Assistant Practitioner - Neurodevelopment Service

Employer:

NHS Jobs

Location:

Pay:

£27,898.00 to £30,615.00 per year, £27898.00 - £30615.00 a year

Contract Type:

Permanent

Hours:

Full time

Disability Confident:

No

Closing Date:

23/01/2026

The post holder is required to have a high level of communication skills which enables them to work with children with behavioural difficulties, and diagnosed or possible Neurodevelopmental difficulties.

The post holder may also be expected to communicate with individuals who may have a diagnosed learning disability/difficulty and their families/carers who themselves may have similar needs.

High levels of verbal and non-verbal skills enable therapeutic and trusting relationships to be formed with children who are often difficult to engage with due to, processing and understanding difficulties, or social communication or interaction difficulties due to a Neurodevelopmental condition.

The post holder requires communication skills using the highest level of interpersonal skills with both families and professionals.

Examples include professional Multi-Disciplinary Team meetings where there is disagreement on treatment options, negotiation is required which requires communicating complex strands of information, ensuring that a full and true representation of the childs complex presentation is communicated.

Communication is required in emotive atmospheres which can be highly sensitive including discussing information that may cause offence such as suspected safe guarding issues and communicating to parents/carers with issues of neglect or parental inability to keep their child safe.

The post holder is required to deliver progressive behavioural programmes/guidelines and family interventions which are evidence based, frequently to carers/families of clients with challenging behaviour, requiring sensitive communication especially if there is resistance.

The post holder has skills in providing, receiving and assimilating complex and highly sensitive information where there can be significant barriers to acceptance.

Complex judgment and sensitive communication is frequently required in situations where during the assessment process advice is sought about management of behaviours/sleep/routines etc Communicate with issues regarding child protection with families/social workers/ schools and other professionals involved in the Childs welfare.

The post holder has to take in to account a number of complicated aspects which frequently do not have obvious solutions/ options.

Highly complex analysis and interpretation and comparison of ranges of options are frequently required.

This is also apparent if the post holder is looking for a range of options such as child family home break down and placement breakdown and liaising with an appropriate multi agency team.

Assist practitioners in completing detailed specialist evidence based assessment when required in a variety of situations with the post holder assisting practitioners to devise evidence based packages of care and interventions.

Detailed specialist assessments include:
School observations; post holder is required to interpret and assess a childs presentation and make an informed decision on whether the child is displaying Neurodevelopmental difficulties.

The post holder is also expected to have a knowledge of child development to support differential diagnosis.

Highly sensitive and skilled analytic and judgment skills in initial screening is required in processing new referrals assessing the information given and making an informed decision and using judgement skills in when further assistance is needed from a more senior member of the team.

Completing formalised risk assessments as there could be a range of other issues such as self harming which requires screening and appropriate signposting and documentation.

Different initial/screening assessment tools are used in the different teams and the postholder has worked with these varying approaches.

Assist Mental health practitioners with queries and advice within CAMHS, this requires the same level of skill and analytical judgements in working in partnership with the practitioner and the parent to identify the goals to be set.

This…