Children & Families Autism Hub Administrator and Receptionist

POST:                   Children & Families Autism Hub Administrator and Receptionist

LOCATION:         Barnet CYP Autism Hub – 858 Finchley Road, Barnet. This role will be 100% onsite.

SALARY:              £21k - £22k per annum

HOURS:              Full time: 37.5 hpw

Reports to:         CYP Autism Hub Manager

Direct Reports:  NA

About Resources for Autism (RfA)

We have been around since 1997 when we started as a small playgroup set up by parents dismayed at the lack of provision for their autistic children. Since then, Resources for Autism (RfA) has grown into a major deliverer of services and support in London and the West Midlands with a turnover of around £2.5m per year. Our mission is to support and enable autistic people to live happy and fulfilling lives. We want to change society’s attitude to autism whilst also providing essential services and enriching opportunities to autistic people. We are a values-driven organisation which employs values-driven people who want to make a difference. Our values are: Inclusion, Creativity, Compassion, Courageousness and Expert. You will play a vital part in ensuring that we can resource and sustain this amazing work.  

Our Services

All of our services across children and adults and parent/carers, mirror the wider organisational mission of providing safe, fun and meaningful support that enables personal development. We provide this support by ensuring our staff are skilfully trained, meet the highest safeguarding expectations and are encouraged to develop and upskill throughout their career with Resources for Autism.

The Role

Resources for Autism has been providing services from 858 Finchley Road for many years and now working in partnership with the London Borough of Barnet are excited to be establishing the space as an Autism Hub for Children and Young People (CYP). The vision of the hub, is to create a welcoming, safe, neuro-affirmative place where autistic people and those who love and care for them can access the support and social opportunities they need at the right time, enabling them to live their best life. It will also be a place where professionals can connect, collaborate and learn ensuring services are joined-up and effective.

The service will offer a range of support to parents and carers and children and young people with autism in Barnet. The service offer could include:

-        Advice support and signposting to the autism community pre and post diagnosis

-        Weekly drop ins

-        Social groups for autistic young people and those who love and care for them.

-        Calendar of monthly workshops on specific issues addressing the needs of parent carers/ adults

-        Behaviour surgeries for parents

-        Autism Training to partner organisations

This role will provide effective and efficient admin support to the Hub team as well as acting as the first point of contact both digitally and in person for staff, service users and professionals.

Main Responsibilities:

·       Act as the receptionist for Resources for Autism and the CYP Autism Hub including answering the phone, responding to messages and answering the door + meeting and greeting.

·       Overseeing a room/ desk booking system for the Hub and ensuring there are no double bookings and the space is being used effectively by all building users.

·       Promote the hub as required including to the community, any established mailing lists, professionals and others. This will include updates, promoting services, opportunities, sharing good news and quotes and more.

·       Liasing with partners/ professionals ensuring effective communication across the CYP Autism Hub.

·       Support with event/ activity bookings and attendance management.

·       Setting up rooms and tidy down rooms before/ after use ensuring a general level of tidiness.

·       Support and advise the manager re accessibility, breakages, room/building issues etc.

·       Support the Hub Manager/RfA colleagues re: H&S, first aid, fire safety and support the maintenance of risk assessments.

·       Undertake data entry and maintenance of electronic files to support the service and the CYP Hub team.

·       Ensure required stock/ resources/ equipment is in place for Hub team, service delivery and any other needs of the service and RfA.

·       Keep the website/ social media up to date and maintained relating to the CYP Autism hub and its services and progress.

·       Support the Hub project re: evaluations, monitoring, reporting from a gathering/ chasing and inputting and reviewing perspective.

·       Undertake any other administrative duties as required to ensure the CYP Autism hub meets its targets and delivers positive outcomes for children and families.

·       Work with colleagues in the wider RfA team to ensure smooth partnership working at all times.

·       Be proactive in supporting and assisting all areas of the CYP Autism Hub and connected RfA services/ teams.

·       Uphold and adhere to the values of RfA at all time

·       Ensure there is always compliance with RfA’s safeguarding policies and procedures

·       All staff are expected to promote equality in the workplace and in our services

·       Undertake any other duties asked of you that are commensurate with your grade

Flexible working:

This role will be 100% office based Monday – Friday 9am – 5.30pm. There may be some occasional out of hours working at weekends or evenings but this will rare and with plenty of notice.

Person Specification

Skills and experience

Essential

Experience of data entry, data input and file management

Minimum 2 years experience in reception and admin duties

Experience in H&S, facilities and building support

The ability to be present and onsite at 858 Finchley Road, Barnet M-F 9-5.30

An understanding/ awareness/ or lived experience of autism

Confident in communications via different formats

Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders

An understanding of website maintenance/ updates and social media

Confident in use of tech and software such as databases and room booking systems

Organised and professional at all times

Working effectively as part of both a small team and a wider team

Standard skills expected of all staff

Excellent communication skills (written and verbal) adaptable to different populations including: colleagues, external professionals, service users, families, volunteers, donors

Strong organisational and prioritisation skills

Good understanding of Safeguarding 

IT skills: proficient with Office 365

Self-starter and able to work independently, using own initiative

Non-judgemental, compassionate

Confidentiality

You will have access to confidential information concerning families and other service users and will be required to maintain confidentiality at all times.

Staff Benefits

90% of our staff say that Resources for Autism is “a great place to work”.

Not only will the work you do ensure we are making vital differences and inspiring others, but our other benefits also include:

·       flexible working patterns with the option to work in a hybrid way (only available for some roles)

·       25 days of leave (pro rata for part time roles) each year plus 8 bank holidays and an additional 3 Celebration days that could be used between Christmas and new year, but may be used for other religious days or significant days such as your birthday

·       access to ongoing training and progress in the areas that interest you

·       access to our wellbeing initiatives and an Employee Assistance Programme

·       enrolment on to our pension scheme

·       a supportive, warm and fun working environment made up of values driven people who are passionate about changing the world for autistic people

Application process:

To apply, please send a one-page covering letter and your CV to our current Head of People via email.

To discuss the role informally, please email us.

We particularly welcome applications from global majority candidates, LGBTQIA+ candidates and disabled candidates, because we would like to increase the representation of these groups at Resources for Autism. We want to do this because we know greater diversity will lead to even greater results for our community. 

As you would expect, we are a neuro-affirming employer, with a strengths and rights based approach to neurodiversity which affirms neurodivergent identity – we don’t want to “fix” or “cure” autism, and we don’t see it as a “disability” however we do recognise it can be “disabling”. We are working to improve the ways in which we recruit and support neurodiverse employees and those with lived experience of neurodiversity. 

RfA is a Disability Confidant employer and candidates who meet the minimum essential criteria, that have a disability will be guaranteed an interview. 

Deadline for applications: 8th January 2025

Interviews:  13th January 2025