated activity (which includes the barred list) and are qualified to the relevant TA/STA minimum standard.
Supply cover for school based staff for short or long periods of time can be provided across the county.
This service can provide schools or establishments with:
- teaching assistants
- senior teaching assistants
- higher level teaching assistants
Job Working Circumstance points (JWC) assessment will follow once the level of support is assessed. Our skilled teams have in-depth knowledge of how to accurately assess the level of JWC's required.
Contact us to determine our long and short-term rates for the teaching assistant service.
Allerdale, Carlisle and Copeland
Telephone: 01900 706080
Email: amy.hoodless@cumberland.gov.uk
Find out about joining our LSS team and to apply for our current vacancies.
Team Teach training
Team Teach provides schools and settings with a series of training sessions which promote positive strategies that can be used by teachers, support workers, health professionals or anyone whose work brings them into contact with challenging behaviour.
This training is extremely valuable for those wanting to be fully capable in better managing a difficult child or children, using de-escalation techniques and positive handling strategies. It is useful for responding to behaviour management plans within the school/setting and could help demonstrate good practice in a preventative approach to Health and Safety responsibilities.
Team Teach Training Team
Telephone: 01900 706090
Email: michelle.gate@cumberland.gov.uk
Risk assessments for the moving and handling of children
We offer school individual risk assessments for pupils with disabilities, which will fulfil the requirements of their Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP). We have partnered with Ergoway Ltd, who are experts in the field to provide you with this essential service.
When a pupil requires moving and/or handling the school should carry out a risk assessment to identify the correct procedures in order to protect the staff carrying out the handling and to protect the child being assessed. The assessment should be reviewed annually to keep up with the pupil's changing physical ability and growth. An experienced professional will visit your school, carry out a risk assessment, issue appropriate documentation and provide advice on techniques with individual pupils, or any equipment needs and provide follow-up if needed.
Some pupils with a disability, and/or pupils with special educational needs (SEN) requirement, may need specialist moving and handling, treatment or facilities. Teachers and Teaching Assistants might be called upon to deal with issues they have not had to address before. This is particularly likely when pupils with severe or complex SEN are taught in a mainstream setting or "special" targeted provision. Pupils may not be able to recognise everyday hazards, communication distress or move around independently.
Risk assessments
Telephone: 01900 706090
Email: michelle.gate@cumberland.gov.uk
Risk assessments for moving and handling of children and inanimate objects training
This is essential training provided to ensure that participants learn the importance of team working, and the legal implications of positive handling - including the importance of documentation.
Moving and handling training offers safe manual handling of inanimate objects, safe moving and handling of children, risk assessments and on site training. This training will enable schools to meet their health and safety obligations in respect of staff competences, as well as helping them meet their statutory responsibilities for the safety of children and young people in their care.
Moving and Handling Team
Telephone: 01900 706090
Email: michelle.gate@cumberland.gov.uk