POST: AUTISM SUPPORT WORKER
LOCATION: Walsall
SALARY: From £13.68/hour
HOURS: Part-time (Saturdays 9.15am-4.45pm)
Reports to: Group Leader, Service Coordinator
About Resources for Autism (RfA)
We have been around since 1997 when we started as a small playgroup set up by parents dismayed at the lack of provision for their autistic children. Since then, Resources for Autism (RfA) has grown into a major deliverer of services and support in London and the West Midlands with a turnover of around £2.5m per year. Our mission is to support and enable autistic people to live happy and fulfilling lives. We want to change society’s attitude to autism whilst also providing essential services and enriching opportunities to autistic people. We are a values-driven organisation which employs values-driven people who want to make a difference. Our values are: Inclusion, Creativity, Compassion, Courageousness and Expert. You will play a vital part in ensuring that we can resource and sustain this amazing work.
Our Services
All of our services across children and adults and parent/carers, mirror the wider organisational mission of providing safe, fun and meaningful support that enables personal development. We provide this support by ensuring our staff are skilfully trained, meet the highest safeguarding expectations and are encouraged to develop and upskill throughout their career with Resources for Autism.
Main Responsibilities
The role of an Autism Support Worker is integral to RfA fulfilling its mission as it is the key role that determines a service user’s experience of the organisation. With really strong values and openness to training you will receive from us, you will be responsible for delivering direct practical support to our service users and their families. You will work in both 1:1 outreach and group settings and be able to work independently and as part of a team. You will receive further training in order to develop your career progression within the organisation either as a leader/mentor of other workers or a specialist in another autism related specialism including behaviour, mental health, trauma, or training. Whilst you will receive all the training and support you need to develop in your role, you will be expected to demonstrate the values of acceptance and patience in your interactions with service users, their families and RfA team members.
Support Worker – Key Responsibilities
PRINCIPAL DUTIES:
1. Provide meaningful, fun activities and support for autistic children, young people and/or adults in the community and/or in the family home.
2. Plan activities and be well prepared for those activities.
3. To be a positive role model to service users, parents/carers and colleagues.
4. To monitor and evaluate individual’s progress through observation and record keeping.
5. Attend meetings to discuss and assess the progress of the individual.
6. To promote positive behaviour support and implement appropriate de-escalation strategies that would be in the best interest of individual supported.
7. To form and maintain appropriate professional boundaries with those on service and their families and /or carers. 8. Be aware and respond to Health and Safety issues and to understand and be able to use Risk Assessments.
9. Follow Resources for Autism safeguarding procedures at all times and inform line manager of any concerns.
10. Follow financial and administrative procedures as directed, including completing log sheets in a timely manner, returning time sheets and responding to email contact quickly.
11. Follow first aid procedures including keeping records of all accidents, incidents and actions taken.
12. To attend and actively participate in training opportunities.
13. To ensure that responsibilities and duties are carried out in accordance with Health and Safety legislation, Equal Opportunities policy and Child/Vulnerable Adult Protection Policies and that updates to policy and procedure documents are read and understood.
14. Uphold and adhere to the values of RfA at all time
15. Ensure there is always compliance with RfA’s safeguarding policies and procedures
16. All staff are expected to promote equality in the workplace and in our services
17. Undertake any other duties asked of you that are commensurate with your grade
Skills and experience
Essential Skills
* Experience of Working with autistic people (paid or voluntary)
* Values driven and with a passion to make a difference to the lives of those whose voices are often marginalised.
* Positive attitude, motivating and creative
Desirable Skills
* Experience of working in group settings
* Ability to carry out clear processes which monitor and measure performance
* Understanding and knowledge of mental health and wellbeing for autistic people
Standard skills expected of all staff
* Excellent communication skills (written and verbal) adaptable to different populations including: colleagues, external professionals, service users, families, volunteers, donors
* Strong organisational and prioritisation skills
* Good understanding of Safeguarding
* Self-starter and able to work independently, using own initiative
* Non-judgemental, compassionate
Preferred Skills
* IT skills: proficient with Office 365
Confidentiality
You will have access to confidential information concerning families and other service users and will be required to maintain confidentiality at all times.
Staff Benefits
90% of our staff say that Resources for Autism is “a great place to work”.
Not only will the work you do ensure we are making vital differences and inspiring others, but our other benefits also include:
* flexible working patterns with the option to work in a hybrid way (only available for some roles)
* 25 days of leave (pro rata for part time roles) each year plus 8 bank holidays and an additional 3 Celebration days that could be used between Christmas and new year, but may be used for other religious days or significant days such as your birthday
* access to ongoing training and progress in the areas that interest you
* access to our wellbeing initiatives and an Employee Assistance Programme
* enrolment on to our pension scheme
* a supportive, warm and fun working environment made up of values driven people who are passionate about changing the world for autistic people
Application process:
In order that we adhere to Safer Recruitment processes, all applicants are required to complete an application form which must include your full employment history with clear details, any gaps in employment need to be outlined and explained. You are also required to provide details of your educational history.
In your personal statement we would like to see how you feel you meet the person specification and the requirements of the role.
If for any reason, such as due to accessibility, you feel you would struggle to complete an application form you can contact us via the below email and we will explore other options.
To discuss the role informally, please email: recruitment@resourcesforautism.org.uk
We particularly welcome applications from global majority candidates, LGBTQIA+ candidates and disabled candidates, because we would like to increase the representation of these groups at Resources for Autism. We want to do this because we know greater diversity will lead to even greater results for our community.
As you would expect, we are a neuro-affirming employer, with a strengths and rights based approach to neurodiversity which affirms neurodivergent identity – we don’t want to “fix” or “cure” autism, and we don’t see it as a “disability” however we do recognise it can be “disabling”. We are working to improve the ways in which we recruit and support neurodiverse employees and those with lived experience of neurodiversity.
RfA is a Disability Confidant employer and candidates who meet the minimum essential criteria, that have a disability will be guaranteed an interview.