Fw1978

My Requirements

We are looking for a kind, patient and reliable Personal Assistant to support our 10?year?old autistic son and his twin brother, who is a young carer, in our family home.

The role is primarily focused on supporting one child with complex needs, both at home and occasionally in the community during school holidays, while also providing support to his twin brother when needed.

About Our Children
Our son is autistic with emerging functional communication. He uses an electronic communication device, mainly to support and reinforce the language he is learning, rather than for direct communication. He attends a specialist school and benefits from consistent, calm and low?demand support. He is a bright, cheeky and affectionate child with a wonderful sense of humour and an infectious laugh. He enjoys drawing, using chalk, and playful interaction, and he understands most of what is said to him. He builds strong relationships, but very much on his own terms, and benefits from calm, consistent adults who are happy to follow his lead.

He can sometimes struggle emotionally. While he can express how he feels, he can find it difficult to explain why, which has led in the past to some self?injurious behaviours (such as biting his arms or banging his head). This has significantly reduced over the last year, with the right support and understanding.

His twin brother is autistic with ADHD (AuDHD) and attends mainstream school. He is largely self?sufficient but needs support in the evenings to decompress after school. He enjoys football, darts and talking enthusiastically about F1, and would value someone who enjoys engaging with these interests.

About the Role
You will be supporting the boys at home while I work in my home office, with duties including:
• Creating a calm, safe and supportive environment
• Building trusting, positive relationships with both children
• Playing and engaging in activities based on the children’s interests or simply being present and available, depending on their needs at the time
• Preparing evening meals and encouraging independence where appropriate
• Supporting personal care for our son with complex needs (only wears nappies at night), showering and helping him get ready for bed (only if working until 9pm)
• Supporting communication and emotional regulation
• Ensuring the children's safety and wellbeing at all times
The role requires someone who is comfortable splitting their time between both children and responding flexibly to their different needs.

About You
We’re looking for someone who is:
• Reliable, kind, patient, empathetic and consistent
• Comfortable working within a family home
• Fun, engaging and willing to draw, play football, darts and chat about F1
• Willing to follow our son’s lead and work on his terms while trust is built
• Experienced with autism or SEN
• Confident to learn and follow the strategies we already have in place
• A full clean driving licence and enhanced DBS check are required
• Self-employed

Hours & Pay
• Mondays: 4pm – 7pm (occasionally until 9pm)
• Opportunity for extra hours on a Wednesday 7pm-9pm between May and November each year
• Funded through a mixture of self?funding and Direct Payments
• £13–£15 per hour, depending on experience
This role is about supporting our son’s ongoing development while also providing practical and emotional support to his brother, who takes on a caring role himself.

Get in Touch
If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, please get in touch with a little about yourself and your experience.
We’re also very happy to answer any questions or arrange an informal chat in person.