Community Advisor

Communities Team – Advice Line

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

2 Part Time posts available – hours can be agreed

Salary: £30,869 - £33,039 pro rata

Ref: SA593

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 Community Advisor has arisen to join our Community Advice Team. Reporting to the Senior Community Advisor, your role will be to deliver a range of free to access community services to the autistic/autism community and other stakeholders. The roles core workstream is the Advice Line which informs the development of community services, as well as Get Set 4 Autism. These services are needs led, which grow and develop overtime.

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.

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

In this role you will;

• Develop and deliver advice, information, support and guidance to autistic people, their families and professionals via our advice line.
• Support autistic people, and their parents and carers to access our free to access community advice services and events.
• Promote awareness and understanding of the needs of autistic people amongst parents and carers, as well as local communities.
• Identify gaps in access to information and support, to inform development of community advice services.
• Support the delivery of new projects and community services as they develop.

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.
• 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: 12th May 2024

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

Registered charity number is SC009068