Wakefield Neurodevelopmental Connector

**Are you an experienced practitioner looking for a dynamic role that makes a positive early impact on the lives of neurodivergent children, young people and young adults up to the age of 18 or have significant experience of delivering brief interventions to parents and carers of neurodivergent children and young people?**

**Do you believe in and are confident in delivering person centred, needs led interventions for neurodivergent children, young people and their parents and carers?**

**We are** recruiting, and we have the next** role for you.**

Barnardo's is recruiting a dynamic and experienced neurodevelopmental** Connectors**who will be passionate about improving the lives of neurodivergent children, young people, young adults and their families in Wakefield West Yorkshire.

**The role will work with children and young people.**

**This is an exciting role and time to be part of a Service that offers direct early support to meet the needs of neurodivergent children and young people.**

**As our Neurodevelopmental Connector you will**:

- **Work in a fast pace environment**:

- **Hold local knowledge of Wakefield and services available.**:

- **Manage change when families might cancel at short notice**:

- **Deliver direct interventions to children and young people and parents/carers.**:

- **Work effectively as a team member and use initiative as practitioner.**:

- **Effectively manage your diary and have excellent time management skills.**:

- **Use recording systems** effectively; having experience of recording within required timescales.**

As part of the increased offer of the West Yorkshire Keyworker Service, the development and delivery of the West Yorkshire Neurodevelopmental Connections Service provides early support in Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield for neurodiverse children, young people, young adults up to the age of 18, and their families in their local communities.

**Our aim**is to offer support to families from the start of and throughout their journey (whether this is prior to a neurodevelopmental assessment, during or after) to navigate the system, encourage shared decision making and informed choices, understand who to go to for help and if their situation changes. Support is based on needs and strengths that will be in place following the completion of the assessment.

**Our outcome**is for individuals and families to feel informed to make decisions and know where to access early support to maintain their emotional wellbeing and prevent crisis.

We will:

- **Align to**the current Neurodevelopmental Family Navigator provision being delivered in Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees and Leeds - the focus on waiting well.
- A **Self-referral pathway** across Service to empower and give choice to families as well as a simplified referral process for professionals working with parent/carers.
- Supporting parents/carers where children, young people and young adults should be referred onto the **Dynamic Support Register** due to needs identified.
- Offer a **hybrid approach** for face to face and online support for families.
- Offer strengths-based **advice, signposting, onward referrals**and** de-escalation of crisis.**:

- **Working with**and** in partnership with Place-based Parent Carer Forums.**:

- **Peer support groups and networks developed**in partnership with Place-based Parent Carer Forums - local and West Yorkshire wide.
- Where appropriate, signpost to **Right to Choose information.**

**In your role as Neurodevelopmental Connector, you will be**:

- Aspirational for every child, young person, young adult and their families
- Passionate to enable people to reach their potential and have the best life they want.
- Approachable
- Non-judgemental, respectful and person-centred
- Compassionate and creative
- Honest and transparent
- A great facilitator
- Treat parents/carers as equals
- Providing peer support to parents and carers
- Holding knowledge of local services and developing an offer for parents and carers to access local support available to them, this will include introducing them to services and being able to access their services.
- Valuing lived experience, being an active listener when parents need support, offering unconditional positive regard and empathy.

**As Neurodevelopmental Connector you will have the following main functions**:

- Focus on key areas of need and support and develop/deliver a schedule of sessions to children and young **people as well as** parent and carers.
- Understand health, social care, education and voluntary sector delivery linked to neurodiversity and how our interventions support needs.
- Develop a place-based delivery model with the aim to share learning and key themes from our work.

The **offer** will be:

- Sessions for parents/carers as well as children andyoung people - delivery online and at Place.
- Place-based interventions which are supported by multidisciplinary cross-sector partners and organisations.
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