Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Autism Specialist Support Worker

The closing date is 09 September 2025

Job summary

An exciting opportunity to join the Oxleas Adult Autism Service as we seek to appoint a Specialist Support Worker to be part of our multidisciplinary team working with adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder without Learning Disabilities.

The Oxleas Adult Autism Service works with adults with Autism without learning disabilities. The service provides clinical specialist support to the Community Mental Health Teams, Acute Care/psychiatric wards and other local teams working with people with Autism and comorbid psychiatric disorders in order to adjust the inpatient and community support and care according to their specific needs.

The post holder will be a member of our multi-disciplinary team and will be responsible of supporting Autistic adults in the community and acute wards as needed. The main responsibility for this role will be to support the implementation of specialist programmes and strategies designed by the MDT for our service users . This will include mainly working with Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists in community and acute mental health settings.

The post would suit someone interested in a career in Speech and Language Therapy and/or Occupational Therapy

Important Sponsorship Information for this post: We are currently unable to offer a certificate of sponsorship for this post.

Main duties of the job

Under the guidance and supervision of a registered professional the Specialist Support Worker will provide support to autistic clients with mental health needs, follow care plans and implement MDT strategies in the community and acute care wards as needed.

They will demonstrate creativity, independence and good ability of working alongside a full MDT and implement speech and language and occupational therapy strategies in different settings.

Be an active member of the MDT implementing strategies and agreed support designed by Speech & language therapists, Occupational Therapists in the community and in acute care wards as needed.

Understanding the need for and maintaining patient confidentiality at all times.

Adhering to all organisational, policies, procedures, and guidelines.

Ensuring good working relationships with clients, carers, relatives, other professionals, and the public.

Working in different sectors including acute care (under supervision), community and service user's homes.

About us

Oxleas offers a wide range of NHS healthcare services to people in community and secure environment settings. Our services include community health care such as district nursing and speech and language therapy, care for people with learning disabilities and mental health care such as psychiatry, nursing and therapies. Our multidisciplinary teams look after people of all ages and we work in close partnership with other parts of the NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector and through our new provider collaboratives. Our 4,300 members of staff work in many different settings including hospitals, clinics, prisons, secure hospitals, children's centres, schools and people's homes.We have over 125 sites in a variety of locations in the South of England. In London we operate within the Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley Greenwich and into Kent. We manage hospital sites including Queen Mary's Hospital, Sidcup and Memorial Hospital, Woolwich, as well as the Bracton Centre, our medium secure unit for people with mental health needs. We are the largest NHS provider of prison health services providing healthcare to prisons within Devon, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Kent and South London. We are proud of the care we provide and our people.

Our purpose is to improve lives by providing the best possible care to our patients and their families. This is strengthened by our new values:

  • We're Kind
  • We're Fair
  • We Listen
  • We Care

Details

Date posted

02 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£32,199 to £34,876 a year pa inc

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

277-7451015-ALD

Job locations

Queen Mary's Hospital

Frognal Avenue

Sidcup

DA14 6LT


Job description

Job responsibilities

Further detailed information relating to the role and responsibilities can be found in the attached supporting documentation

Job description

Job responsibilities

Further detailed information relating to the role and responsibilities can be found in the attached supporting documentation

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Demonstrated experience of working with Speech and Language Therapists and/or Occupational Therapists
  • Experience of supporting autistic people with mental health needs in the health service, social care and/or community settings.

Desirable

  • Direct experience working and contributing to MDT planning and provision

Education & communication

Essential

  • Sufficient literacy and computer skills to contribute to the creation of professional documents, reports and data collection.

Desirable

  • Relevant healthcare foundation degree or NVQ level 3 or evidence of specialist training relevant to the post

Knowledge

Essential

  • Understanding of basic SaLT/OT interventions and ability to develop specialist skills under the supervision of qualified professionals (SaLT/OT)
Person Specification

Experience

Essential

  • Demonstrated experience of working with Speech and Language Therapists and/or Occupational Therapists
  • Experience of supporting autistic people with mental health needs in the health service, social care and/or community settings.

Desirable

  • Direct experience working and contributing to MDT planning and provision

Education & communication

Essential

  • Sufficient literacy and computer skills to contribute to the creation of professional documents, reports and data collection.

Desirable

  • Relevant healthcare foundation degree or NVQ level 3 or evidence of specialist training relevant to the post

Knowledge

Essential

  • Understanding of basic SaLT/OT interventions and ability to develop specialist skills under the supervision of qualified professionals (SaLT/OT)

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Additional information

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.

Certificate of Sponsorship

Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).

From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).

UK Registration

Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).

Employer details

Employer name

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Queen Mary's Hospital

Frognal Avenue

Sidcup

DA14 6LT


Employer's website

http://oxleas.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer details

Employer name

Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Queen Mary's Hospital

Frognal Avenue

Sidcup

DA14 6LT


Employer's website

http://oxleas.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)


Employer contact details

For questions about the job, contact:

Service MDT Lead

Wendy Francis

wendy.francis1@nhs.net

Details

Date posted

02 September 2025

Pay scheme

Agenda for change

Band

Band 4

Salary

£32,199 to £34,876 a year pa inc

Contract

Permanent

Working pattern

Full-time

Reference number

277-7451015-ALD

Job locations

Queen Mary's Hospital

Frognal Avenue

Sidcup

DA14 6LT


Supporting documents

Privacy notice

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