Job overview
The Children’s Autism Assessment Service (CAAS) is based at Ridge Hill and Sunflower Centre in Dudley and includes a Team Leader, Specialist Nursery Nurses, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapist and Administrators. We provide a multi-professional Autism assessment for children under 5 years.
The successful applicant will have a wide knowledge and wealth of experience of child development and experience of working with children with complex conditions in particular Autism and their family. They will provide specialist holistic assessments towards an Autism diagnosis as part of a wider Multi-disciplinary team and provide specialist support to children and their family throughout the assessment process.
Main duties of the job
The post holder will work autonomously as part of the Children’s Assessment Service carrying continuous responsibility for caseload management and the assessment of Autism in children under 5 years and their care needs. The post holder will be responsible for the development, implementation and evaluation of programmes of care which are sensitive, relevant and responsive to the diverse needs of the individual and targeted clients/families, groups and communities. The post holder may often work in difficult situations with contentious issues. The post holder will work as part of a wider multidisciplinary team.
The post holder will contribute to the development of pre-registration and health visitor students promoting leadership and development within the team and will be committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults acting within their Scope of practice and local and national policies.
Working for our organisation
Employees, workers, and / or contractors will be expected to uphold the values of the Trust and exhibit the expected Trust behaviours aligned to the Trust’s values. Individuals have a responsibility to ensure that they display the Trust values and behaviours in carrying out their job and that individuals feel able to challenge (or raise a challenge) when other colleagues’ behaviours breach the spirit of Trust values.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
To have continuous responsibility and professional accountability for the management and prioritisation of a defined caseload including delegation of tasks to other members of the team, in consultation with the Children’s Assessment Service team leader making the best use of knowledge and skills within the team.
Works as an autonomous practitioner assessing, planning and organising day to day caseload/workload using Trust recognised assessment and caseload management tools.
To assess children under 5 years for Autism as part of a multidisciplinary assessment pathway following the NICE guidelines using assessment tools across, a variety of environments including clinic, patient home, school/nurseries and other community settings.
To act as named Keyworker for each family during their child’s Autism assessment, assessing health needs for children, families and communities whilst being responsive to their diverse needs.
To lead, plan, implement and evaluate health enhancing activities, to facilitate access to preventative services and facilitate client participation through home visiting, community development, workshops, support groups and parenting programmes, working across agencies when necessary.
To identify children and families in need of additional support through the Early Help Assessment guidelines. Initiating and taking the lead on family support meetings if required.
To be able to identify the complex needs of Looked After Children, completing health needs assessment as Trust protocol.
To act in accordance with current Dudley Safeguarding People Partnership Board and trust guidelines/policies to protect children and vulnerable adults at risk of harm.
To be able to frequently undertake tasks that require prolonged concentration skills, compiling critically factual reports and presenting this information which is often contentious in a formal situation e.g. case conference or court hearings, with potential for cross examination.
To be able to deal with frequent exposure to highly distressing and emotional situations, bereavement of child/parent, postnatal depression, mental health issues, domestic abuse, substance/alcohol misuse, complex family situations and child protection issues, sudden infant/unexplained death of a child.
To offer support and supervision to other team members to whom work may be delegated.
To develop systems and processes that engage users of the service ensuring services are developed to meet need.
To participate, fully, as a team member, attending team meetings, forums and utilising opportunities to share and develop specialist interest that contribute to service delivery and quality improvements.
To provide specialised skills to clients within a variety of settings, using their ability to analyse, interpret and address the outcome e.g. – the use of appropriate level of counselling skills.
To work collaboratively with additional needs services to ensure relatives/carers are confident in carrying out care/treatment for children with additional needs.
To develop and maintain effective communication networks with other health professionals, statutory and voluntary agencies.
To develop a workload and community profile in consultation with the Team Leader, team and public health colleagues, identifying those groups with specific health needs and implement and evaluate programmes of care to target groups.
Ability to understand, explain and carry out interpretation of complex facts in relation to a client’s condition. Taking appropriate action and giving advice in a professional manner to team members, family and other carers in such a way that protects and preserves their dignity. Including breaking bad news.
To be responsible for ensuring that all data and contacts relating to their own Children’s Assessment Service activity is recorded accurately and timely. This includes electronic recording via RiO and/or other clinical systems specified by the Trust.
To demonstrate a reasonable understanding and knowledge of a range of Microsoft applications.
To demonstrate an awareness of budget management, commissioning and key performance indicators ensuring full participation and involvement in meeting specified targets and effective resource management.
Compliance with Trust management and others in meeting statutory and local requirements of the Health and Safety Policy whilst taking reasonable care for the health and safety of self and others who may be affected by own actions or behaviours. Identifying issues in the workplace that may put health and safety at risk and having responsibility for timely action and accident / incident reporting.
To participate in the recruitment of staff where indicated and to highlight to colleagues, the Team and the Trust the benefits of new ways of working whilst participating in the setting of team objectives.
Person specification
Education and Qualifications
Essential criteria
1. First Level Registered Nurse or Midwife
2. Specialist Community Public Health Qualification
3. Registered Health Visitor
4. Educated to Degree/Diploma Level
Desirable criteria
5. Community Practitioner Nurse Prescriber
6. ADOS or ADIR trained
Experience
Essential criteria
7. Previous experience of assessing and supporting children with Autism and their family.
8. Evidence of continued professional development
9. Teaching and mentorship qualification or experience
10. Ability to communicate highly complex information where there may be barriers to understanding.
11. Evidence of leadership and management qualities.
Knowledge
Essential criteria
12. In depth knowledge of child development
13. Understanding of Autism, the diagnostic criteria and differential diagnosis.
14. Experience of working as part of a multidisciplinary team
15. Evidence of collaborative working with multi-professional colleagues.
16. Ability to facilitate groups
17. Ability to provide supervision and support to staff
18. Must be able to demonstrate an understanding of equal opportunities and meeting the needs of diverse communities
19. Must be able to demonstrate an understanding of the need for confidentiality in all aspects of the work of the department
20. Good IT skills and an ability to utilize Microsoft applications and electronic clinical systems
21. Demonstrates commitment to the safeguarding agenda for children and vulnerable adults
Desirable criteria
22. Knowledge of budget management.
23. Up to date knowledge regarding key local and national policy drivers
Skills and personal qualities
Essential criteria
24. Can work on your own initiative
25. Manage a busy caseload, prioritising what is important
26. Can work as part of a team
27. Effective communicator
28. Excellent record keeping skills and abilities
29. Enable yourself and others to act with confidence and authority in order to achieve the best outcome for everyone
30. Act with transparency and honesty; respect and value others to do the right thing at the right time for everyone.