Support Worker for the Community Autism Support Service in Coventry

Together with people who have experienced mental health challenges, we provide quality services and support that reduce stigma and promote positive mental health and wellbeing.

Location – Coopers Lodge, Coventry but working across Coventry and Warwickshire

Salary – £24,088 per annum

Hours – 37 hrs or part time job share – typically Mon - Fri 9-4.30 but need the flexibility to ensure service cover up until 8pm Monday to Friday, and Saturday when needed

Job type – Permanent

Are you passionate about making a difference to the lives of autistic adults, young people, children and their families? Do you believe that their voice should be at the heart of the work you do? Would you like to be part of an inclusive, passionate, enabling, honest and effective organisation?

Our vision is of a society that promotes good mental health for all and that values, as equals, people who experience mental health problems. Come and join our creative, dynamic and motivated team supporting autistic individuals across Coventry and Warwickshire!

About the service

The Community Autism Support Service (CASS) is a partnership between Coventry, Warwickshire and Worcestershire Mind, Autism West Midlands and Act for Autism. This role sits within CWWMind. The service delivers groups, one to one support and peer support to all age individuals training for autistic people, parents, carers and professionals.

About the role

This role will involve you needing to work as part of a team delivering a range of support activities and targeted interventions across Coventry and Warwickshire to autistic adults/children who may have mild to moderate mental health concerns at pre/post assessment stage. This includes carrying a caseload, delivering groups and any other activities as identified as the service progresses.

You will need to provide this service in CWWMind buildings and community settings towards reducing presenting issues/concerns and increasing overall physical and mental wellbeing, community integration and access to education and work opportunities, as well as empower service users to access support and other services as appropriate.

Key responsibilities

• Receive referrals and effectively manage contact of people in the service.
• Provide direct support to autistic children/adults through a range of targeted activities.
• Hold a caseload of individuals who have been identified including carrying out a comprehensive needs and risk assessment, and liaising with other professionals involved.
• Provide consistent, time limited support including a range of practical and emotional interventions as appropriate.
• Ensure needs identified are being addressed through regular reviews.
• Take responsibility for safeguarding issues and concerns identified involving relevant staff and other agencies where appropriate.
• Work towards increasing community integration and attaining greater independence.
• Signpost and support service users to access a variety of additional support services, resources and up-to-date information relating to individual presenting needs either at Coventry, Warwickshire and Worcestershire Mind and/or other relevant agencies, using technology where appropriate.

A minimum of one-year experience of providing support involving mental health or wellbeing needs. Experience, either lived or through work, of autism. Experience of working in an organisational setting. Experience of delivering a wide range of practical and emotional support. Excellent communication skills, verbal, non-verbal and written. NVQ level 2 or equivalent experience. Flexible approach to working to ensure service cover between the hours of 8am-8pm Monday to Friday, and Saturday daytime. A driving licence and access to a car (with business use insurance cover).

What we can offer you

• Working culture – based on core values of trust, honesty, inclusivity, enabling, effective and an unapologetic drive for excellence for children and young people.
• Annual leave – 25 days plus bank holidays plus an extra day for every two completed holiday years.
• Wellbeing day – 1 day, per holiday year, to be used to take care of your own mental health and wellbeing.
• Life insurance policy – Coventry, Warwickshire and Worcestershire Mind are covered by a Life Insurance policy. The death in service payment is 2 x gross salary (tax free).
• Employee development – Active encouragement not only to assist performance in the current role but also for the benefit of personal development via various means. Access to Coventry, Warwickshire and Worcestershire Mind CPD training and opportunities to access external CPD training.
• Flexible working – A range of options available for all employee’s dependant on role and responsibilities.
• Pension – Minimum 5% employee and 3% employer contribution, with an ethical investment policy option.
• Sick pay – On completion of a 6-month probationary period, Coventry, Warwickshire and Worcestershire Mind employees will be eligible to a period of paid sick leave.

If you are submitting a CV, you MUST include answers to the following questions: Do you have any unspent convictions or conditional cautions? If yes please give details of date(s) of offence(s), nature of offence(s) and sentence(s) passed. Are there any restrictions regarding your employment in the UK, e.g., do you require a work permit? If yes, please provide details. Please note, we cannot offer sponsorship. Are you the partner or relative of anyone currently connected with Coventry, Warwickshire and Worcestershire Mind (either as a volunteer, service user or employee)? If yes, please confirm their name and project, if known. Do you hold a UK driving license? You will be required to have appropriate business insurance on your vehicle to enable you to travel across Coventry, Warwickshire and Worcestershire as part of the requirements of this role.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Coventry, Warwickshire and Worcestershire Mind values diversity and difference. We welcome applicants from all sections of the community, particularly under-represented groups and people with lived experience of mental health issues. Coventry, Warwickshire and Worcestershire Mind is a leading mental health service provider and an equal opportunities employer.