Senior Therapeutic Support Worker

**Dedicated autism practitioner & life skills tutor required for challenging and rewarding role.**

**Would you like to join a small team of paid practitioners and family carers to support a man with autism and complex needs?**

You will provide social & emotional support while accompanying him on his daily exploratory walks in the countryside and help him develop confidence in his visits to town, so expanding the range of community places he is able to access and enjoy. You will also support his wellbeing and promote his independence through planning and delivering structured sessions in his home, which enable him to develop his skills and interests. You will provide Positive Behaviour Support to help him reduce and manage his anxiety and challenging behaviour.

In your senior role, you will assist the care manager in fostering a support structure that promotes his wellbeing and that of his carers, enabling James to continue living in his chosen home and community as his family grow older. After training and experience, we would require you to take on a deputy manager role.

You will require a driving license and your own car.

25.5 - 35 hrs per week. Number of weekly hours & working days may be negotiated to some degree.

**Salary £28,000 - £30,578 pro-rata (based on 37.5 hr week)**

We are also advertising for a 'Therapeutic Support Worker' (non-senior). Please click on our company page to find a link to this job post.

**The M.R. Trust**

We are a small family trust who receive a personal budget from the Local authority to enable our relative to live at home with his family.

We employ a small team of dedicated practitioners who enable him to live as fulfilled a life as possible. We provide him with genuine person-centred support. We seek employees who we are passionate about enabling those with autism and behaviour which sometimes challenges to enjoy full rights and access to our community, and who are able to provide him with the emotional security and the structured, stimulating days he needs.

We offer extensive training and on-going support to our extremely valuable staff.

**If you share our values, and have personal or work experience of supporting or teaching/tutoring people with autism/ASD, learning disabilities, challenging behaviour, brain injury and/or mental health problems we would love to hear from you.**

**Further details of role**:
**Key role and responsibilities**:

- To listen, strive to understand and empathise with the client
- To support client with communication and help him articulate his thoughts, feelings, needs and preferences.
- To support client on his 1-2 hour walks of his choice in the countryside around Bristol and surrounding counties. To drive your vehicle to take him on his outings.
- To provide client with emotional support and help him manage his anxiety.
- To support client on a 2:1 basis in the community, and a 2:1 or 1:1 basis in the home, according to level of experience.
- To provide client with a stimulating programme of activities during the day.
- To help client to increase his life skills & confidence through structured activities such as cooking, literacy, using his PC and craft/DIY.
- To positively manage risk, to enable the client to do his chosen activities safely.
- To support the client with his anxiety, and help him manage his behaviour using Positive Behaviour Support.
- To participate in training, weekly team meetings and regular supervision
- To work collaboratively with the client, his family, care team and other professionals to ensure he receives consistent support.
- To use ‘planning & preparation time’ to ensure client outings go smoothly, to prepare indoor educational sessions, and to ensure important information is recorded and communicated across the team.
- To regularly meet with the manager (James’ sister) and, after training and suitable experience, support her with management duties.

**Minimum requirements**
- Having a full UK driving licence and willingness to use car for work purposes.
- Sharing our values
- Experience of working with individuals with challenging behaviour either in a personal or professional capacity.
- Experience of supporting or teaching/tutoring individuals with emotional or social functioning difficulties, such as ASD, learning disabilities, brain injury or mental health problems.
- Good interpersonal, communication and team working skills
- Personal qualities such as empathy, interest in the psychological world of others, kindness, dedication, patience, attention to detail and good organisation skills.
- Strong motivation and enjoyment for this type of work
- An average level of fitness or above.

**What we will offer**:

- Higher than average pay for the sector
- Generous mileage allowance
- Job security.
- Extended induction period, extensive on-site Positive behaviour Support training and ongoing professional support.
- An opportunity to develop & expand skills and take on a deputy management role a