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Job summary

Main area
Community Practitioner AISS
Grade
Band 5
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Full time - 37.5 hours per week
Job ref
351-PEN1150-CL
Employer
Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust
Employer type
NHS
Site
LD Childrens Autism Intensive Support Team
Town
Preston
Salary
£32,073 - £39,043 pa
Salary period
Yearly
Closing
14/07/2026 23:59

Employer heading

Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust logo

Community Practitioner AISS

Band 5

Our Vision is to provide the best mental health, learning disability, autism, community, and physical health services for the populations we serve.

As an integrated Trust, Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust (LSCFT) delivers a comprehensive range of services, including:

  • Primary and secondary mental health care for children and adults, including specialist inpatient child and adolescent mental health provision, perinatal mental health, and forensic services with low and medium secure care.
  • Specialist mental health inpatient care for individuals with learning disabilities, alongside specialist community support for children and adults with learning disabilities and autism, including intensive support.
  • Extensive community physical health and well-being services for children and adults, covering prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and long-term condition management.

The Trust was first established in 2002 and employs approximately 7,500 staff who provide care from more than 400 sites. The organisation offers opportunities for medics, mental health, general nurses, children’s nurses, allied health professionals, psychology, administration and clerical staff, apprentices and volunteers, as well as those specialising in learning disabilities and community physical health services.

For more information visit our website via Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS FT.

Job overview

Lancashire & South Cumbria Foundation Trust are pleased to be recruiting to the Children and young people’s Autism Intensive Support Service (AISS).  The service is operational across Lancashire & South Cumbria.
AISS provide rapid clinical support to support children and young people, and their families/carers, where there is a risk of care breakdown or hospitalisation.  AISS offer personalised clinical interventions based upon functional formulation and neuro-affirmative best practice.  The service works closely with critical partners in health, social care, and educational services.
The post holder will be a registered professional with clinical experience in supporting autistic children and young people with complex health or behavioural needs.  
The post holder will have good communication skills and the ability to work well as part of a team, and under the delegated authority of the band 6 autism practitioner.
Lancashire & South Cumbria Foundation Trust encourages flexible working; we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employee through improved health and wellbeing. 

Main duties of the job

The post holder will support the provision of a Children’s Autism Intensive Support to autistic children and young people and their families, who may have complex health or behavioural needs, and who are resident within Lancashire and South Cumbria. The post holder will provide autism informed clinical interventions, and they will be a registered professional who will:
•    undertake appropriately delegated work.
•    Providing a holistic and personalised approach, supporting the child and their families’ network. 
•    Provide intensive support to the whole family with the aim of enhancing their wellbeing, coping skills and resilience. 
•    Work with the child in a personalised way that maximises their motivations, values and interests to develop effective therapeutic rapport. 
•    Understand the child and families goals and work in personalised, flexible way to achieve them. 
•    Complete and/or contribute to robust multiagency risk assessments and risk management plans

You will be a key member of the multi-disciplinary team and will work with the team to develop and deliver person centred care plans with the emphasis on hospital avoidance.  

Working for our organisation

LSCFT values diversity and inclusion, recognising that talent from varied backgrounds creates a flexible, creative, and effective workforce. We actively challenge discrimination and welcome applications from all, regardless of age, disability (including those with experience of accessing or caring for someone who has accessed mental health or learning disability services), ethnicity, gender, religion, belief, or sexual orientation.

Our aim is to reflect the communities we serve, so we particularly encourage applications from under-represented groups. If you’d like to discuss your application, please ask.

We also welcome individuals with lived experience relevant to the role or service area, as your insight brings authenticity to our services.

LSCFT support flexible working, we believe that a positive work/life balance benefits NHS employees through improved health and wellbeing. We would consider working patterns such as term time, part time, compressed hours and flexi-time.

The wellbeing of our people is at the heart of everything we do. We offer a wide range of resources, tools and support to help you thrive both in and out of work.

Explore our full wellbeing offer here: Keeping our workforce well 

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please see the attached job description and person specification for more information about this role.

Person specification

Education/ Qualifications

Essential criteria
  • Relevant Core Professional Qualification and registered with the appropriate professional body i.e. NMC or HCPC

Knowledge

Essential criteria
  • Knowledge of current key NHS developments and policies and implications for service delivery
  • Ability to support Autistic children on an individual or group basis
  • Knowledge of contemporary autism policy
  • IT competence
  • Knowledge and skills in the assessment / management of risk.

Experience

Essential criteria
  • Experience of working with children with Autism
  • Experience of working as part of a MDT
  • Experience of effectively working with children and families
  • Experience working as an independent and autonomous practitioner managing own caseload
  • Experience of working in community setting

Personal

Essential criteria
  • Communication – Non verbal, verbal and written
  • Well-developed presentation skills-written and verbal
  • Multi agency Team working
  • Enthusiasm and motivation
  • Ability to handle difficult situations
  • Organisational skills – ability to manage own time and workload

Other

Essential criteria
  • Commitment to person-centred, non-discriminatory practice.
  • Ability to work with children with Autism , social and or mental health difficulties who may present with unpredictable or challenging behaviour

Employer certification / accreditation badges

Apprenticeships logoNo smoking policyArmed Forces Covenant Gold AwardMindful employer.  Being positive about mental health.Disability confident employerCare Leaver CovenantStep into healthDefence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) - Gold

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

This vacancy may close early if it receives a high number of applications. You are therefore advised to consider applying for this vacancy as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Documents to download

Apply online now

Further details / informal visits contact

Name
Christopher Upton
Job title
Service Leader
Email address
[email protected]
Telephone number
07973 751187
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