Job summary
Employer heading
Autism Assessment Specialist
NHS AfC: Band 7
Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provides specialist mental health, learning disability, and community healthcare services for the population of the Black Country.
Across the whole of the region we provide:
- Adult and older adult mental health services
- Specialist learning disability services
- Mental health services for children and young people
- Community healthcare services for children, young people and families in Dudley
Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was formed on 1 April 2020, with the merger of Black Country Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust. Combining resources, strategies and talented workforce enables us to deliver a wider variety of outstanding services that are based on best practice and are continually improving.
We currently employ over 3,500 people and just like the population we serve, we are made up of diverse cultures and backgrounds. Whatever your role, working in a NHS Foundation Trust, like ours, is a demanding and extremely rewarding experience. Knowing that every day you can help to make a positive difference to someone’s life is a very powerful feeling. We know that our Trust runs on this desire to help and support people, and our Trust vision expresses this. Our vision is to improve health and wellbeing for everyone, especially our colleagues to achieve the best possible work/life balance.
We proudly offer supportive, inclusive and family friendly employment and flexible working policies. We have a wide range of professional services and employee networks to help our colleagues be at their best - and find support if they need it. To find more about our staff benefits, please visit our website: blackcountryhealthcare.nhs.uk.
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and ethnic minority candidates are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Black Country Healthcare we recognise and value all forms of knowledge and expertise, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification or criteria in the job description/person specification, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.
For further supporting information to help you apply for this role please see documents attached under ‘Additional documents’.
Job overview
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an Allied Health Professional, Mental Health Nurse or Psychologist to join our rapidly developing multi-agency autism assessment team. We welcome the diversity that different disciplines bring to our team and we are excited to welcome a candidate that is passionate about neurodiversity and accompanying young people and families along the assessment journey.
The ASC pathway is in the early stages of development, meaning we are looking to recruit someone with experience and confidence in leading a team and implementing initiatives. The post holder would support the Neuro Constellation Lead in allocation, waiting list initiatives, management of risk and providing regular team supervision. They will also take the lead on complex assessments - for example where there are multiple alternative formulations.
Main duties of the job
The ASC pathway focuses specifically on assessment, meaning the majority of the applicant's caseload would be autism assessment. This will involve exploring alternative formulations, including attachment, trauma, other neurodevelopmental conditions, mental health difficulties, learning needs, etc. The ASC Pathway supports Specialist CAMHS in autism-focussed training and development and contributes to group initiatives within Specialist CAMHS.
Working for our organisation
The ASC Pathway is multi-agency, receiving input from Speech and Language Therapy, Paediatricians, and Inclusion Support. We adopt a Key Worker model, where each young person is allocated to a single worker, who is responsible for gathering relevant information. Key workers on the ASC Pathway will reach out to additional diverse professionals/services, including Mental Health, Occupational Therapy, Social Care and Schools.
Our team values the input of different professionals and aims to offer families a comprehensive and holistic assessment.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Clinical Responsibilities
- Provides specialist autism assessment for clients with complex conditions based on the appropriate use, interpretation and integration of data from a variety of sources.
- Responsible for recognising the potential for or signs of client harm, abuse or neglect, including poor clinical practice, reporting all such concerns and taking all reasonable steps to protect the client. Responsible for identifying and reporting concerns regarding the safeguarding of children who may be at risk.
- Undertakes risk assessment and risk management for individual clients and provides specialist advice to other professionals on aspects of risk assessment and risk management.
- To liaise with other professionals working within the NHS, Social Inclusion and Education and the voluntary sector on matters relating to client care that have implications for the service
Person specification
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience assessing ASC
- Values of inclusivity
Desirable criteria
- ADOS experience
- ADIR/DISCO/ Experience of formal ASC assessment
Applicant requirements
You must have appropriate UK professional registration.
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Greg Grainger
- Job title
- ASC Pathway Team Lead
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01902 444 021
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