Autism practitioner jobs
Senior Practice Tutor
Join our team as a Senior Practice Tutor and make a difference to children and young people’s lives
Anna Freud is seeking a Senior Practice Tutor – Autism Spectrum Conditions and Learning Disabilities to join our world-leading mental health charity for children, young people and their families. Our mission is to close the gap in wellbeing and mental health by advancing, translating, delivering, and sharing the best science and practice with everyone who impacts the lives of children, young people and their families. More information about Anna Freud is available on our website.
Our EDI commitment
We are dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace and being an equal opportunities employer, whereby equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are core to our recruitment practices. All candidates who meet the job criteria will be considered for employment, regardless of ethnic origin, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, disability, age, socioeconomic background, caring responsibilities and care experience.
We ask candidates to share their diversity dimensions with us to help us identify, tackle and prevent bias across the employee lifecycle. We believe a diverse workforce enhances our ability to support mental health and wellbeing, allowing us to better meet the needs of the children, young people and families we serve.
As a Disability Confident employer, disabled candidates meeting our criteria are guaranteed an interview. Applications are submitted anonymously and assessed using a fair evaluation process based on the criteria set out in our job profiles.
What we offer
We offer a range of staff benefits and you can view them all on our careers page.
Alongside our benefits, this role gives you the chance to shape the next generation of clinicians working with autistic children, young people and those with learning disabilities. You’ll contribute to a high-profile NHS England–funded training programme delivered with UCL, strengthening your expertise while influencing clinical practice at a system-wide level. You’ll have protected time for academic work, meaningful contact with trainees, and a flexible hybrid set-up that balances in-person teaching with remote preparation and supervision.
What you’ll do
In this role, you’ll support the delivery, supervision and academic quality of a specialist postgraduate programme training clinicians to work with autistic children, young people and those with learning disabilities.
- Delivering and developing teaching, particularly skills-based workshops, across the Pg Dip programme
- Marking assignments and taking part in calibration workshops to ensure fair, consistent assessment
- Facilitating small Practice Tutor Groups, supporting trainees’ clinical skill development and monitoring their progress
- Providing personal tutoring, responding to trainee queries and supporting an inclusive, positive trainee experience
- Contributing to programme operations, attending team meetings and maintaining high standards in safeguarding, EDI and professional practice
What you’ll bring
You’ll be a strong fit for this role if you’re an experienced clinician in ASC/LD who brings confidence in teaching, supervision and supporting trainees, and can work collaboratively within a busy academic and clinical training environment.
- A recognised core mental health qualification plus specialist training in ASC/LD evidence-based therapies for children and young people
- Extensive clinical experience with autistic children, young people, parents and families, including work within CYPMH or wellbeing services
- Significant experience providing ASC/LD-specific clinical supervision and managing or overseeing practitioners
- Knowledge and experience of delivering clinical training or university-level teaching
- Strong organisational skills, the ability to work flexibly, manage deadlines, and create an inclusive, reflective learning environment
Key details
Hours: Part-time (7 hours per week)
Whilst this will usually be worked on Mondays during term time, there may be occasions where you are requested, or you may request, to work flexibly and on a different day of the week to support peak points in the academic cycle, e.g. to meet marking deadlines.
Salary: £52,000 FTE per annum, plus 6% contributory pension scheme
Location: Hybrid (a mixture of home/onsite working): staff are working onsite for at least 20% of their working hours at our London site (4-8 Rodney Street, London N1 9JH). Flexibility will be required to attend in-person teaching days during term time.
Contract type: Permanent
Next steps
Closing date for applications: Morning (10am), Monday, 05 January 2026. Please note that due to high application volumes, we may close this advert early. We encourage you to apply promptly and to keep an eye on our future vacancies for more opportunities.
Notification of interview: shortlisted applicants will be notified no later than Monday, 05 January 2026. During shortlisting, applicants are anonymously assessed using the criteria visible in the Job Profile. Please note: due to the high volume of applications received, we will not be able to provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants.
Interviews: will be held in-person/remotely on Thursday, 08 January 2026.
How to apply: click on the 'apply now’ button to apply online. We are unable to accept CVs and kindly request no contact from agencies.
Registered Charity
501 - 1000
Our vision is a world where all children and young people are able to achieve their full potential.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Emmaus Overview
Emmaus is a community that provides accommodation and work for vulnerable people. We are committed to providing support while promoting independence. Staff and volunteers must work closely with Companions while observing appropriate professional boundaries in performing their role. They must also learn and engage with the Emmaus ethos.
The key task for this role is to manage a caseload of up to 16 Companions and to ensure that new companions get the information and support they need to help them settle in quickly and easily to the community and to working in our charity shops, warehouse and delivery / collection service. The support worker role is central to the team and close teamwork is essential.
The support worker will undertake direct support work with companions. Each companion has a personal support and development plan to help them achieve their personal goals and ambitions, in compliance with our Emmaus ethos, strategic aims, organisational objectives, policies and procedures.
Staff are expected to participate in and support solidarity activities undertaken by the Community. Solidarity within the context of Emmaus is the working with groups and individuals towards the alleviation of poverty, social exclusion and suffering, and responding to local, national and international appeals for relief and support.
We expect you to carry out your job responsibilities in an environmentally aware manner. Our aim is to ensure all resources are utilised effectively and efficiently. You will be expected to apply sound ‘value for money’ principles in undertaking purchasing or supply of goods and services.
In Emmaus, volunteers are an important resource and make a vital contribution to Emmaus’s aim to take action to help disadvantaged people. You will be expected to encourage and support volunteer involvement in our work.
Main duties and responsibilities
Support for Companions
- Support a caseload of companions to reach their potential through both practical and emotional support.
- Tailor support plans to meet individual needs – setting goals, assigning actions and taking a holistic view of the person and their wishes.
- Guide induction and exit processes for companions – to ensure that they understand the core principles of the offer at Emmaus and move on to long term, sustainable accommodation after us.Use de-escalation techniques to manage challenging behaviour as it arises, with consideration to positive conflict resolution.Support with incident response, including responding to risk, e.g. anti-social behaviour, mental health concerns, fire alarms etc.
- Liaise with external providers (CMHT, GP, DWP, hospitals, probation, prisons, CAB etc) to ensure that specialist advice and guidance is sought where needed.
Administrative duties
- Maintain accurate records in line with internal policy and with consideration for GDPR principles.
- Perform tasks to support the effective running of the community.
- Contact external providers to make them aware of who we are and what we do to drive referrals.
- Provide written updates for key stakeholders and internal meetings.
- Provide structured support for companions as agreed in the support plan.
- Participate in an emergency on-call rota to ensure 24/7 support is available for companions where needed.
Health and Safety
- To apply the organisations health and safety policy.
- To carry out risk assessments as and when required and to ensure actions arising from this are carried out.
- To ensure that health and safety procedures are understood and followed by all companions.
- To report any incidents or concerns to the Community Support Manager.
Thank you!
Abingdon House School is an independent day school for children aged 5–19 with special educational needs including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia and associated social communication profiles. We deliver a mainstream-style environment with a fully integrated programme of education, therapy, pastoral support, and personal development.
You’ll be joining a multidisciplinary team of therapists and support staff at Abingdon House School — at the Prep School, this is made up of two OTs, two SaLTs, and one physiotherapist; at the Senior School, a team of three OTs, three SaLTs, and one physiotherapist.
We are proud of our integrated, multidisciplinary approach
At AHS, our holistic approach supports progress in academic studies, communication, independence and wellbeing. Every student follows a personalised pathway and benefits from therapeutic support throughout the day, delivered by a multidisciplinary team including teachers, therapists, and pastoral practitioners.
We are proud to be an ISA-accredited and Google Reference School. Abingdon House is inspected by both CReSTeD and the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), and we were recently awarded ISI’s highest accolade, “a significant strength”, for our highly effective interdisciplinary practice and the successful integration of therapeutic approaches into our students’ learning.
The role at a glance
• This will be a full time role
• You’ll be at our Senior School campus, working with students aged 11-18
• You’ll be based in Marylebone, Central London
• You will be a key member of the middle leadership team, reporting to the Assistant Headteacher responsible for therapy and pastoral provision. You will lead the delivery of high-quality speech and language therapy services that support the school’s integrated approach to education, therapy, and personal development.
Sponsorship opportunities
The Cavendish Sponsorship Programme
We are able to sponsor talented, dedicated therapists from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, and America through the Cavendish Sponsorship Programme.
Once in a role, you will have the opportunity to upskill in a pathway suited to your professional interests. Within your visa, there will be scope to move into a new role at any one of our sites as you progress, if a suitable position becomes available.
Key responsibilities
The main aspects of this role are:
• Support the strategic development of the school’s SaLT provision and contribute to wider decision-making.
• Line manage the SaLT team, including supervision, performance reviews, and professional development.
• Oversee caseload allocation, workload planning, and therapy resources.
• Deliver SaLT training and CPD to staff across the school.
• Work collaboratively with therapy leads, SENCos and middle leaders to promote a multidisciplinary approach.
• Build strong links with external agencies, commissioners, and professional networks.
• Model evidence-based practice and encourage reflective practice within the team.
• Provide direct speech and language therapy to students.
• Plan, deliver, and evaluate therapeutic and educational programmes.
• Develop and deliver the communication curriculum for whole-class sessions.
• Set and monitor communication targets within pupils’ IEPs, working with parents and teaching staff.
• Adapt resources and learning environments to improve access for students with communication needs.
• Assess, record and report on pupil progress, including annual review contributions and intervention records.
• Uphold safeguarding responsibilities, working in line with policies and supporting the DSL where required.
• Contribute to wider school life, including clinical supervision, team meetings, whole-school events, and supporting therapist recruitment and induction.
Person specifications
We’re looking for an experienced and compassionate speech & language therapist to join our school. You’ll be able to show these essential skills and requisite experience:
• Qualified band 7 speech & language therapist
• HCPC registration
• Demonstrated experience working with children with SEN/SpLD in an education setting
• IT literacy for clinical and administrative tasks
• Strong knowledge of speech, language, and communication needs, with the ability to develop and implement tailored, evidence-based interventions
• Experience in leading, supervising, and developing a therapy team, including providing CPD and support for professional growth
• Knowledge of relevant risk management, health and safety, and child protection practices
• Excellent communication skills
• Proven ability to lead service evaluation, implement improvements, and ensure interventions are aligned with research and best practice
• Experience liaising with external agencies, professional networks, and commissioners to support school-based provision
What are the perks?
• Access to a full CPD programme career progression opportunities
• 13 weeks of holiday per year, plus two term-time personal leave days
• Flexible working opportunities, with weekly PPA that can be taken remotely
• Free lunch every day, plus cooked breakfast twice per week when on-site
• A great employee assistance programme with access to wellbeing support advice
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Competitive salary pensions contributions
Role details & how to apply
Start date: January 2026
Salary: Band 7 range, £47,810 to £54,710 depending on experience
Working schedule: 37 weeks per year (term time only), five days per week.
Applications close on 16th December 2025. If you require sponsorship, please indicate this in your application.
Type: In-person role with the option to work remotely for your allocated PPA hours
You may have experience of the following: Speech and Language Therapist, SaLT Lead / Speech Therapy Lead, Specialist Speech and Language Therapist, Senior Speech and Language Therapist, HCPC-registered Speech and Language Therapist, Communication Therapy Lead, Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN) Specialist, etc.
REF-225 229
Thank you!
This is a new role within our client following functional changes over a number of years. The Head of Supported Living is a senior leadership role responsible for overseeing and developing supported living services for adults with learning disabilities within the charity including our client's Shared Lives schemes and their residential home.
The role ensures that services are person-centred, high-quality, and compliant with regulatory and organisational standards, while empowering individuals to live independently and achieve their goals.
Leading culture and change with experience, integrity, collaboration and transparency sits at the heart of the role.
The role responsibilities will ensure that our client is able to support more people with learning disabilities, autism and mental health problems to lead healthy, active and equal lives. Their ambition is to become a leader in social and green care integration through the alignment of the personalisation agenda, technological enhancement and advancement and holistic health and wellbeing.
To achieve this ambition, they will transform their services to ensure that they are effective, efficient and impact and outcomes focused. There will be clarity of the offer, understanding of the financial modelling in a very challenging political environment and respect of the unique culture and history of the Charity whilst innovating through the power of accessible technology.
The post will be responsible for ensuring that services are targeted at people who will gain the most benefit from the Trust’s community (campus) offer within rural and urban contexts. The role will create an “expert driven” provision which is evidence based and provides independent living and a life of opportunity through an ethos of co-production, health and wellbeing.
The role will implement agreed strategy, developing delivery plans that are executed with high quality communication and engagement ensuring that the voices of both staff, people supported and families are heard.
The role will be responsible for continuous value for money service enhancement and will deliver significant growth ensuring close and meaningful relationships with authorities, commissions and private markets resulting in increased funding and healthy waiting lists for the homes and services provided. The post will be responsible for a significant budget and will require the financial acumen to manage this effectively.
As a direct report to a member of the Executive Management Team (EMT) the role becomes a member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) and will be pivotal in delivering an ambitious transformation agenda and delivering the charity’s Brilliant Future Strategy.
Location & Travel
West Midlands, Gloucestershire and Hertfordshire
The role will cover our communities at Stourbridge (West Midlands), Grange Village & Oaklands Park (Gloucestershire) and St Albans & Delrow, Watford (Hertfordshire).
You will be based at one of the communities within the region, with regular travel between communities.
You will be required to attend quarterly leadership away days and other meetings which will require overnight stays.
Duties & Responsibilities
Leadership
- Lead, manage, inspire and develop high performing, highly respected and skilled supported living teams across three communities, supporting and line-managing direct reports to achieve agreed objectives, which will in turn support the delivery of the wider strategic objectives of the Trust.
- Foster a culture of excellence, inclusion, and respect.
- Actively contribute to the Senior Leadership Team, sharing collective responsibility for the development, delivery and evaluation of cross-departmental projects and activities.
- Implement the operational delivery plan that delivers the strategy for supported living services, aligning with the charity’s mission and values.
- Drive continuous improvement and innovation in service delivery to meet the evolving needs of service users with a particular focus on an ageing population and integration of younger people’s services.
- Monitor and respond to sector trends, legislation, and best practices to maintain a leading-edge in-service provision.
- Lead evidence based, high quality communication and engagement opportunities at community level that support the Trust to become an irresistible employer, measured through agreed annual and pulse survey results, positive feedback and clear understanding of the Trust’s direction of travel and objectives.
- Understand, contribute and support the fundraising needs of the charity to ensure added value for those that we support.
- Working with peers, people supported and practitioners; develop digital innovation and technology solutions to create a modern, flexible service and opportunities to support and evidence healthy lifestyle choices that align to the Trust’s Green Care goals.
- Support the development of a Theory of Change for Supported Living and Housing Management across the region and be responsible for implementation of agreed outcomes.
- Ensure effective recruitment, training, and professional development of staff.
Supported Living Operations
- Ensure the delivery of measurable and high performing supported living services. Manage and drive improvements in the performance and quality of all services by setting clear objectives, targets and KPIs, evidence regular monitoring and implementation of actions to address under performance.
- Ensure all supported living services meet or exceed regulatory standards (e.g. CQC or equivalent) and internal quality benchmarks.
- Develop and implement systems to measure and report on service outcomes and impact.
- Lead on contract negotiations with funding bodies and across the region to maximise income for the delivery of supported living services.
- Ensure services are co-produced and that co-production is central to the work of the supported living teams and services are delivered in line with the ‘I-statements’.
- Through the Theory of Change, develop a clear model of active support that enables independence and clarity of needs led provision.
People We Support Advocacy
- Promote a person-centred approach, ensuring that people we support have choice, control, and opportunities to achieve their Life of Opportunity aspirations.
- Establish systems for gathering and responding to feedback from those supported and their families.
- Embed the Family Charter and support a culture of transparency.
- Ensure safeguarding policies and procedures are rigorously implemented and adhered to.
Housing Management
- Ensure properties are fully let to minimise void loss to the target groups identified in the approved strategy.
- Work with colleagues in the Property and Land Services to secure alternative use for unlettable properties to maximises income aligned to agreed plans, tenure and opportunity.
Strategy Implementation, planning, budgeting, and reporting
- Contribution to and implementation of the approved strategies and tactical plans that support the delivery of a Brilliant Future (e.g. Older People, Community Development, Stakeholder Engagement) .
- Develop and manage a significant and comprehensive operational annual budget and set of KPIs in line with income constraints and create evaluation & monitoring systems that drive value for money and agreed delivery objectives.
- Develop and manage budgets for supported living services, ensuring financial sustainability recognising that the Charity does not fundraise for statutory provision.
- Monitor and control expenditure, ensuring cost-effectiveness without compromising quality.
- Provide monthly insights, performance reports and analysis using proportionate systems appropriate to different audiences and including Executive, Board of Trustees and Trust strategic documents (such as Annual Report and Impact Reporting).
- Ensure contracts are approved and in place for the delivery of all commissioned services.
- Ensure the service procures goods and services in line with the established governance frameworks in place at the Charity.
Stakeholder Engagement
- Lead on the development and maintenance of purposeful operational relationships with key stakeholders within the region including funders, commissioners, health services and other partners.
- Work with stakeholders to develop and transform services to meet evolving needs of the local community.
- Support fundraising activity by providing impact reporting as required by the fundraising team and our supporters and local development of volunteering programmes that add value to the unique services of the trust.
- Build meaningful relationships with families in a way that is transparent and aligned to good practise and safeguarding/MCA principles.
- Advocate for the needs and rights of adults with learning disabilities within local and national forums.
- Represent the charity at key events, meetings, and networks.
- Identify and pursue relevant funding opportunities including grants, contracts and partnerships ensuring that key stakeholders are informed and aware of relevant opportunities.
Transformation and Change
- Contribute to, and support, the Theory of Change development of the current model for delivery of supported living
- Lead the services across the region through transformational leadership and collaborative implementation of the new model for supported living
Governance, Regulation and EDIB
- Ensure that all supported living activities adhere to charity and housing legislation and meet contractual obligations
- Ensure supported living services comply with the regulatory requirements of the Care Quality Commission.
- Represent the charity internally and externally, including Trustee meetings, as required.
- Observe and comply with all Camphill Village Trust policies, including the key policies and procedures on Confidentiality, Data Protection, Health & Safety, Safeguarding and Information Technology Policies and Procedures.
- Own, develop and review the suite of policies and procedures and delivery frameworks for Green Care and Education and Skills.
- Ensure the development, implementation and review of risk registers and business continuity plans for communities and services in the region.
- You will champion a culture of equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging ensuring all team members feel valued, respected and empowered to carry out their role successfully and support the delivery of our strategy.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- Educated to degree level or equivalent.
- Leadership in Health and Social Care level 5 or equivalent.
Desirable
- Safeguarding Adults level 5 or equivalent.
- Professional Housing Qualification level 5 or above.
Knowledge & Experience
Essential:
- Experience of working and leading teams in not for profit and voluntary sector organisations which deliver services for adults with learning disabilities and autism.
- Can demonstrate a strong understanding of the needs and rights of adults with learning disabilities.
- Experience in coaching and mentoring for success.
- Experience in significant budget management responsibilities.
- Experience in seeking new growth opportunities that are aligned to business strategy.
- Significant experience of managing change, successful service redesign and transformation, in particular lean thinking and other typical models.
- Experience of successfully leading teams to affect and embed change through powerful communications and engagement.
- Knowledge of housing management and housing legislation.
- Experience of leading housing management services within a context of delivering supported living.
- Experience in the development and implementation of policy and procedure.
- Knowledge of Care Quality Commission regulations as they relate to supported living, residential care and shared lives.
- Experience of leading teams over a wide geographical location combining hybrid working styles.
- Know what constitutes excellent safeguarding practice.
- Track record of successful contract negotiation.
- Experience in developing and implementing systems that evidence performance, outcomes and impacts.
Desirable:
- Experience of developing digital transformation opportunities and the implementation of innovation and digital systems.
- Experience in the development and implementation of Theory of Change methodology.
Personal Attributes
- Excellent communicator – who can communicate with a wide range of people and using a variety of methods.
- Excellent interpersonal, rapport building and active listening skills.
- Good organisational and project management skills.
- Strong leadership skills.
- Able to support and coach others.
- Good team player - able to lead teams and be part of a team.
- Be an ambassador for the Trust and represent the Trust at events and meetings.
- Ability to manage complex information and present it in a coherent manner.
- Ability to travel between communities and stay overnight as required.
Our client is an equal opportunity employer.
Our client is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all adults who use their services and as such expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Successful applicants will be required to complete the relevant pre-employment checks including a DBS check
They reserve the right to close this advert early if they receive a sufficient number of applications.
