Autism Lead, Home Based Within The North West Of England

Alternative Futures Group is the North West’s largest Mental Health and Learning Disability charity.

With a strong track record over 30 years, we work locally in the community and through our Treatment and Recovery Centres to provide a wide range of innovative and bespoke care services.

We have a vision to create a world where people control their lives. Here at AFG, we pride ourselves on helping the people we support to design, develop and ‘own’ the support they receive by planning this with them; we support people to make informed choices and increase their own independence; and we support people to maintain their own health, wellbeing and living environment. These principles are really important to us.

As a ‘values based’ employer, the people that work for us genuinely care about the people they support, and we are seeking likeminded people to join our AFG family. If you are passionate about working in Health and Social Care and have a real desire to make a positive difference to the lives of the people we support then we would love to hear from you.

At AFG we also recognise the contribution and value that our staff make. We would not be able to provide the life changing support that we do without people like you!

In return for your contribution we will support you throughout your career and we provide a wide range of employee benefits, career development and lifestyle support services to ensure that you too feel supported, fulfilled and valued from day one of your employment with us.

Job Title:Autism Lead

Reports to: Head of Operations - Community and Adult Care Homes

Job Purpose

To design, oversee and implement a strategy to enable a high-quality complex care, community-based service offer, for people we support who have Autism and complex needs.

This role requires an individual with substantial experience and expertise in supporting individuals with Autism, with a focus on enhancing the quality of life for those we support.

Reporting directly to the Head of Operations, you will lead a comprehensive range of functions, including developing policies, processes, data analysis, individual assessment, personalised planning and development, staff training, service improvement, and external stakeholder engagement.

Ensuring innovative, flexible, and person-centred support delivery is integral, along with modelling good practice and behaviour intervention.

Key Accountabilities and Responsibilities

1. Design and Oversight:

• Accountable for the design and oversight of high-quality, evidence-based care and support pathways for people we support who have Autism and complex needs.

2. Service Development and Training:

• Develop and lead new initiatives and service design for Autism training and resources in collaboration with stakeholders.
• Lead the Autism strategy for AFG, ensuring consistency and collaboration across the organisation.
• Support the development of policies, processes, and training resources aligned with evidence-based practices.

3. Adaptation and Innovation:

• Adapt and develop new approaches based on the evidence base to meet the needs of individuals we support.
• Ensure innovative, flexible, and person-centred support delivery that meets the outcomes of those we support.

4. Leadership and Training Development:

• Model good practice, behaviour intervention, and positive risk-taking in collaboration with positive behaviour support colleagues.
• Lead the delivery and development of Autism training for staff and families.
• Coach and mentor support workers and teams to deliver high-quality, personalised support and embed a culture of positive behaviour support.

5. Communication and Stakeholder Engagement:

• Communicate with individuals we support, their relatives, teams, professionals, and stakeholder groups.
• Demonstrate leadership in unfamiliar, complex, and unpredictable contexts, solving problems and supporting service development.

6. Functional Assessments and Intervention:

• Undertake functional assessments and implement intervention strategies using Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) principles in partnership with the operational team.
• Support and develop the assessment toolkit for transitions, care planning, and long-term outcomes.

7. Regulatory Compliance and Safeguarding:

• Support colleagues to maintain standards and comply with regulations, ensuring consistent and high-quality care and support across services.
• Work in line with the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) to support decision-making related to Adult Social Care (ASC) needs.
• Identify and escalate safeguarding concerns promptly, ensuring timely intervention.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme