We have an exciting new role as a PBS (Positive Behaviour Support) Practitioner within the Integrated Services team that comprises of a dynamic teams of occupational therapists, PBS practitioners and speech and language therapists, working in our education settings.

As a PBS Practitioner, you will be passionate about improving the quality of life of autistic children and young people working with the transdisciplinary team to improve outcomes for children and young people. You will achieve this through providing high quality PBS advice and support across the tiers of support (universal, targeted and specialist). You will play a key role in supporting class teams to create enabling environments and reducing behaviour-based barriers to learning. You will conduct risk assessments of challenging behaviour and devise and implement PBS plans, providing coaching and support to class teams to optimise fidelity.

We are looking for and individual who:

• Have or working towards a level 4 PBS qualification (or relevant alternative)
• Skillful in the use of functional assessment and intervention
• Communicates complex and sensitive information in a manner appropriate to the individual and situation
• Actively uses supervision and opportunities for development of skills

In return, we offer a wide range of benefits including a commitment to CPD (Continued Professional Development) excellent career opportunities, generous holiday allowance and much more!

Practitioner duties and responsibilities:

• Train, motivate and practically support staff teams and other professionals to be confident and skilled in meeting the needs of children and young people with complex behavioural needs
• Undertake functional assessments and develop and deliver, or oversee the delivery, of impactful programmes to meet identified needs.
• Undertake and review risk assessments of behaviours that challenge and produce and review corresponding PBS plans that promote proactive and early intervention and skill development that reduce the need for physical intervention
• Work with class teams to support the effective implementation of the PBS model, including individualised, multi-component PBS Plans
• Work with class teams to review the behavioural needs and progress of children and young people
• Contribute to efficient, integrated support, working closely with other professionals to pool knowledge, skills and resources across disciplines
• Liaise with parents/carers to establish a holistic view of pupils, and provide support and guidance to support generalisation to other settings based on evidenced successes in school
• Contribute to effective team development and evaluating and improving service delivery
• Maintain high quality records, according to professional standards, of work undertaken in all aspects of the job
• Participate in supervision from PBS Specialists, and continuing professional development in line with AaA policy and professional guidelines and recommendations.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge about developments within the profession and adhere to professional standards and guidelines
• Ensure consistency in approach of implementing the Ambitious Approach across the education setting
• Produce high quality reports that provide the information requested, using clear and accessible language
• Be willing to adopt a flexible working practice to meet the needs of learners in the residential houses.
• Such other duties as your line manager may require

Other duties:

• Demonstrate a continual commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people
• Demonstrate a continual commitment to the promotion of diversity initiatives and the sharing of best practice in line with Ambitious about Autism’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy and procedures
• Ensure the highest degree of confidentiality and data protection
• Assist the charity to fulfil its statutory responsibilities
• Any other duties commensurate with the person specification

Role and band competencies Essential

Specific knowledge, experience and technical skills

• Have or working towards a level 4 PBS qualification (or relevant alternative)
• Implements a range of impactful behavioural assessment and interventions with children and young people with autism, learning disabilities and behaviours that challenge; and works effectively with those who implement them
• Skillful in the use of functional assessment and intervention 
• Ensures all practice is person centered
• Communicates complex and sensitive information in a manner appropriate to the individual and situation
• Brings profession specific expertise to multi/trans disciplinary team work, working collaboratively with others
• Has advanced skills in building and maintaining positive relationships with children and young people, professionals and parents/carers.
• Works collaboratively as part of the support team, motivating and working positively and constructively with other team members.
• Competently assesses risk 
• Maintains professionalism in the face of emotive and distressing problems, verbal abuse and the threat of physical abuse
• Plans and delivers engaging training, measuring the impact and adjusting future training accordingly
• Effectively contributes service evaluation and improvement activities 
• Actively uses supervision and opportunities for development of skills 
• Applies the latest research evidence and evaluative thinking in practice
• Understands and acts upon safeguarding responsibilities, policy and procedure
• Ambitious about Autism is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment

Personal attributes

• Builds constructive relationships with warmth and empathy 
• Committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people.
• Always treats service users with respect and dignity 
• Uses initiative, makes decisions independently, as appropriate to the band
• Reflects critically, appraising own performance, accepting and responding positively to feedback from supervision
• Good appreciation of health and safety in the workplace, data protection principles and equal opportunities.