Head of Participation (MAT cover)

At Ambitious about Autism, we are looking for a Head of Participation to join our team on a 9 month MAT cover.

Please note, we will be looking for the start date of this role to be from February 2025.

You will support with developing the strategic plan for our Participation programme, ensuring alignment with our wider National Services strategy. You'll develop project plans with clear outputs, outcomes and budgets to make the case for new programme development, whilst adhering to the highest values of co-production and participation, ensuring that the voices of autistic children and young people are heard in the development of services, practice and policy.

You'll oversee the ‘Autistic and OK' project and lead the team to ensure the project meets the overall objectives. You'll also oversee management of the Ambitious Youth Network to ensure the growth of the network, as well as overseeing the Post-Diagnostic Support project to completion and design and implement the next phase of diagnostic support activity.

We are looking for someone who has:

• Recognised youth work or social work qualification or related training or equivalent experience.
• Experience of facilitating the involvement and participation of young people in a range of activities, including online and using social media.
• Understanding of autism and/or learning disabilities and the support needs young people may present with.
• Proven ability to develop and manage multiple projects within agreed timescales and budgets.

In return, we offer great benefits including a generous holiday allowance and commitment to continued professional development (CPD), flexible, hybrid working and more!

This is a fantastic opportunity for an ambitious individual who would like to work for a forward-thinking, open and honest organisation and make a real impact to the young people we work with. Please find our full recruitment pack on the link below.

If you have any questions about the role or would like to have a confidential chat, please contact James Axford, Recruitment Officer.

Ambitious about Autism is fully committed to equality of opportunity and diversity and we warmly welcome applications from all suitably-qualified candidates. We welcome applications regardless of race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, disability, or age. All applications will be considered solely on merit.

Ambitious about Autism is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and successful candidates will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check. As part of our Safer Recruitment checks, an online search maybe carried out in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education.

The Safeguarding responsibilities of the post as per the job description and personal specification.
Whether the post is exempt from the rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and the amendment to the Exceptions Order 1975, 2013 and 2021. This means that when applying for certain jobs and activities certain spent convictions and cautions are ‘protected', so they do not need to be disclosed to employers, and if they are disclosed, employers cannot take them into account. Further information about filtering offences can be found in the DBS Filter Guidance.