Job Title: Autism Advisor
Responsible to: Lucy Clifford
Accountable to: Bright Futures/Barnet Mencap
Position Summary and Overall Scope
The Autism Service is responsible for the delivery of a high quality screening, advice, guidance and support service for adults with High Functioning Autism/Asperger’s in the Borough of Barnet. They will support service users to understand their condition and will signpost them to further opportunities and to services that are available to them, through face to face and telephone sessions. The Advisors will also contribute towards the development of a wide range of information resources. They will provide support in person, by telephone, email and using smart technology, as appropriate and will work alongside the Linkworkers in the Barnet Well-Being Hub
Job Purpose
- Improve access to Autism and Asperger’s(and other) support services for patients at the first point of contact
- Ensure patients are more quickly assessed and/or supported, at the right time, in services most appropriate to their needs: ‘the right service in the right place at the right time’ and Care Closer to home’
- Building long-term relationships and improving communications with GPs and other stakeholders
- Working with primary care staff to enhance the delivery of care to service users with Autism/Asperger’s who are not already known to the Barnet Community Learning Disability Team (the CLDT) and/or secondary care services
Autism Advisors will act as specialist signposters to appropriate services in both the statutory and voluntary sectors.
Key Relationships
Internal:
Link Workers in the Well-Being Hub
Primary Care Health Teams across the Borough (GPs, Practice Nurses, Health Visitors and District Nurses)
Practice Counsellors
Barnet CCG Learning Disability and Mental Health Commissioners
External:
The CLDT
Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health Trust (BEH MHT)
Community Mental Health teams
Voluntary Sector Organisations
Community Groups
Specialist Services
Key Duties and Specific Responsibilities
- Through co-working with primary care staff, to undertake assessments of patients without a clinical diagnosis, using an adapted well-being assessment and to offer advice to patients and the primary care teams on appropriate interventions and ongoing patient management
- To promote the use of agreed care pathways and treatment protocols leading to improved competencies and better care, closer to home, for people with Autism, within the primary care and community settings
- To provide advice and support to carers identified in primary care
- To develop close working relationships and inter-agency understanding between primary care practices and specialist mental health and autism services, whilst operating out of both the Well-Being Hub and individual GP practices.
- To signpost cases in a timely manner (usually the same day) to the most appropriate services available to meet their unique needs or offer advice on further management
- To participate pro-actively in mental health promotion and well-being initiatives and to
- To support Link Workers and offer assessments in the Well-Being Hub when dealing with new referrals, to address specific needs at point of first contact.
- To support and enhance skills across community organisations enabling them to develop their skills and confidence in recognising, assessing and treating Autism, and Asperger’s
- In conjunction with primary care, the CCG and BEH MHT, to assist in the development, maintenance and use of practice registers of the Autism/Asperger’s cohort of service users; ensuring regular review of patients’ needs, including their physical health needs and Annual Health Checks
- To develop a close relationship with primary care practices by having one of the two posts practice based, attending practice and locality meetings where possible and by having regular informal contact
- To signpost cases where there is a current crisis to the local crisis team via the single point of access
Qualification & Experience
(required to undertake the role) / Essential / Desirable
1 / Minimum of 2-3 years’ experience of liaising and working with GPs /
2 / Experience in the delivery of short term, focussed evidence based interventions /
3 / Experience of working with people with people with learning disabilities or autism in a statutory or voluntary capacity /
Skills & Knowledge
(required to undertake the role) / Essential / Desirable1 / Knowledge and awareness of issues relating to autism and mental health problems in a primary care setting /
2 / Receptive to and able to use clinical supervision appropriately /
3 / Understanding of mental health issues in a primary care setting /
4 / Understanding of Cognitive Behaviour Theory and other Therapeutic approaches /
5 / Able to integrate and work within a team /
6 / Able to work on own initiative, adaptable whilst recognising own limits /
7 / Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both verbal and written /
8 / Experience of developing services/project work /
9 / Ability and confidence to build and maintain relationships and credibility with a wide variety of stakeholders at different levels /
10 / An understanding of the Modernisation agenda within mental health in primary care and the wider determinants of health /
11 / Commitment to equal opportunities /
12 / Able to assimilate new information and apply theory to practice /
13 / IT Literacy /
14 / Time management ability /
15 / Understanding of client confidentiality /
16 / Knowledge of research methods and audit relevant to the job /
17 / Presentation skills /
18 / Good organisational ability, coordinating the work of others /
Other / Essential / Desirable
1 / Commitment to ongoing training and development /
2 / Interest in developing knowledge base and skills relating to the provision of high quality primary mental health care /
3 / Current driving licence and use of own car (or similar mode of transport) or can demonstrate an ability to get between community sites efficiently /
4 / Able to work flexibly to fulfil service requirements including evening work, if required /