Barnet C&F Autism Hub Manager

POST:                   CYP Autism Hub Manager (Barnet)

LOCATION:         Barnet CYP Autism Hub – 858 Finchley Road, Barnet, NW11 6AB

SALARY:              £34k-35k

HOURS:               Full time (37.5 hours), flexible with occasional weekend and evening work

Reports to:         Hub Service Manager

Direct Reports:  Hub team: 2 Hub coordinators + 1 admin/ receptionist

About Resources for Autism (RfA)

We have been around since 1997 when we started as a small playgroup set up by parents dismayed at the lack of provision for their autistic children. Since then, Resources for Autism (RfA) has grown into a major deliverer of services and support in London and the West Midlands with a turnover of around £2.5m per year. Our mission is to support and enable autistic people to live happy and fulfilling lives. We want to change society’s attitude to autism whilst also providing essential services and enriching opportunities to autistic people. We are a values-driven organisation which employs values-driven people who want to make a difference. Our values are: Inclusion, Creativity, Compassion, Courageousness and Expert. You will play a vital part in ensuring that we can resource and sustain this amazing work.  

Our Services

All of our services across children and adults and parent/carers, mirror the wider organisational mission of providing safe, fun and meaningful support that enables personal development. We provide this support by ensuring our staff are skilfully trained, meet the highest safeguarding expectations and are encouraged to develop and upskill throughout their career with Resources for Autism.

The Role

Resources for Autism has been providing services from 858 Finchley Road for many years and now working in partnership with the London Borough of Barnet are excited to be establishing the space as an Autism Hub for Children and Young People (CYP). The vision of the hub, is to create a welcoming, safe, neuro-affirmative place where autistic people and those who love and care for them can access the support and social opportunities they need at the right time, enabling them to live their best life. It will also be a place where professionals can connect, collaborate and learn ensuring services are joined-up and effective.

The service will offer a range of support to parents and carers and children and young people with autism in Barnet. The service offer could include:

-        Advice support and signposting to the autism community pre and post diagnosis

-        Weekly drop ins

-        Social groups for autistic young people and those who love and care for them.

-        Calendar of monthly workshops on specific issues addressing the needs of parent carers/ adults

-        Behaviour surgeries for parents

-        Autism Training to partner organisations

The Autism Hub Manager is the lead role of this project who will be responsible for certain elements of its direct delivery, managing partnerships and coordinating key professionals and maintaining responsibility for the building/ venue day to day. You will have a small team of Hub Support Workers who will work under your supervision in order to deliver the service/ support as necessary and an administrator. You will work closely with partners and service users to ensure a co-production approach is taken, ensuring that the voice of autistic people is rooted in every element of the project from inception to implementation to evaluation.

We are looking for a values-driven candidate with previous experience of managing projects, managing a venue, advanced knowledge of autism and ability to flex their communication style to meet the needs of the people who use our service, their families, our staff and our volunteers.

You will have a great team of people around you and the opportunity to lead a new and innovative wellbeing project which will make enhance the offer for the Autism Community of Barnet.

Main Responsibilities:

·       Overall responsibility for managing this service by ensuring all elements of it are carefully planned, delivered and well communicated across all stakeholders (staff, service users, commissioners, professionals)

·       Coordinate time tables of dropins, activities, workshops and other service delivery areas.

·       Oversee and manage the general usage of the building, including room usage and room/ desk bookings.

·       Take responsibility for the premises, alongside RfA staff, to ensure high standards and requirements are met re: H&S, facilities, fire, first aid and other building related duties.

·       Deliver occasional elements of direct support.

·       Ensure suitable promotion and advertising of the service to families, autistic individuals and professionals in Barnet ensuring that it reaches the right people.

·       Possible occasional home visits to make assessments and match people to relevant group/ service.

·       Ensure a co-production approach is taken capturing views and opinions of experts by experience to influence the shape and direction of the service.

·       Line-manage Hub Access Officers and sessional staff who will work in the Hub offering guidance and support and 121’s.

·       Ensure a good link to other services within RfA and provided by other local agencies to ensure efficient working, minimal duplication and proactive joined up working.

·       Work with Marketing to design any materials needed to promote the hub, it’s activities and ensure people can sign up to any training/ workshops that are offered.

·       Ensure effective monitoring and evaluation of the project and services delivered within the project capturing and measuring outputs and outcomes and ensuring the project is reviewed on an ongoing basis. Ensure results are communicated to commissioners at regular intervals.

·       Work with the wider Resources for Autism teams including colleagues in Behaviour, People Team, Finance and Fundraising, contributing meaningfully to the future direction of RfA.

·       Undertake training and development necessary to develop in your role as an autism specialist.

·       Conduct thorough risk assessments of the building, all events and activities and maintain confidentiality at all times.

·       Uphold and adhere to the values of RfA at all time.

·       Ensure there is always compliance with RfA’s safeguarding policies and procedures.

·       All staff are expected to promote equality in the workplace and in our services.

·       Undertake any other duties asked of you that are commensurate with your grade.

Flexible working:

Some occasional evening and weekend work will be required.

Person Specification

Skills and experience

Essential

Previous experience (minimum three years) of working with autistic individuals and families

Minimum of 3 years post qualification children, young people and families work

A recognised qualification in health and or social care relevant to this role.

Previous experience of managing staff/volunteers and a management qualification

Experience of managing/ coordinating a venue/ building including robust understanding of H&S policies

Previous experience of working within a coproduction lens

Experience of running groups with autistic young people/adults and/or parent/carers

Values driven and with a passion to make a difference to the lives of those whose voices are often marginalised.

Experience of how technology can be used to support more people is a bonus but not essential.

Excellent communication skills (written and verbal) adaptable to different populations including colleagues, external professionals, service users, families, volunteers, donors

Knowledge of the local services in Barnet

Excellent understanding of autism and behaviour support

Excellent organisational and prioritisation skills

Neuroaffirmative approach to autism with demonstrable passion to work with autistic community.

Good understanding of Safeguarding (Level 3 or DSL) and knowledge of the DOH Guidance, Working Together To Safeguard Children and the Assessment Framework

Proficient with Office 365

Ability to conduct risk assessments

Ability to work flexibly with occasional evening/weekend availability

Self-starter and able to work independently using own initiative

Nonjudgemental, compassionate

High level of competence in written and spoken English and numeracy

An understanding/ awareness/ or lived experience of autism

Knowledge of Childcare legislation and relevant guidance, regulations and standards of best practice

Knowledge of social services departments in relation to children and families.

Standard skills expected of all staff

Excellent communication skills (written and verbal) adaptable to different populations including: colleagues, external professionals, service users, families, volunteers, donors

Strong organisational and prioritisation skills

Good understanding of Safeguarding 

IT skills: proficient with Office 365

Self-starter and able to work independently, using own initiative

Non-judgemental, compassionate

Training in the Children’s Act and Child Protection is also required however this could be provided if a strong candidate meets all the above criteria.

Confidentiality

You will have access to confidential information concerning families and other service users and will be required to maintain confidentiality at all times.

Staff Benefits

90% of our staff say that Resources for Autism is “a great place to work”.

Not only will the work you do ensure we are making vital differences and inspiring others, but our other benefits also include:

·       flexible working patterns with the option to work in a hybrid way (only available for some roles)

·       25 days of leave (pro rata for part time roles) each year plus bank holidays and an additional 3 days with 1 being your birthday and 2 further celebration days

·       access to ongoing training and progress in the areas that interest you

·       access to our wellbeing initiatives and an Employee Assistance Programme

·       enrolment on to our pension scheme

·       a supportive, warm and fun working environment made up of values driven people who are passionate about changing the world for autistic people

·       Free tea and coffee on site

·       Free on site parking in west midlands. Please note London has very limited options

·       Statutory sick pay for all staff except zero hour contracts

Application process:

To apply, please send a one-page covering letter and your CV to our current Head of People via email.

To discuss the role informally, please email us. 

We particularly welcome applications from global majority candidates, LGBTQIA+ candidates and disabled candidates, because we would like to increase the representation of these groups at Resources for Autism. We want to do this because we know greater diversity will lead to even greater results for our community. 

As you would expect, we are a neuro-affirming employer, with a strengths and rights based approach to neurodiversity which affirms neurodivergent identity – we don’t want to “fix” or “cure” autism, and we don’t see it as a “disability” however we do recognise it can be “disabling”. We are working to improve the ways in which we recruit and support neurodiverse employees and those with lived experience of neurodiversity. 

RfA is a Disability Confidant employer and candidates who meet the minimum essential criteria, that have a disability will be guaranteed an interview. 

Deadline for applications: 8th January 2025

Interviews:  week beginning 20th January and 27th January