Autism Spectrum Disorder Assessment Practitioner

Employer information

Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain's leading healthcare providers.

The Barts Health group of NHS hospitals is entering an exciting new era on our improvement journey to becoming an outstanding organisation with a world-class clinical reputation.

Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.

Barts Health supports the Pregnancy Loss Pledge and commits to supporting their staff through the distress of miscarriage.

We are dedicated to being an outstanding place to work and will work with you to get the best experience. We know flexible working is not a one size fits all and will mean something different to everyone. We are inclusive, so if you are interested in flexible working, please speak to the recruiting manager.

Job overview

We are seeking an experienced Band 6 practitioner to deliver ASD diagnostic assessments within an MDT. We are looking for someone who has:

• Proven clinical experience working with established knowledge and understanding of ASD / ADHD and neurodiversity.
• ADOS trained and experienced in using ADOS clinically.
• Able to deliver parts of the pathway and work independently as well as
• Able to work effectively and collaboratively as part of an MDT.
• Organised, efficient and able to work under pressure.

This is not a role for someone looking to develop their basic knowledge or experience of ASD. Applicants must already have substantial ASD knowledge, relevant clinical experience and practical ADOS experience.

The service operates across six days, with one Saturday per month required, with enhanced pay and time off in lieu.

This is a fast-paced and rewarding position, suited to someone who is a clear thinker, highly organised, and able to work efficiently in a pressurised environment. You will manage a busy caseload, complete structured diagnostic assessments, and produce clear, timely reports. We are particularly interested in someone who can bring a positive energy to the team, innovation, efficiency, and strong clinical thinking to their work to support the continued development of the service.

Main duties of the job

The post holder is a developing specialist practitioner who supports the delivery of diagnostic assessments and post-diagnostic recommendations for children and young people with social communication difficulties and/or suspected Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and ADHD.
The post holder will need to be able to work independently and with senior clinicians to contribute to multidisciplinary assessment and formulation processes. They must have already have established experience of working with ASD/ADHD/LD or mental health conditions and in particular a solid understanding of ASD / ADHD and neurodiversity.
They will have experience and developing competency in ASD assessment and will deliver assessments using tools such as:

• Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS)
• Autism Diagnostic Interviews (ADI-R) / Developmental, Dimensional and Diagnostic Interview (3di)

They will contribute to formulation, MDT discussions, and feedback to parent(s)/carer(s), schools, and other professionals.

Working for our organisation

Barts Health is one of the largest NHS trusts in the country, and one of Britain's leading healthcare providers.

Our vision is to be a high-performing group of NHS hospitals, renowned for excellence and innovation, and providing safe and compassionate care to our patients in east London and beyond. That means being a provider of excellent patient safety, known for delivering consistently high standards of harm-free care and always caring for patients in the right place at the right time. It also means being an outstanding place to work, in which our WeCare values and behaviours are visible to all and guide us in how we work together.

We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment.

Person specification

Qualifications & knowledge

Essential criteria

• Recognized Health Professional degree or equivalent degree in Education, Learning Disability/Mental Health Nursing, Social Work, clinical/education psychologist, Occupational Therapist, Speech and Language Therapist, Specialist Teacher
• Registered member of Professional Body
• Applied knowledge of issues relating to the SEN Code of Practice
• Established clinical knowledge of the theory and practice relating to ASD and ADHD / Neurodiversity.
• Evidence of post-graduate training in clinical areas related to children with ASD,
• Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS)
• Evidence of holding a caseload of ASD and/or ADHD children and young people

Desirable criteria

• Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised or similar e.g. DISCO, 3Di etc

Experience

Essential criteria

• Previous experience of working with children and / or young people with social communication disorders, ASD and/or ADHD
• Experience of organising and ensuring care of equipment and resources
• Experience of working with children and / or young people with social communication disorders and ASD / ADHD in a resourced provision or special school setting
• Experience of multidisciplinary working within health and / or education

Desirable criteria

• Experience of working in deprived socio-economic, inner-city areas
• Experience of working in an ASD / ADHD diagnostic team
• Clinical experience of working with bilingual families
• Experience of working with children and young people with mental health difficulties, and learning disability.

Skills

Essential criteria

• Time management, organisation, delegation, and prioritisation skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Good analytical and reflection skills
• Ability to work without on-site, direct support from colleagues when carrying out visits
• Flexible and able to work in different situations / locations
• Competent IT skills - knowledge of Sharepoint, MS Teams, AI tools
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively both verbally and in writing

Additional employer information

We strive to live by our WeCare values and are committed to promoting inclusion, where every staff member has a sense of belonging. We value our differences and fully advocate, cultivate and support an inclusive working environment where staff treat one another with dignity and respect. We aim to create an equitable working environment where every individual can fulfil their potential.

As an Equal Opportunities Employer we actively support applications from individuals' who apply under the Guaranteed Interview Scheme and will process your application as appropriate.

We reserve the right to expire vacancies prior to the advertised closing date once a sufficient number of applications has been received and we regret that we are unable to provide notification if your application is unsuccessful.

After applying via NHS Jobs, your submitted application will be imported into our preferred Third party recruitment system. All subsequent information regarding your application will be generated from apps.trac.jobs.

By applying for this post you are agreeing to Barts Health NHS Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

Barts Health is committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and to child protection. The Trust aims to ensure as far as is possible that anyone, paid or unpaid, who seeks to work in our organisation and who gains access to children, is safe to do so. As such, you may be required to undertake a Disclosure and Barring Check as part of the recruitment process if appointed to a post with direct access to children or vulnerable adults.

Barts Health promotes active travel as part of its goal to reach Net Zero. Each site is accessible by public transport and the Trust has a cycle to work scheme and some sites have Brompton Hire Pods.

Applicant requirements

You must have appropriate UK professional registration.

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Application numbers

We reserve the right to expire vacancies prior to the advertised closing date once a sufficient number of applications has been received.

Documents to download

• JD & PS (PDF, 802.8KB)
• Our Values and Behaviours (PDF, 334.9KB)
• Policy Statement on the Recruitment of Ex-Offenders (PDF, 92.0KB)
• Candidate Information Pack (PDF, 549.5KB)