Senior Key Worker

Job Description

Autism West Midlands is a leading charity in the West Midlands for Autistic adults, children as well as offering families support and guidance. We use our expertise to enrich the lives of autistic people and those who love and care for them. Our passionate, expert staff and volunteers work across all age groups and abilities, by providing personalised support.

Where will you be working?

Autism West Midlands have an exciting new project working in partnership with NHS Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Trust to deliver a dynamic service for autistic adults who are at risk of admission to inpatient services or who require additional support to help assist quicker discharge from inpatient service.

The Keyworker Service provides coordination and direct support to autistic adults, who also have mental health needs. This project uses intensive, direct interventions with the aim of supporting neurodiverse people to remain living at home, in the community, preventing avoidable admissions to inpatient mental health services.

The post holder will need flexibility to work as part of a small team including the need to offer support out of office hours. A full driving licence and access to a car is essential for this role. This is a Monday to Friday role with some flexibility for work out of office hours.

Key aspects of the Senior Autism Specialist Key Worker role:

1. Provision of supervision and support for a small team of Key Workers.
2. Representing and leading the Key Worker service.
3. Developing systems and processes to support collation of data to form reports and evidence outcomes and impact.
4. Promote the service and network with health professionals.
5. Presenting at key meetings.
6. To be a key point of contact for autistic adults allocated to you, identifying gaps in their support and coordinating efforts to bridge those gaps.
7. To work closely with inpatient settings, local mental health teams (including crisis teams), social care and other organisations involved to ensure that the system is working in a coordinated and joined up way for the person, helping to reduce any blockages/barriers to accessing support.
8. When necessary, advocate on behalf of a person based upon predetermined preferences, choices and wishes.
9. Coordination of support by promotion of multidisciplinary approaches. This will involve developing positive working relations to enable a person to benefit from input from a variety of sources.

What we are looking for from you as a Senior Autism Specialist Key Worker:

1. Experience of leading and developing services.
2. A high level of interpersonal skills that can be utilised to influence others, advocate on behalf of the service and the person being supported.
3. Experience and skills in developing processes and systems that help capture outcomes, promote safe practice and enable the service to demonstrate impact and value for money.
4. A relevant qualification related to Autism or Mental Health or associated field or discipline.
5. Knowledge of how autism and mental health challenges may interplay.
6. Knowledge of inpatient and community services and the challenges that exist in coordinating care and support.
7. A good understanding of a variety of mental health issues and how difficulties can affect people.
8. Specific experience of working with autistic adults with complex additional needs including mental health.
9. Experience of carrying out needs assessments, developing recovery-focused support plans and risk assessments.
10. Have a genuine desire to improve the lives of autistic adults.

If you would like to apply for this post, please provide a supporting statement to be considered – any application without a supporting statement will not be shortlisted for interview.

In return we can offer you:

• £30,000 per annum
• A supportive management team
• £50 shopping voucher after 3-month probation
• Annual leave to increase yearly to 33 days
• Free DBS check paid for by Autism West Midlands
• Free Bupa Healthcare cash back scheme
• Employee assistance scheme providing support to you and your family
• Specialist autism training you are paid to attend and travel to
• All staff are provided with a Life assurance policy
• Company Sick Pay Scheme
• Refer a friend scheme – £200 for each referral