ADOS Autism Assessor for Children and Young People - Exeter/South West England

Overview

ADOS Autism Assessor for Children and Young People, based in our Exeter clinic. Time commitment: Full-time employment is preferred, though we can also offer part-time (minimum of 3 days per week for HCPC, NMC, and Social Work England registered professionals, and a minimum of 2 days per week for GMC registered professionals). We also offer a self-employed role (days required as per above).

Location: This role is in-person based at our Exeter, Devon clinic.

Reporting to: Autism Service Team Manager.

About Paloma

Mark & Darshak founded Paloma as they were frustrated that families are waiting 2-10 years for NHS children’s autism and ADHD assessments. Paloma’s mission is to make children’s autism and ADHD assessments and care available on the NHS within 4 weeks of GP referral. We are redesigning care pathways, building new software & AI tools, and training a specialist clinical workforce. We are growing rapidly to meet the need for autism and ADHD care.

We have:

• Raised £5m pre-seed funding from Triple Point Ventures and Heal Capital
• Grown our team to 80 people and plan to hire ~100 more over the next 12 months

How Paloma Health is different

• Clinically-led, CQC registered, and rigorous in recording outcomes and family experiences
• In-house product & engineering team to enhance the family experience, reduce clinician documentation, and support career development
• A strong culture with transparency, community, and staff development
• Led by founders with experience in tech-enabled NHS services and a track record of delivering care to NHS patients
• Backed by leading healthcare investors enabling rapid progress

The Opportunity

Paloma Health has developed a new gold-standard autism assessment pathway and our own Patient Record software system, enabling:

• Exceptional service and timely assessments with outcomes described for strengths and needs, regardless of diagnosis
• High assessor role satisfaction by improving the assessment experience, including an AI tool to streamline diagnostic report writing

You will work as a member of a multidisciplinary assessment team, delivering:

• In-person child observations at our Exeter clinic
• Peer MDT diagnostic decision-making with support from the senior clinical MDT when required

Culture & development

• Dynamic environment open to change and new technologies
• Commitment to staff and patient experience improvement

Development & well-being

• The Paloma Clinical Academy supports clinicians at all career stages and cross-skilling (e.g., into ADHD when launched)
• 1 protected day per month for assessor training, CPD, clinical supervision and reflection
• Quarterly development conversations with clear career progression
• Clear weekly timetables balancing appointments, administration, development, and team building

Responsibilities

• Conduct high-quality child observations as part of an autism assessment
• Act in accordance with our Safeguarding Policy, including risk assessments where necessary
• Keep up to date with mandatory training and professional CPD requirements

Qualifications and experience

Required:

• Professional Registration with HCPC, NMC, or Social Work England
• Suitable job titles: Psychologist (Clinical, Counselling, Educational) with HCPC; Occupational Therapist (HCPC); Speech and Language Therapist (HCPC); Nurse (Mental Health/Learning Disability, NMC); Social Worker (Social Work England)
• Completion of a recognised ADOS-2 course is required for NMC, HCPC, and Social Work England registered applicants. Clinical Psychologists may be considered without ADOS-2
• At least 1 year of experience delivering children’s observations within an autism assessment process (ages 5-18, or including younger ages as relevant)
• Strong parent and patient communication skills
• Enhanced DBS with barred list check (working with children)
• Experience conducting risk assessments within an autism assessment service
• Evidence of Safeguarding training (Level 3 or above)

You will be part of a mission-driven organisation transforming access to autism assessments in England. For employed roles, we offer:

• A strong, positive culture prioritising staff well-being, transparency, and career development
• Protected time and budget for team connection, learning, and community-building
• Salary of £74,000 – £80,000 per year, based on experience and pattern of work
• Annual salary reviews, 5% employer pension, and company laptop
• Share options in Paloma Health
• Comprehensive leave benefits: 33 days annual leave (including bank holidays), birthday off, option to buy 5 extra days, and 10 days of paid sabbatical after every 3 completed years (43 days in year four)
• Access to NHS discounts, including Blue Light Card (as an NHS provider)

For a self-employed role, we offer £300 per observation. Travel and accommodation costs can be included if required.

Equality & Diversity

Paloma Health is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We do not discriminate based on protected characteristics.

Accommodations

We accommodate candidates who need adjustments throughout the hiring process. Please indicate any adjustments you require.

Safer Recruitment & Pre-Employment Checks

We require a DBS check as part of pre-employment checks. Depending on the role, this will be Enhanced, Standard, or Basic. Our processes are designed to ensure safety and safeguarding across the organisation.

Application process

Please apply via our website. We appreciate your time and look forward to reviewing your application.

Join us and be part of our journey to revolutionise access to NHS Autism Assessments in England!

Seniority level

• Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Health Care Provider
• Industries: Hospitals and Health Care

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