Senior Specialist Practitioner

Job summary

Join a progressive Adult Autism Pathway as a Senior Specialist Practitioner, delivering high-quality diagnostic assessments and specialist interventions for adults. This is an excellent opportunity for a Nurse or Allied Health Professional (AHP) to work within a skilled multidisciplinary team across a growing neurodevelopmental service with a strong commitment to developing innovative approaches.

Our service operates across Barnsley, Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield, working in partnership across the Integrated Care System with South West Yorkshire Partnership Teaching Trust and Bradford District Care Foundation Trust. Youll contribute to an established multidisciplinary pathway providing both diagnostic and post-diagnostic support.

We are proud of our professional team culture and commitment to wellbeing. Our NHS Staff Survey results consistently exceed national benchmarks, reflecting a service where staff feel valued, supported and able to thrive.

We offer a flexible approach to working, combining clinic-based and remote working. Youll work in a friendly team managing your own caseload, engage with service users, produce high-quality reports, and support service development.

At the time of advertising, this role does meet the minimum requirements set by UK Visas and Immigration to sponsor candidates to work in the UK. We look forward to receiving your application.

Main duties of the job

Youll be a key member of our multidisciplinary team, delivering autism diagnostic assessments and contributing to high standards of care within a supportive service.

In this role, you will:

• Deliver specialist autism assessments and support diagnostic decisions
• Create high-quality clinical reports
• Build effective relationships with adults navigating neurodevelopmental pathways
• Work collaboratively across disciplines to deliver safe, person-centred care
• Contribute to service development and quality improvement
• Engage in ongoing CPD and reflective practice

Were looking for a practitioner with clinical confidence, empathy and strong communication skills. Youll have experience working with individuals with mental health needs, learning disabilities or neurodevelopmental conditions, alongside good assessment and report writing skills.

In return, we offer a supportive environment, structured supervision, CPD opportunities and involvement in service innovation.

For an informal discussion, please contact Rebecca Crisp, Operations Manager, on 01924 316492.

All employees of the Trust are strongly encouraged to have their up-to-date flu vaccination to protect staff and patients.

About us

We are a specialist NHS Foundation Trust that provides community, mental health and learning disability services for the people of Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. We also provide low and medium secure services and are the lead for the west Yorkshire secure provider collaborative.

Our mission is to help people reach their potential and live well in their communities, we do this by providing high-quality care in the right place at the right time. We employ staff in both clinical and non-clinical services who work hard to make a difference to the lives of service users, families and carers.

We encourage and welcome applications from all protected characteristic groups, we value diversity and want our workforce to be reflective of our communities.

Being a foundation Trust means were accountable to our members, who can have a say in how were run. Around 14,300 local people (including staff) are members of our Trust.

Join us and you will be one of over 4,500 staff committed to supporting and improving the mental, physical and social needs of the thousands of people we meet and help each year.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment.

We do reserve to right to close vacancy before the advertised closing date if necessary, so please apply as soon as possible.

Details

• Date posted: 29 May 2026
• Pay scheme: Agenda for change
• Band: Band 7
• Salary: £49,387 to £56,515 a year
• Contract: Permanent
• Working pattern: Full-time, Flexible working
• Reference number: C9378-W1473B
• Job locations: Manygates Clinic, Belle Isle Health Park, Portobello Road, Wakefield, WF15PN, United Kingdom

Job responsibilities

JOB SUMMARY

This job description is an outline of the main duties of the post. The postholder will be required to undertake other duties commensurate with the grade as directed.

The content of this post will be reviewed in consultation with the postholder when necessary and in line with the service developments.

To provide highly specialist skills and expertise, facilitating diagnostic assessments and interventions of the highest quality in the field of adult AUTISM.

To deputise as agreed for the Team manager.

To work autonomously and collaboratively within the MDT, providing consultation and teaching for other agencies/professionals.

To provide clinical supervision for professionals in the AUTISM pathway.

To promote safeguarding and the welfare of adults with neurodevelopmental conditions and their families.

Work the Service Manager and Clinical Lead with the continuous improvement of the Adult AUTISM pathway.

KEY RESULT AREAS:

CLINICAL

1

To work autonomously within professional guidelines and exercise responsibility in accordance with the Trust Policies and procedures

2

The post-holder will have highly developed skills in assessing the needs of adults with AUTISM and their carers based on the analysis of highly complex facts and situations. Interventions will be planned based on the assessment information and interpretation of this. The clinical assessment will include gathering appropriate historical information and obtaining relevant information from other agencies. Offering highly specialist expertise in neurodevelopmental conditions and mental health, ensuring clear documentation in all appropriate case notes and sharing assessments and information with the individual, family and all relevant professionals.

3

To undertake highly specialist diagnostic assessments using and interpreting standardised assessment tools and clinical judgment in line with evidence based practice.

4

To undertake specialised risk assessments following referral for presentations requiring urgent mental health or psychiatric assessment and plan relevant interventions.

5

To implement interventions for adults diagnosed with AUTISM as relevant to the post-holders main clinical role, i.e. group and individual work, systemic family interventions. This will include analysis, interpretation and evaluation to reformulate plans of care.

6

The post-holder will provide therapeutic care to emotionally demanding clients in highly emotive situations.

7

The post-holder will develop and maintain therapeutic relationships with service users and carers. This will include cases of high complexity which require more specialised levels of assessment and therapeutic skills.

8

As part of multi-disciplinary team, the Senior Practitioner will deliver and devise complex packages of care and provide individual and family review/follow-up.

9

To take a lead role in setting guidelines and standards that will ensure adults with neurodevelopmental conditions are discharged from Specialist Services with an appropriate package of care from universal services.

10

The post-holder will have skills to communicate highly complex information regarding personal psycho-social problems in an empathic and supportive way using the highest level of interpersonal skills in situations which can be highly emotional and sometimes antagonistic. Service users and families may have difficulty or be reluctant to understand what is communicated to them.

11

Communicate complex, sensitive or contentious information utilising highly developed interpersonal skills. Take into account issues of confidentiality and the consent of Adults and Young People.

12

To work with adults and their families, liaising with external agencies, e.g. Education, Employment, Social Services and Paediatric Services. To actively promote user/carer involvement in all aspects of care planning/delivery whilst respecting the rights, capabilities and wishes of the individuals concerned.

13

To apply a sound knowledge of safeguarding guidelines in clinical work.

14

To deputise for the Team manager in his/her absence.

15

Apply Trust policies and procedures in instances of aggression, acute distress and disturbed mental health presentations.

For full job description, please see attached supporting documents.

We are aware that an increasing number of applicants are using AI technology to generate responses on NHS Job application forms. We strongly discourage this and will conduct a thorough screening process before selecting candidates to progress to the next stage. If you are using AI to enhance your application, please disclose this in your NHS Jobs application form.