About this role
Job summary
There are few better opportunities to learn about people than by getting to know someone who experiences the world differently from you.
Working with autistic people can challenge our assumptions about communication, perception, emotion and behaviour, and invites us to become much more curious about how the human mind works.
We are looking for someone who shares that curiosity and has a drive to improve the life of one person and his family: someone kind, open-minded enough to listen, learn and allow the person they support to teach them what good support looks like.
You'll join a small specialist team that provides bespoke support for an autistic man with a mild learning disability. He is curious, active, humorous and enjoys engaging with others. He can also experience anxiety and distress, and when he does, this can lead to behaviours of concern.
Countryside walks are at the heart of this role. You'll provide social and emotional support as he explores new places around Bristol and beyond and help him expand the places and activities he can access and enjoy in the community. At home, you'll plan sessions with him so they are filled with meaningful activity. You'll prepare resources for the things he enjoys and offer new activities, helping him develop skills, independence and confidence.
To request detailed job information and an application form, email Auron or Tania at [email protected]
Main duties of the job
To listen, strive to understand and empathise with the client.
To support him to gain confidence in articulating his thoughts, feelings, needs and preferences.
Working alongside other practitioners, to support the client on walks of his choice in the countryside around Bristol and surrounding counties, and occasional trips to shops, towns or other community facilities.
To drive the client and his support practitioner to his activities and walks, or, if you do not drive, to navigate on car journeys when needed.
To support the client, engage in meaningful activities at home, such as gardening, home maintenance, cooking or other practical and leisure pursuits.
To work collaboratively with the client, his family and support team, following his care plans to ensure he receives consistent care.
To provide calm emotional support and, where necessary, trained physical intervention during periods of distress, in accordance with M.R. Trust policies/training, to reduce risk and promote safety for the client, those supporting him, and the public.
To and ensure important information is recorded and communicated across the team.
To protect the confidentiality and privacy of the client and his family.
To attend all necessary training, supervision and when possible, team meetings, using these to improve the client's support, as well as your own confidence and wellbeing.
About us
The M.R. Trust was established to manage a Direct Payment from the local authority, enabling the person we support to live at home with his family while receiving genuinely person-centred support. We employ a small, dedicated team of skilled practitioners who help him lead a fulfilling life, combining emotional security, stimulating activities, and opportunities to follow his interests, goals, and personal development. We are passionate in our belief that autistic adults, and those with learning disabilities who show behaviours of concern should enjoy their full rights and participate actively in their communities.
We place great value on our staff, providing extensive training, professional and wellbeing support, and opportunities for professional development. If you share our values and have experience supporting or teaching people with autism, learning disabilities, behaviours of concern, brain injury, and/or mental health needs we would love to hear from you.
Job description
Job responsibilities
To develop a thorough understanding of the clients needs, so that he feels able to communicate with you and trusts you to support him. To engage the client in meaningful and stimulating activity throughout the day, which reflect his needs and preferences. To provide him with social, emotional & practical support, enabling him to access the community and achieve his goals safely, while also helping him to increase his independence skills, confidence and opportunities. By this means, to provide his family with respite from these duties.
To listen, strive to understand and empathise with the client. To support him to articulate & gain confidence in expressing his thoughts, feelings, needs and preferences.
To support the client on a 2:1 basis in the community, and a 2:1 or 1:1 basis in the home, according to his assessed level of need and on-going risk assessment.
To work collaboratively with the client, his family & care team and other professionals involved in his care, so that The client receives consistent support.
To provide the client with ample, stimulating activities so that he is motivated and engaged in meaningful activities throughout the day.
To forward plan, organise and effectively communicate with the client, his team & his family about each weeks activities and outings, so that his days have structure and predictability.
To support the client with cooking, literacy, gardening, home maintenance, using his computer and other activities he wants to do, while actively, but at a sensitive pace, helping to increase his independence within these activities.
To use paid home-based time to prepare learning materials for the client (e.g. literacy worksheets, easy read recipes) which are individually tailored to his level of ability and motivations.
To support the client effectively when he is anxious and help him apply strategies to reduce and help him manage his anxiety. To gain a thorough understanding of the client Positive Behaviour Support Plan to achieve this.
To provide the client with verbal and physical support and guidance when distressed, adhering to M.R. Trust policies and risk management plans, to reduce risk to the client, his carers and the public.
To protect the confidentiality of the client and his family.
To attend training, team meetings and supervision, and use these constructively to improve the client support, as well as your own confidence and wellbeing.
To contribute to a positive and supportive culture within the team, which encourages collaboration, empathy, continuous learning and reflection.
To support the client to develop confidence in social situations. To create visual aids such as social stories to help him cope with new or challenging situations
To ensure important information is recorded and communicated across the team.
To provide flexibility during your working hours so that the client or his mothers activities are not affected by staff absences. E.g. Providing face to face support instead of working from home as usually scheduled, if needed.
To fulfil domestic, administrative or any other duties that are considered relevant or appropriate to the client support.
To support the client on walks of his choice and occasional trips to shops, towns or other community spaces.
To drive the client and his second PA to his activities. To fit a removable protective barrier, which is provided by the Trust, in the car to enable you to do this safely.
To navigate on car journeys when needed, and also navigate, using the O.S. maps App while on walks.
To advocate and mediate for the client in the community.
To apply the principles of the Mental Capacity Act and Positive Risk Assessment to ensure Least Restrictive Practice and to enable the client to achieve his goals.
To offer the client appropriate opportunities to participate in new activities and undertake new challenges that increase his confidence and life choices, and, if he wishes to proceed, to manage potential anxiety and risk carefully so that these are likely to proceed successfully.
To support the client on his annual holiday, either 7 nights in the UK or two shorter breaks totalling 7 nights, working alongside a colleague (2:1).
Person Specification
Personal Qualities and Capabilities
Essential
- Highly empathetic and emotionally aware, with a strong ability to understand individual needs.
- Interested in understanding the psychological world of others, with the capacity to make sense of complex or unusual perspectives.
- Strong commitment to the values and aims of the M.R. Trust.
- Drive to make a real difference to one individual and his carers, finding this work personally rewarding.
- Responsible, reliable, conscientious and patient
- Willing to follow agreed care plans, to give the client consistency.
- Attentive and observant, with attention to detail, to reduce the clients anxiety and manage risk effectively
- Willing to give substantial direct emotional and practical support, including occasional use of trained physical interventions to keep everyone safe
- Able, with appropriate support, to stay calm and use sound judgement in emotionally demanding situations, including exposure to mild to moderate physical aggression (see Essential Job Information for details)
- Able to provide a calm, steady presence for the client and others at all times, even under pressure
- Resilient over time, with healthy ways of coping such as humour, optimism and talking things through
- Willing to work regular hours that change in three planned phases as the service grows, which includes some evening and weekend work and a weekly sleep-in (see Essential Job Information for details)
- Adaptable day to day, adjusting plans and tasks to what the client needs on the day, and able to occasionally finish a little later than planned at short notice (usually by less than 30 minutes, paid as overtime)
- Willing to support the client on holiday each year for 7 nights in total, which can be split into two shorter breaks, with dates agreed in advance.
- Intention to remain in post for at least two years to support continuity.
- Good organisational skills and the ability to plan ahead, to reduce uncertainty and unpredictability for others
- Able to work independently, use your own initiative and manage your own workload effectively
- Good active listening skills
- Good team working skills.
- Good written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to adapt communication style and level of difficulty to the needs of others.
- Tactful and diplomatic.
- Good basic IT skills: confident using Microsoft Word, the internet and cloud-based tools such as shared Google Drive.
- Own PC, and e-mail.
- Willing to follow confidentiality and information-sharing procedures, and to keep personal information about the client secure
- Full driving licence, access to own transport, and willingness to drive in towns and on motorways to support the clients community access
- Willing to install a removable protective barrier in your car to ensure safety on journeys (provided by the Trust).
- Physically fit: able to walk up to 4 miles at a brisk pace in varied countryside, including hills and muddy terrain
- Able to accompany the client on his 1-mile jog, or willingness/ability to achieve this with training.
- Willing to explore new areas in town and country in all weather.
- Confident speaking up for the client when dealing with the public
- Own smart phone with ability to use maps/navigation apps with training
- Confident cooking, and able to support the client with cooking new recipes
- Able to plan and run learning sessions with the client in at least one of the following: basic literacy, basic IT, carpentry, gardening or home maintenance/DIY
- Ability, with some training, to reliably create learning materials (e.g. literacy worksheets; easy read recipes) which are individually tailored to the clients level of ability and motivations.
- Ability to think creatively and develop new ideas.
- Willing to help look after the clients home, including domestic tasks, gardening and helping with small practical jobs
Desirable
- Basic counselling skills.
- Basic knowledge of data protection and safe information sharing.
- Good map reading and navigating skills, or ability to develop this with training.
- Experience teaching or helping adults with learning disabilities develop their skills.
Experience
Essential
- At least 1 years professional experience supporting or teaching people with autism, learning disabilities, brain injury or mental health conditions.
- Experience of supporting adults with behaviours of concern, which includes physically aggressive behaviours, in a professional or personal capacity.
- Knowledge and understanding of autism
Desirable
- Experience of supporting people with autism.
- Understanding of how emotional regulation difficulties and environmental factors can contribute to distress and behaviours of concern.
- Experience of providing emotional support.
Qualifications
Desirable
- A RQF Level 3 qualification or above (e.g. BTEC, NVQ 3), preferably in a relevant subject such as Autism, PBS, Psychology, LD or Mental health nursing, Teaching, Counselling or Social Care
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Employer details
Employer name
M. R. Trust
Address
Fishponds
Bristol
BS16 4EP
United Kingdom