Senior Community Advisor

Senior Community Advisor

Communities Team – Advice Line

Location: Flexible / Homeworking with local community outreach work (with possibility of evening work)

Full Time (Fixed Term, 1 year, Secondment)

Salary: £33,921 - £36,344

Ref: SA 603

About us:

Scottish Autism is dedicated to enabling autistic people to lead happy, healthy and fulfilling lives. We believe in the power of relationships to transform the lives of the people we support. We help build a more caring, compassionate, and inclusive Scotland, relationship by relationship. Our people work in teams, supporting each other through the challenges and triumphs that happen every day. Our organisation is our people, and the human qualities they bring to their roles.

About the role:

An exciting opportunity for a committed and motivated Senior Community Advisor has arisen to join our Community Advice Team. Reporting to the Community Advice Service Manager, you would ensure the effective delivery of a range of ‘free to access’ community services for autistic people and their families. These would include our Scottish Autism Advice Line, which is a core workstream, as well as Get Set 4 Autism.

Scottish Autism’s Advice Line supports thousands of enquiries each year, providing a direct first response to autistic people, their families, as well as professionals who are looking for autism specialist information, advice and support. In your role you will be operationally active and involved in the delivery of these services and projects.

You will also have direct responsibility to support, direct and coach the staff team to deliver the outcomes and objectives of a range of services and projects.

Due to the nature of the role, this requires an element of home working, but also community outreach, engaging with local autistic/autism communities, as well as our commissioned services.

In this role you will;

• To facilitate the triaging of families and individuals to ensure they are routed to the right service for them.
• To ensure we provide high quality advice, support and guidance to autistic people and their families on a wide range of issues and concerns.
• To develop systems and processes to ensure the successful delivery of services and projects.
• To coach, support and enable staff to deliver service and project outcomes.
• To apply internal quality assurance methods and ensure standards are met.
• Support the delivery of projects and community services as they develop.

About you:

The successful candidate will have;

• Lived experience and/or autism practice, with the knowledge to apply theory into practice.
• Contemporary knowledge and understanding of autism, autistic people and their families across the lifespan.
• Experience of supporting complex situations where a person might be experiencing heightened levels of distress or confusion.
• Ability to assess risk.
• Coaching skills.
• Sound knowledge of education, health and social services contexts across Scotland as they apply to autistic people and their families.
• Active listening skills and able to respond empathetically.
• Ability to translate complex theoretical knowledge into accessible and practical advice.
• Ability to work in a diverse range of environments to deliver and facilitate support appropriate to the needs of different audiences, such as autistic people, or parents and carers.
• Ability to self-manage and to organise diverse work streams.
• Share Scottish Autism’s values; Collaboration, Compassion, Change Makers, Contribution.

Scottish Autism offers you:

Staff wellbeing is priority, and we strive to ensure all colleagues feel valued and supported at work.

We provide an excellent benefits package which includes a competitive benefits package which includes a competitive salary and a personalised learning pathway for all.

We keep it simple with 3 pay points. You progress at your pace as you develop. We benchmark regularly to ensure the rates are competitive.

• 32 days holiday pro-rate (which increases with your length of service)
• Sector leading training from day one, including fully funded support to complete your necessary SVQ.
• Non-contributory life assurance scheme
• Workplace Pension (Employer matched up to 9%)
• Discount Platform
• Employee Assistance Programme

This post is subject to a PVG Disclosure check. Scottish Autism will cover the costs of your PVG membership.

We welcome applications from people with lived experience of autism.

Closing Date: Wednesday 22nd May

Valuing diversity and promoting equal opportunities is at the heart of our vision, mission and values.

Registered charity number is SC009068