School Based Neurodevelopmental Practitioner – Fixed Term 18 Months

School Based Neurodevelopmental Practitioner x 2 roles – Surrey (Spelthorne & Elmbridge, Guildford & Woking)£17,437.50 (AS06) - £19,500 (AS08) Dependent On Experience27.75 hrs per week spread over a 5-day working week. – 18-month Fixed Term Contract until 30th September 2025The National Autistic Society is the UK’s leading charity for autistic people. Since 1962, we’ve been transforming lives, changing attitudes and helping to create a society that works for autistic adults and children.

We transform lives by providing support, guidance and practical advice for the 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK, as well as their three million family members and carers. Autistic people and their families turn to us at key moments or challenging times in their lives, be it getting a diagnosis, going to school or finding work.

We change attitudes by improving public understanding of autism and the difficulties many autistic people face. We also work closely with businesses, local authorities and government to help them provide more autism-friendly spaces, deliver better services and improve laws.

We have come a long way but it is not good enough. There is still so much to do to increase opportunities, reduce social isolation and build a brighter future for people on the spectrum. With your help, we can make it happen.

What We Can Offer You

• Excellent training and development programme
• Career progression opportunities
• Enhanced overtime. Additional payments for sleep-in and on call.
• Access to a 24-hour Employee Assistance counselling programme
• Competitive pension scheme
• 33 days annual leave (incl. Public Holidays)
• Access to our benefits portal - online staff discount scheme for a range of benefits for places such as Asda, Tesco, Sainsburys, Halfords, Nike, Apple, Nando's and loads more!
• Cycle to work scheme
• Headspace membership for yourself + 3 friends/family members - Headspace is a global leader in mindfulness and meditation
• Occupational sick pay
• Salary Finance - Our charity partner offers Salary Finance loans as a financial wellbeing benefit for our staff.
• Eligibility for Blue Light Card
• Join the Team Scheme - Refer a friend and receive £200!
• Level 1 membership to Healthcare Cash Plan for all permanent staff!
• We are excited to announce up to 14 new benefits which launched in April 2023 including private health and dental insurance

Do you believe that families of people on the autism spectrum should be understood, supported and appreciated? We do too and that’s why we would love to hear from someone like you.Help make an Everyday Breakthrough happen by joining our team.A breakthrough can seem like the smallest thing, but it can make the world of difference to someone on the autism spectrum. By becoming a Surrey Family Support Coordinator at The National Autistic Society you’ll help make Every day Breakthroughs happen more often.

Our Family Support Services

We have an exciting opportunity to join our existing Surrey Family Support team to provide school-based early intervention services to support families and young people in the county, whether or not they have a diagnosis.

Working in collaboration with Eikon, Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Trust and Barnardo’s, the practitioner will provide impactful, school-based support to parents and carers of children and young people, and offer consultancy, professional training and advice to school staff, school-based needs teams and system wide partners. The aim is to improve the knowledge and confidence of those supporting children, young people and their families with additional and potentially neurodivergent needs at an early stage.

The role will predominantly involve working within our focus areas in Surrey which are Spelthorne, Elmbridge, Guildford & Woking, but at times will require travel across Surrey so access to a car is essential.

The practitioner will predominantly work during school hours, so there will be an expectation that annual leave is taken during the school holidays.

Who We Are Looking For

To be a successful member of our team you must have:

• Experience of working with young people with neurodevelopmental needs and their families within a professional capacity.
• A strong understanding of the challenges that neurodivergent children, young people and their families face.
• Understanding and experience of using, applying and adapting neurodivergent specific approaches and strategies.
• Knowledge of SEND processes and the support available.
• Have a good understanding of Safeguarding issues and responsibilities within your professional capacity.
• Ability to present to large groups.
• Be independent and self-driven, with the ability to work autonomously and as part of a team.

For more information about this job please contact emma.ellis@nas.org.uk

The NAS is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all children and adults who use our services and as such expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Successful applicants will be required to complete the relevant safeguarding checks.

We are passionate about supporting autistic people into work, and particularly welcome applications from autistic people. We help autistic people from all backgrounds and strive to represent the same diversity in our staff and volunteers. We particularly encourage applications from people from all minority groups, who are currently under-represented in our workforce. Together, we can create a society that works for autistic people.