The National Autistic Hiring for Education and Transition Advice Coordinator (Northern Ireland) Job at Remote Full Time

Who we are:

The National Autistic Society is the UK’s leading charity for autistic people. Since 1962, we’ve been transforming lives, changing attitudes and helping to create a society that works for autistic adults and children.

We transform lives by providing support, guidance and practical advice for the 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK, as well as their three million family members and carers. Autistic people turn to us at key moments or challenging times in their lives, be it getting a diagnosis, going to school or finding work.

We change attitudes by improving public understanding of autism and the difficulties many autistic people face. We also work closely with businesses, local authorities and government to help them provide more autism-friendly spaces, deliver better services and improve laws.

We have come a long way but it is not good enough. There is still so much to do to increase opportunities, reduce social isolation and build a brighter future for people on the spectrum. With your help, we can make it happen.

What we can offer you:

• Pension scheme
• 25 days annual leave
• Excellent induction, training and development programme including training about autism and opportunities to attend our conferences
• Online staff discount scheme for a range of benefits (cycle to work scheme, season ticket loan)
• Access to a 24-hour employee assistance programme

Who we are looking for:

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who is looking for a challenging yet hugely rewarding role within our casework services for Northern Ireland. These services offer education and transition advice and support to autistic people and the families of autistic people. By providing information and practical support via telephone and email, the service aims to help autistic children and young people and their families navigate their rights and entitlements within education and with the transition from education to adulthood. To help achieve this we are looking for someone with a good knowledge and experience of education and transition rights and entitlements.

Reporting to and working alongside the Transition Support Lead, the Education and Transition Advice Coordinator for Northern Ireland will be the first point of contact for many autistic people and their families, dealing with all enquiries professionally and efficiently. Your ability to support people who are under emotional stress empathically, with care and patience is essential.

You will also provide support to the Transition Support Lead to shape the service and develop appropriate resources and tools to help autistic people and their families tackle the challenges they face. The successful candidate will work closely with our other casework services to ensure we offer a holistic approach to supporting autistic people and their families. The successful candidate will also provide support to the Brain in Hand response service.

An excellent communicator with a confident telephone manner and ability to set boundaries, you will also have good organisational skills, work well as part of a team and be computer literate.

You will need to respond to ongoing telephone and email enquiries, sometimes spanning long periods, and have some professional experience of providing direct support to people on the autism spectrum and their families, preferably in a casework role. An understanding of the condition and related issues is important, as is the ability to operate telephone and database systems.

Due to the potentially complex and difficult nature of the casework, you will need to demonstrate initiative, self-motivation and the ability to support autistic people and families experiencing challenging circumstances in a considerate and encouraging manner. You should feel passionate about the rights of autistic people and their families and be looking for a role where you can help to make a real difference.

For more information about our casework services please visit:

www.autism.org.uk/educationrights

www.autism.org.uk/transitionsupport

www.autism.org.uk/tribunalsupport

To view the job description please click here.

Please note the below:

Hours of work: 24 hours per week, between the hours of 8am-6pm, Monday to Friday, with willingness to undertake occasional travel and out of hours’ work.

You will be required to complete and submit the application written assessment. Applications submitted without the completed assessment will not be considered for interview. Please submit these to recruitment@nas.org.uk

Where you will be working:

Home-based, with occasional travel across UK, mostly London.

How to apply:

• To apply for this role please click the Apply button below
• When providing a supporting statement, please refer to the job description and person specification and include any information that shows your suitability for the role.
• For more information about this job please contact Carla Manini Rowden – Head of Casework Services on Carla.ManiniRowden@nas.org.uk

Closing date for applications and written assessment: 24th February 2022 Interviews: week commencing 7th March. 2022

Applications for this job are sought from anyone who is suitably qualified and experienced for the role but particularly welcome from those with a diagnosis of autism.

The National Autistic Society is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and adults who use our services and as such expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Successful applicants will be required to complete the relevant safeguarding checks.

We are an equal opportunities employer.