Autism Practitioner

Posting date:	11 April 2025
Salary:	£40,554 per year
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	25 April 2025
Location:	Merseyside, North West England
Remote working:	Hybrid - work remotely up to 2 days per week
Company:	Alternative Futures Group
Job type:	Permanent
Job reference:	ID 806

Summary

Job Purpose
To support the Autism Lead to implement a strategy to enable a high-quality complex care, community-based service offer, for autistic people within the Complex and Specialist Care and Support division.

This role requires an individual with substantial experience and expertise in supporting autistic individuals, with a focus on enhancing the quality of life for those we support.

Reporting directly to the Autism Lead, you will provide a comprehensive range of functions, including personalised planning, modelling of autism specific strategies and support, data collection and analysis, training delivery and service improvement.

Ensuring innovative, flexible, and person-centred support delivery is integral, along with modelling good practice and support interventions.

Key Accountabilities and Responsibilities

Design and Oversight:
Accountable for overseeing the delivery of high-quality, evidence-based care and support pathways tailored to autistic individuals and those with complex needs.
Service Development and Training:
Contribute to developing and delivering innovative support for autistic people we support.
Contribute to the development and delivery of bespoke training.
Support the implementation of the Autism strategy for AFG, ensuring consistency and collaboration across the organisation.
Support the development of policies, processes, and training resources aligned with evidence-based practices.
Adaptation and Innovation:
Adapt and develop new approaches based on the evidence base to meet the needs of individuals we support.
Ensure innovative, flexible, and person-centred support delivery that meets the outcomes of those we support.
Leadership and Training Development:
Model good practice, behaviour intervention, and positive risk-taking in collaboration with positive behaviour support colleagues.
Support with the design and delivery of Autism training for staff and families.
Coach and mentor support workers and teams to deliver high-quality, personalised support and embed a culture of positive behaviour support.
Utilise diverse skills and needs assessments to identify strengths, weaknesses, and untapped potential, focusing explicitly on enhancing the quality of life.
Communication and Stakeholder Engagement:
Communicate with individuals we support utilising a range of communication approaches.
Maintain good communication with relatives, teams, professionals, and stakeholder groups.
Demonstrate leadership in unfamiliar, complex, and unpredictable contexts, solving problems and supporting service development.
Functional Assessments and Intervention:
Assist with the development of functional assessments and implement intervention strategies using Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) principles in partnership with the operational team.
Contribute to the assessment toolkit for transitions, care planning, and long-term outcomes.
Regulatory Compliance and Safeguarding:
Support colleagues to maintain standards and comply with regulations, ensuring consistent and high-quality care and support across services.
Work in line with the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) to support decision-making related to Adult Social Care (ASC) needs.
Identify and escalate safeguarding concerns promptly, ensuring timely intervention.
Please only apply if you meet the essential criteria of the Person Specification:

Experience:
Proven experience of working within a health or social care setting.
Employment experience working with individuals with neurodevelopmental differences and experience in complex care provision.
Experience of working in collaboration with external stakeholders and wider MDTs.
Demonstrable experience of successfully implementing autism support strategies including communication strategies, behaviour support strategies and sensory strategies to improve quality of life.
In-depth knowledge of autism and a strong understanding of the challenges faced by autistic individuals.
Experience in advocating for the rights and needs of autistic individuals.
Experience of developing and delivering training.
Experience in ensuring compliance with regulatory standards and implementing quality assurance measures.
Experience in managing team and group dynamics.
Proven ability to build and maintain effective partnerships with external stakeholders.
Understanding the needs of a new service that scales quickly.
Skills and Knowledge:
Strong leadership skills with the ability to inspire and motivate a team.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
Ability to think strategically and develop effective plans to achieve organisational goals.
Genuine and proven interest in advocating for neurodivergent individuals.
Robust understanding of legislative frameworks, policies, and procedures governing care practice relevant to the pathway (Safeguarding, Autism Act, Mental Health Act, Mental Capacity Act/DOLS, Human Rights Act).
Clear, professional, warm, and informative communication style.
Excellent computer skills, proficient in writing clear and concise reports.
Proficiency in critical thinking and problem-solving.
Ability to manage fast-paced change and blend independent workload and time management with collaborating with colleagues across different locations.
Qualifications and Training:
A qualification in a relevant health or social care discipline.
Specialised qualifications and training in autism.
This role is Field Based and involves travel within the northwest of England, we can only accept applications from residents of the northwest. With our extended flexible working options, you can also choose to work a 9-day fortnight or a 4.5-day week, supporting our employees with their work life balance.

This role is Band II as per our structure.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

About Disability Confident

A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.