Work With Us
As a specialist autism charity, we have many fulfilling roles that are focused on making a real difference to the lives of autistic children, young people and adults by helping them pursue their interests, achieve their personal goals, and foster greater independence.
We are looking for more people to join our teams so that we can continue working alongside autistic people to help them achieve their goals. If you are looking for your first role or want to continue your career, we can offer roles that can help support your career ambitions.
The roles we have available differ depending on the type of service, location and current vacancies. Some teams are more focused on working alongside autistic people in residential and supported living settings, while others are focused on outreach, community resource centres, social enterprise and one-stop shop services.
With different teams, the day-to-day responsibilities of roles within Autism Initiatives can vary from helping someone improve their life skills to planning community activities, speaking with families, creating person-centred plans, or helping young people build their confidence through work placement opportunities and education.
Some roles will be connected to social enterprise and work placements, where young autistic people can build confidence by gaining real-world experience that works towards their personal goals.
Other available roles range from senior positions to administrative, recruitment, training, and business support roles.
Types of Roles Available
Being a support worker is a key role that is part of the core services we offer as a charity. The role involves working alongside autistic people, whether that is assisting with creating daily routines, encouraging hobbies, attending appointments, building confidence and working and liaising with family members.
Each person will have their own interests, goals, and routines, so a key part of the role is ensuring they are properly understood so they can work with the support worker to achieve greater independence.
Autism Support Worker Vacancies
Prior experience and qualifications aren’t always required to start your career with Autism Initiatives. Entry-level roles may be available to those who demonstrate strong communication and patience and are interested in working in autism services.
If you’re interested in an entry-level role, you can register your interest with us through our recruitment site or keep an eye out for a suitable role like this when it becomes available.
Entry Roles
Full internal training will be given as part of any new role. This is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of the role, build confidence, and offer opportunities to further develop skills over time. As more experience is gained, career pathways will be provided to promote progression into more senior or specialist roles or other areas of the charity.
Along with training and clear progression pathways, you will also be working alongside experienced colleagues who will also help develop your skills further by sharing their own unique insights and experiences.
John, a senior support worker, explains how our training programme has helped him advance his career. “Since being enrolled on a vocational programme, I have been promoted to senior support worker. The course helped me acquire new skills and knowledge, which have empowered me to coach and mentor other staff.”
If you’re not looking for a permanent role, we also have contracts available that offer even more flexibility when it’s just not the right time for you to take on a permanent job. These are known as Bank, Relief or Additional Support Worker roles. These staff still get really great training and support, and there’s always the option to move to a permanent role should your circumstances change.
Training and Career Development
Many of the roles we offer involve building positive relationships with families and the people who know the person best, ensuring our work is collaborative and keeps the person’s best interests at the forefront of our thinking by understanding them through those who know them best.
Before someone starts using our services, we make sure that our teams take time to understand the person as much as possible, including what they like and dislike, their routines, interests, and goals. This helps create a plan tailored to that person by focusing on what matters most to them.
Working with Families
Working for Autism Initiatives is more than a job; it’s a career that involves working alongside autistic people by helping them live the lives they choose, and gives you opportunities to progress as far as you want to go.
All permanent roles come with a wide range of generous staff benefits. Here are just a few of them:
- Comprehensive internal training to get you started
- Ongoing support and training when you’re in post
- Support to gain qualifications relevant to your role
- Competitive pay rates
- Generous annual holiday entitlement
- Pension Scheme – you will be enrolled into your local workplace pension scheme and your local payroll team will provide support
- Access to a free Employee Assistance programme with qualified advisers trained to help, 24 hours a day, any day of the year
- Staff Monthly Prize Draw
- Long service rewards
- Wagestream financial planning and support app (England and Scotland) – enables you to access money earned before payday, set up savings and gain control of your finances
A rewarding role in many ways
Frequently Asked Questions
What autism jobs are available at Autism Initiatives?
Please visit our recruitment website for more information on jobs that are currently available.
Do I need experience to apply?
Not always; some roles may require specific experience or qualifications, but many roles are open to people who display the right attitude, communication skills, patience and willingness to learn.
What does a support worker do at Autism Initiatives?
As a support worker, you will work alongside autistic people to help them build greater independence and focus on their interests and goals.
What training is provided?
You will receive internal training on working with autistic people. This will teach you how to best assist them by improving your understanding of the role, autism, and our internal processes that must be followed.
Are there jobs working with autistic adults?
Depending on which roles are available, there are jobs that involve working with autistic adults in residential, supported living, outreach/community services, and One Stop Shop services. This is more focused on helping them build confidence, independence and routines as they move into adulthood.
Can I progress in my career?
Yes, we want to make sure that career pathways are available so staff can feel fulfilled in their roles. This is why progression into more senior roles and other parts of the charity is available.
I have now worked for Autism Initiatives for just over 3 years, in that time I have gone from a support worker to a senior support worker to acting manager and now service registered manager. The career opportunities that are available here are second to none, and in my experience the support and encouragement I have received from my managers over the years has been fantastic.