We are looking for a peer mentor to support a lovely 21-year-old high-functioning autistic lady, both in and outside of her home environment, to access social, volunteering, and work opportunities, develop her personal life skills, and meet the outcomes identified in her Person-Centred Plan and Local Authority Care and Support Plan. \r\n\r\n We are looking for someone who is a good communicator, enthusiastic and able to encourage this lovely young lady to achieve her potential. \r\n\r\n Job Requirements: \r\n\r\n \r\n\t Build an understanding and supportive relationship. In order to build a trusting relationship, special attention must be paid to being reliable and consistent. Gain an understanding of her anxieties to enable you to support her emotional and mental health needs. \r\n\t Support to manage her own personal care needs, ensuring adequate and usable reminder systems are maintained. \r\n\t Support her dietary needs. Encourage her to try new foods. Help her plan healthy meals, shop for ingredients, and prepare and cook meals. \r\n\t Support to cook safely, particularly building her confidence and enforcing safe use of the oven and hob. \r\n\t Support to develop the skills and confidence to travel more independently using a variety of transport means. This will include understanding timetables, completing independent journeys, and being able to call taxis. \r\n\t Support to develop a greater understanding of her physical and medical health needs. This will include being able to call her doctor, book and attend appointments and remembering to take medication. \r\n\t Support to develop an approach to personal fitness and health. Support her to lose weight and gain better physical fitness. This may involve attending fitness classes, walking, cycling or attend wellbeing sessions. \r\n\t Support with any work required to help her build the skills and knowledge needed to gain employment in the future. \r\n\t Support with training for her therapy dog where needed. Maintaining any discipline or training as dictated by specialist therapy dog trainers. \r\n\t Support to become more confident using the telephone, to make appointments, arrange meetings with friends or service providers. \r\n\t Support with short breaks either at home or away from home in order to build her independence. \r\n\t Support her with any work experience or volunteering placement. \r\n\t Help to prepare for living independently in the future. This may include preparation, bookings, household tasks and ensuring her finances are correct if shopping. \r\n\t Support to develop and maintain friendships with her peers. This may include attending social activities, travelling and arranging meetings. \r\n\t Helping to identify new hobbies and to experience new activities. \r\n\t Ensure her safety at all times, both physically and mentally. Ensure all safeguarding measures are appropriately adhered to. \r\n \r\n\r\n A flexible and supportive approach to work is essential. \r\n\r\n \r\n\t Ensure that you are fully interactive, tolerant and sensitive to the needs of the young lady, engaging with her to allow you to monitor her moods and react appropriately with activities to raise or calm her mood as necessary. \r\n\t Be able to take responsibility and appropriate action in an emergency, being supporting but assertive if required and reporting appropriately as required. \r\n\t Be able to work independently with minimal supervision. \r\n \r\n\r\n OTHER \r\n\r\n Fulfil the requirements of an ‘Enhanced DBS Disclosure’. \r\n\r\n Ability to adapt your communication style to suit the situation. Rachel can sometimes appear to understand when she actually has not so it is important to be able to clarify her understanding. Be able to simplify instructions without ‘talking down’ to her \r\n\r\n \r\n\t Be happy, friendly and calm \r\n\t Be patient, kind, able to motivate and intuitive \r\n\t Ability to work flexibly \r\n\t Be sociable and confident \r\n\t Hold a full, clean driving licence and have access to a vehicle with appropriate insurance \r\n\t Knowledge of the local area would be beneficial \r\n\t Be an animal lover and confident with dogs \r\n \r\n\r\n As a Peer Mentor, you will have the opportunity to positively impact this young lady's life by providing guidance, support, and education. Strong communication skills and experience working with young people with autism are essential for this position. If you are passionate about making a difference in the lives of young individuals, we encourage you to apply. \r\n\r\n Due to the sensitive nature of this role, we will be considering female applicants only for this post in accordance with the provisional of the Occupational Requirement (Equality Act 2010) pursuant to Schedule 9 part 1 \r\n\r\n Expected hours: 10 – 16 per week \r\n\r\n Monday, Wednesday and alternate Friday \r\n\r\n Occasional weekend availability, overtime possibility \r\n\r\n Experience: \r\n\r\n \r\n\t Support Worker: 1 year (required) \r\n\t Knowledge of autism \r\n \r\n