Neurodivergent Lead
Salford Council
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Salford City Council is continuing to strengthen and evolve its Adult Social Care services, with a clear commitment to inclusion, innovation and person centred practice. As part of this, we are creating a specialist role that will play a pivotal part in improving outcomes for neurodivergent adults across the city.
This is a unique opportunity to work in a forward thinking service that values professional expertise, partnership working and creative approaches to support.
Adult Social Care Grade 5A (scp 43-45)
Location: Salford Civic Centre
We are recruiting a Neurodivergent Lead to provide specialist practice leadership and direct support to neurodivergent adults, including people with autism, ADHD and learning difficulties. The role will also support future strategic intentions.
This is a highly impactful role, combining direct social work practice with service development, training and consultation. You will work across teams and with partner organisations and people to influence practice, challenge traditional models of care and help shape a more inclusive system that recognises and builds on the strengths of neurodivergent people.
About the role
As Neurodivergent Lead, you will:
Hold a direct, complex caseload of neurodivergent adults, offering specialist interventions and advocacy that go beyond traditional models of support, whilst indirectly supervising front-line staff in their interventions with neurodivergent adults
Promote strengths based, person centred and anti oppressive practice across Adult Social Care
Provide expert advice, consultation and guidance to colleagues working with neurodivergent people
Develop and deliver training, guidance and resources to improve understanding and practice across services
Undertake statutory duties under the Care Act, Mental Capacity Act and safeguarding legislation, using your specialist knowledge to support positive risk taking and rights based practice
Work closely with partners with a focus on prevention across children’s services, health, housing, the voluntary sector, public health, the police and commissioning to ensure coordinated, multidisciplinary support
Contribute to service development, gathering intelligence to enhance quality improvement, research and innovation in line with local and national priorities
You will play a key role in shaping how Adult Social Care responds to neurodivergence, ensuring services are accessible, legally compliant and focused on meaningful outcomes.
What we’re looking for
We are seeking a skilled and values driven leader who:
Has in depth experience of working with neurodivergent adults
Brings strong knowledge of relevant legislation, including the Care Act 2014, Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Equality Act 2010
Demonstrates empathy, integrity and a strong commitment to social justice and inclusion
Is confident working in complex, multi agency environments
Has advanced communication skills and can adapt approaches to meet diverse communication and sensory needs
Can influence, support and challenge practice through consultation, mentoring and training
Is motivated by innovation, bringing energy to learning and to continuous improvement
You will be reflective, resilient and comfortable working at pace, balancing statutory responsibilities with creativity and compassion.
Why Salford?
Working with us means:
Being part of a service that genuinely values inclusion, lived experience and specialist expertise
Having the opportunity to influence practice and service design at a systems level
Working in a supportive environment with a strong emphasis on learning, development and collaboration
Making a tangible difference to the lives of neurodivergent adults in Salford
We recognise the demands of specialist social work roles and are committed to providing high support alongside high challenge.
Interested?
We welcome informal conversations prior to application and encourage interested candidates to explore whether this innovative role is the right fit for them. For any questions or to arrange a conversation, please email Lisa Sherlock at Lisa.Sherlock@nca.nhs.uk, who will arrange for the appropriate recruitment panel member to respond.
Please be aware that this post is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. If you have lived or worked abroad for 3 months or more in the last 5 years or 12 months or more (whether continuously or in total) in the last 10 years whilst aged 18 or over, please refer to the link below for details for how to obtain your Certificates of Good Character. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criminal-records-checks-for-overseas-applicants
As an authority we are dedicated to improving the lives of our residents, and as an employer we are passionate about helping individuals to thrive in their work. We are committed to developing a diverse and inclusive culture and are proud of our professional accreditations which champion this.
Our core data protection obligations and commitments are set out in the council’s primary Recruitment and Employment Privacy Notice which can be found at https://www.salford.gov.uk/gdpr .Supporting Documents
↗ Neurodivergent Lead role profile
Ready to apply?
Location
Chorley Road, Swinton, Salford, M275DA, United Kingdom
Job ID
3065
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