Family Support Team Lead

Job Summary

CAAS provide an ADHD and Autism Support Service for the 8 boroughs of NW London, from our base in Eastcote, with a team of Support Workers.  Our work includes offering information, advice, and support to ADHD / autistic people, their families, and professionals in NW London, with the aim of improving quality of life and developing neurodiverse-aware communities.  Some of the support is offered through one2one meetings, some of the support is provided through groups and courses which aim to increase understanding and awareness, and provide opportunities for peer support, and some of the support is offered through training and workshops to educate professionals and drive for accommodations to be made to services to allow greater access for our client group.

The Family Team Lead will assist the Family Service Manager in overseeing the operational running and leadership and management of our Family Team at our centre in Eastcote.

The Family Team Lead will be responsible for the line management of some of our Family Support Workers, as well as the direct delivery of services, including being the lead facilitator on some of our parenting courses.  As such, we are looking for a friendly, organised and hard-working individual. The role requires strong administrative skills, excellent communication skills and a drive to ensure everyone who seeks support from us has the best possible experience. If you’re passionate about supporting neurodivergent people and their families, then this is an ideal opportunity for you.

There is no requirement for any experience of, or understanding of, autism / ADHD, as we will provide training on the conditions.  This role will best suit someone who is very organised, who is able to task switch easily between line management, project management, client facing support work, group facilitation, course content creation and strategic and operational planning activities, and who is able to interact with a high number of clients and staff each week in order to ensure the sufficient number of appointments are provided to meet our funder requirements. 

The ideal candidate will possess experience working with vulnerable individuals and demonstrate confidence, composure during crises, quick thinking, and adaptability. A genuine acceptance of diversity and a keenness to learn are essential.

This role would suit someone with a key worker, social worker or teacher background.

Key Responsibilities – Project Lead

Line Management

·         Organise and lead regular meetings for team members, including case management and monthly performance review meetings, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

·         Supervise the Family Team staff in fulfilling their own job descriptions, supporting their professional development and ensuring the effective use of resources

·         Develop good knowledge and understanding of the services for which you are accountable, and to ensure the implementation of better practice initiatives

·         To ensure that the Family Team work collaboratively to manage and lead their clients in an effective way, in line with best practice and CAAS values, making a positive difference to the people we support whilst improving their outcomes

Project Management

·         Support the Family Services Manager in planning, mobilising and delivering projects to better support clients across NW London

·         Develop key relationships with professionals and funders in NW London to ensure effective mobilisation, communication, delivery and evaluation of projects

·         Prepare risk management, quality assessment and process documents to ensure projects are delivered safely, effectively and in line with our policies and procedures.

Family Services Development

·         Support the Family Services Manager in driving forward the family team strategic and operational plans, so that our family services remain impactful, user led, accessible and current.

·         Ensure output, outcome and impact measures are considered, maintained and evaluated across staff and across projects to ensure continuous performance improvements.

·         Provide first line safeguarding guidance to the team, to support them in delivering appropriate, safe and compliant safeguarding of all who access family services

·         Deliver a programme of ongoing resource review and development, to ensure the PowerPoints, resources and tools used by the team in the delivery of their work are up to date, appropriately branded and effectively stored on our system

·         Lead a programme of ongoing professional development within the team, to ensure that the different skills, knowledge and experience within the team is cascaded throughout the team, and new learnings and ways of doing things incorporated. 

·         Support the development of a ‘Client Voice’ project to identify how best we can hear and respond to feedback from family clients that we serve – and those that we don’t currently serve – so that our services can be tailored and effective for our wide community. 

Key Responsibilities – Supporting Families – Direct support of families

Providing individualised support

·         Offer one to one support as requested by families and professional agencies, e.g. by supporting families in preparing for or attending meetings with schools/health/social services etc. 

·         Diligently record actions and monitor client progress using live reporting software, and assess risk and accommodation needs of the clients, to support their individual needs and protect them.

·         Promote CAAS parenting resources, both in person and online.

·         Develop knowledge and relationships of regional voluntary and statutory organisations and be able to signpost families to local agencies as necessary. 

Facilitating Workshops and Training

·         Deliver training to professionals in schools, education settings and the community.  

·         Facilitate CAAS specialist parenting courses, such as our Understanding Autism course. 

Drop-In Support Co-ordination

·         Our drop-in support service is the bedrock of our family support work, and we have offered drop-in support sessions for parents for over 20 years.  Our drop-in support service has grown in the last year, and now encompasses daytime and evening groups, both in our centre and online.  You will act as the lead facilitator for the overall project, sharing best practice across the different elements of the service, evaluating its effectiveness for those we serve.

Key Responsibilities – Liaison and Consultation

Outreach and Representation

·         Serve as a representative of CAAS to advocate for organisational interests and services, as well as to voice client concerns and ensure their needs are addressed.

·         Participate in community outreach efforts, including attending SEND specific local events

·         Liaise with local professionals to create and sustain partnerships and coordinate services.

·         Engage with statutory and volunteer services within the borough, such as health, social care, and Carers support services, to establish a support network.

·         Attend charity events, networking promotions, and exhibitions to maintain and develop professional relationships.

Knowledge Management and Advocacy

·         Remain up to date with all organisational services for accurate representation and consultation.

·         Stay informed about existing support services in NW London.

·         Keep abreast of national and local trends and developments affecting ADHD / autistic children and their families, identifying opportunities to raise awareness and develop suitable services and support.

Key Responsibilities - Organisational

Client Documentation and Communication

·         Provide written reports as required by professional agencies and CAAS and develop appropriate project-specific monitoring or reporting requirements.

·         Enforce and comply with GDPR standards for all data handling and communications.

·         Uphold a neuroaffirmative approach in all communications, aligning with CAAS brand language and aesthetics.

Professional Development and Team Collaboration

·         Comply with policies, procedures, guidelines, and codes of practice as laid down by CAAS and the Law.

·         Participate in monthly supervision to enhance service quality and personal development.

·         Attend, contribute to and lead a range of meetings with colleagues across the organisation, offering insights and feedback.

·         Attend and deliver staff training throughout the year to remain updated with best practices and organisational procedures.

Other Responsibilities

·         To carry out other tasks appropriate to the post and as agreed with the Family Services Manager.

·         To actively participate in and undertake training and development of self and others.

Please note job descriptions only reflect 80% of a role and are not an exhaustive list of duties. You are expected to carry out other activities that are within the scope of the role.

Person Specification - Essential

·         Previous experience managing people and projects.

·         Experience of co-production that values the expertise and experiences of all stakeholders, ensuring that services are more responsive to the actual needs and preferences of those they are intended to benefit.

·         Have clear and confident communication skills, to represent the organisation effectively both internally and externally.  Demonstrate openness and authenticity through communication, embodying CAAS Values including integrity, valuing difference and foster trust and respect.

·         Robust knowledge and experience of safeguarding practices and risk management.

·         Be well-informed about reasonable adjustments, strategies, and coping mechanisms to support the needs of neurodivergent people.

·         Show the ability to manage a diverse workload with competing demands

·         Exhibit the ability to monitor and evaluate work effectively.

·         Be proficient in computer software, as much of the work is managed through technology and computer systems.

Person Specification - Desirable

·         Have experience or knowledge of working with neurodivergent children and their families, including an understanding of the challenges faced.

·         Qualified facilitator / demonstrable experience in facilitating groups and delivering training.

·         Voluntary Sector Experience.

·         Counselling, facilitation, or coaching skills.

Equal Opportunities

CAAS recognises the positive value of diversity, promotes equity and challenges discrimination. We welcome and encourage job applications from people of all backgrounds, including applications from Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority communities, people who identify as having a disability, and LGB+, Trans and non-binary candidates.  

We also recognise the value of flexible working, so will consider different types of flexibility (such as term time, annualised or compressed hours, and a minimum requirement of 60% working in the office for all staff), as well as the possibility of offering the role on a job share basis. 

CAAS is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.  The successful candidate will be required to undergo an enhanced DBS disclosure. 

PLEASE NOTE WE FOLLOW SAFER RECRUITMENT PROCESSES, SO WE WILL NOT ACCEPT CVS INSTEAD OF APPLICATION FORMS. TO APPLY FOR THIS ROLE YOU MUST FILL IN THE APPLICATION FORM ON THE VACANCIES PAGE OF OUR WEBSITE