Children & Families Autism Hub Support Coordinator

POST:                  2  Children & Families Autism Hub Support Coordinators

LOCATION:         Barnet CYP Autism Hub – 858 Finchley Road, Barnet

SALARY:              £27k-30k

HOURS:               Full time (37.5 hours), flexible with occasional weekend and evening work

Reports to:         Barnet CYP Autism Hub Manager

Direct Reports:  N/A

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.

The Role

Resources for Autism has been providing services from 858 Finchley Road for many years and now working in partnership with the London Borough of Barnet are excited to be establishing the space as an Autism Hub for Children and Young People (CYP). The vision of the hub, is to create a welcoming, safe, neuro-affirmative place where autistic people and those who love and care for them can access the support and social opportunities they need at the right time, enabling them to live their best life. It will also be a place where professionals can connect, collaborate and learn ensuring services are joined-up and effective.

The service will offer a range of support to parents and carers and children and young people with autism in Barnet. The service offer could include:

-        Advice support and signposting to the autism community pre and post diagnosis

-        Weekly drop ins

-        Social groups for autistic young people and those who love and care for them.

-        Calendar of monthly workshops on specific issues addressing the needs of parent carers/ adults

-        Behaviour surgeries for parents

-        Autism Training to partner organisations

The Autism Support Worker roles provide access, support, outreach and reception services within an Children & Young people’s Autism Hub, and support to the Hub Manager. The role is responsible for ensuring that services delivered in the hub are effectively supported, monitored and focused to meet the needs of autistic children 0-19 Years and their families.

We are looking for a values-driven candidate with previous experience of working with and supporting children and young people and families. Knowledge and experience of working with autism is preferred but an understanding of SEN/LD will be essential.

You will have a great team of people around you and the opportunity to be a part of an innovative wellbeing project which will make enhance the offer for the Autism Community of Barnet.

Main Responsibilities:

·       Provide an efficient and welcoming access point for families accessing a range of services at the CYP Autism hub, working as part of a team of staff providing support for effective service delivery.

·       Provide and facilitate advice, guidance and signposting to families accessing the Autism Hub. This may be via telephone, email or in person.

·       Support and manage a small caseload of 15-20 families requiring a ‘medium’ level of bespoke support and interventions, ensuring clear aims and goals are set and then empowering the children/family to achieve these.

·       Host and/or co-host drop-in sessions, coffee mornings and/ or information sessions for CYP and families on different associated topics connected to autism. This will include facilitating peer support sessions and co delivered ‘workshops’ with partners on different themes.

·       Provide effective administrative support to the Hub Business Manager, carrying out administrative duties as directed.

·       Support the identification and registration of families with children 0-19 Years within the Hub, working alongside 0-19 Early Help Practitioners and Barnet CSC to encourage and monitor access to provision to ensure that emerging needs are met at the earliest opportunity and access data is correctly recorded and up to date.

·       Ensure that activities, access and registration details are captured on RfA’s databases, supporting the Hub Manager to collate data and ensure accurate recording.

·       Support the identification, monitoring and planning for eligible families and children within Barnet CSC to advise eligible families of the Hub, it’s services and support and the services available via other partners to ensure maximum take up and access of the service.

·       Ensure that any families requiring additional support are flagged up with the Hub Manager and Barnet CSC staff to maintain an effective link to more targeted support and providing continuity of intervention.

·       Ensure that local families are given opportunities to become involved in the planning and delivery of services, particularly those in need of support.

·       Support meeting and venue booking arrangements, providing administrative support for hub staff, meetings, taking responsibility for sending out invitations, compilation of packs, papers and minute-taking.

·       Take responsibility for own role in child protection, parenting, health and safety and premises issues and other related functions to contribute to a co-ordinated team approach to child safety and well-being.

·       Undertake training and development necessary to develop in your role as an autism specialist.

·       The role requires direct contact with a range of families accessing services. The role will involve working with different partner agencies.

·       Some travel may be required across Barnet. 

·       Uphold and adhere to the values of RfA at all time.

·       Ensure there is always compliance with RfA’s safeguarding policies and procedures.

·       All staff are expected to promote equality in the workplace and in our services.

·       Undertake any other duties asked of you that are commensurate with your grade.

Flexible working:

Some occasional evening and weekend work will be required.

Person Specification

Skills and experience

Essential

Experience of working successfully in a people service delivery position

Good level of practical skills in dealing with families and children in a supportive environment

An understanding/ awareness/ or lived experience of autism

An understanding of safeguarding in a CYP delivery context

Experience of working successfully in an administrative role

Experience of effective public contact

Skills in communicating effectively with members of the public

Ability to provide effective access to services at the Autism Hub and in the community

Experience of data collection, IT and monitoring processes

Clear understanding of data collection systems and operations

Ability to support data and administrative systems under direction

Ability to carry out clear processes which monitor and measure performance

An understanding of partnership and multi-agency working and an ability to work well alongside colleagues with different roles and experiences

Previous experience of working within a coproduction lens

An understanding of own role in supporting the operational requirements of a multi-disciplinary service

Experience of running groups with autistic young people/adults and/or parent/carers

A general understanding of quality frameworks around people service delivery 

Values driven and with a passion to make a difference to the lives of those whose voices are often marginalised.

Knowledge of the local services in Barnet

Neuroaffirmative approach to autism with demonstrable passion to work with autistic community.

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 

IT skills: proficient with Office 365

Self-starter and able to work independently, using own initiative

Non-judgemental, compassionate

Training in the Children’s Act and Child Protection is also required however this could be provided if a strong candidate meets all the above criteria.

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 bank holidays and an additional 3 days with 1 being your birthday and 2 further celebration days

·       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

·       Free tea and coffee on site

·       Free on site parking in west midlands. Please note London has very limited options

·       Statutory sick pay for all staff except zero hour contracts

Application process:

To apply, please send a one-page covering letter and your CV to our current Head of People via email.

To discuss the role informally, please email us.

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. 

Deadline for applications: 8th January 2025

Interviews:  week beginning 20th January and 27th January