Resources for Autism, Closing date: 16 December

Are you passionate about autism? Resources for Autism are looking for a new Project Coordinator to help lead our exciting new BSOL project.

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

RfA has received funding from the Birmingham and Solihull (BSOL) Menial Health Provider Collaborative to deliver a range of workstreams to support autistic adults, parents and carers and professionals to offer preventative services to reduce the likelihood of hospital admission and provide support to those discharged from hospital to reduce readmission. This person will design, coordinate and ensure the project is delivered on time and in budget. There are delivery expectations on this role too regarding training delivery. The 5 workstreams include:
Workstream 1: Staying well and where to get help: a parent/carer and family support programme focussing on mental wellbeing.
Workstream 2: autistic adult support groups to break isolation and promote wellbeing and build confidence and skills.
Workstream 3: “Reach Out” volunteer-led mentoring and befriending to build relationships and confidence.
Workstream 4: training for NHS and other mental health service providers to support them in adapting practice and materials to better serve autistic people who access mainstream non-crisis services.
Workstream 5: building the skills, capacity and confidence of our Initial Response Advice and Signposting (IRAS) staff to advise and signpost autistic people who may be experiencing mental health difficulties.
Main Responsibilities:
• Establishing a project plan and overseeing the management and delivery of the BSOL project.
• Mental health/ autism training delivery.
• Working with the Leader to design, set up, recruit to, monitor and evaluate the services. Specifically:
• Workstream 1: introducing a new monthly Parent/ Carer group with a focus on positive wellbeing and navigating mental health support systems. Awareness raising, signposting and support are also relevant. Groups could be in person/online. In person groups need to be in Birmingham and Solihull. This group will be delivered by the Leader and Support worker.
• Workstream 2: designing and setting up 4 groups that run weekly for 4 months (2 per year per area; one in Birmingham, one in Solihull) for autistic adults. The 4 month programmes should be coproduced with a focus on mental health, wellbeing, understanding autism and mental health: the connection and link between the two and opportunities to self care, get support, navigate the system. This group will be delivered by the Leader and Support worker.
• Workstream 3: delivering mental health training (MHFA training is preferred) to RfA volunteers. Training has to include practical suggestions of how to support someone who may be at risk of or struggling with poor mental health. Staff and volunteers also need to be equipped to signpost clients to other places for support, advice and guidance – this could be via a directory, web page of resources, handouts etc.
• Workstream 4: design, develop and deliver a bespoke training package of 6 seminars, codesigned with health practitioners for health practitioners. Training focus will cover: understanding autism: what it is, understanding autistic people, considering language, environment, sensory needs, ways to work with and support autistic people. Seminars are to be coproduced where possible, recorded and evaluated both regarding impact and quality. Follow up evaluations are to be completed to gauge changes in practice.
• Workstream 5: similar to workstream 3, delivering mental health training and practical advice and suggestions for RfA staff. Training to include how to hold effective conversations with vulnerable people and how to build wellbeing and resilience.
• Ensure projects get started swiftly.
• Capture data and impact for each of the workstreams above ensuring good take up, high quality delivery and progression is being achieved for both projects and participants.
• Link up with and liaise with other areas of RfA as required to ensure smart collaborative working at all times.
• Step in and cover for the BSOL Group Leader/ Support Worker as required.
• 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:
This role may require occasional out of hours working at weekends or evenings so you will need to be available as required to accommodate this.

Person Specification:
Essential Skills
Experience of project coordination/ set up
Experience of successful project delivery: meeting deadlines and outcomes
Qualifications/ experience in mental health training and delivery
Experience of writing/ creating meaningful training programmes
Effective staff management experience
Ability to work well with a variety of partners
Maintain good relationships internally and externally
Skills in creating and developing projects that deliver change and positive impact
Knowledge and experience of Safeguarding vulnerable adults
Positive attitude, motivating and creative
Passionate, hard working
Organised and efficient in the work place

Desired Skills
Experience or understanding of autism and working with autistic people
Experience or an understanding of mental health and wellbeing project delivery/ impact on people
An understanding of working in charities and/or with/in the NHS
Understanding of change and transformation

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

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 8 bank holidays and an additional 3 Celebration days that could be used between Christmas and new year, but may be used for other religious days or significant days such as your birthday
• 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

Application process:

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

To discuss the role informally, please email: [email protected]

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: 9:00 AM on Monday 16th December
Interviews: Interviews will be set on the 19th, 20th or 23RD of Dec subject to candidates’ availability.