ADOS Autism Assessor for CYP (Exeter)

Paloma Health; Exeter; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare provider is seeking an ADOS Autism Assessor for children in Exeter, England. This role involves conducting essential assessments as part of a multidisciplinary team, ensuring high-quality observations for children throughout the assessment process. Applicants must have relevant professional registration and experience within an autism assessment framework. The position offers a competitive salary based on experience and professional background, with additional benefits and opportunities for professional development.

Benefits

Private medical insurance

Employee Assistance Programme

Generous annual leave package

Professional registration fees allowance

Equity compensation options

Qualifications

• At least 1 year of experience delivering children's observations within an autism assessment process.
• Registered psychologist, occupational therapist, nurse, or social worker with expertise in autism.
• Enhanced DBS with barred list check required.

Responsibilities

• Conduct high-quality child observations as part of an autism assessment.
• Act in accordance with our Safeguarding Policy, including risk assessments.
• Keep up to date with mandatory training and professional requirements.

Skills

High-quality parent communication

Patient communication skills

Risk assessment

Education

Professional Registration with HCPC, NMC, or Social Work England

Completion of recognized ADOS-2 course

Tools

Patient management software

Job description

Please apply directly through our website:https://grnh.se/sdo6vrt2teu

We are looking for an ADOS Autism Assessor who will be a member of the multidisciplinary assessment team which delivers remote child observations along with peer MDT diagnostic decision‑making (with the support of the senior clinical MDT where required). This role is a hybrid role, based in our Exeter clinic.

Main duties of the job

You will work as a member of a multidisciplinary assessment team, delivering:

• In-person child observations at our Exeter clinic
• Peer MDT diagnostic decision‑making, with the support of the senior clinical MDT where required

About us

Paloma’s mission is to make children’s autism and ADHD assessments and care available on the NHS within 4 weeks of GP referral. We are making this happen by redesigning care pathways, building new software & AI tools, and training a specialist clinical workforce.

Mark & Darshak founded Paloma because families were waiting 2‑10 years for NHS children’s autism and ADHD assessments. Learn more about the crisis in NHS children’s neurodevelopmental services from the Children’s Commissioner for England here: https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/blog/childrens-commissioner-warns-of-invisible-crisis-as-delays-and-inequalities-laid-bare-among-children-with-neurodevelopmental-conditions/

Job responsibilities

ADOS Autism Assessor for Children and Young People, based in our Exeter clinic.

Time commitment: Full‑time employment is preferred, though part‑time (minimum 3 days per week) or a self‑employed role (again a minimum of 3 days per week) is also available.

Location: In‑person based at our Exeter, Devon clinic.

Reporting to: Autism Service Team Manager.

• Salary of £70,000‑74,000 per year for allied healthcare professionals (nurses, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists) and social workers, depending on prior relevant experience.
• Salary of £75,000‑80,000 per year for practitioner psychologists (clinical, educational, counselling), depending on prior relevant experience.

How is Paloma Health different from other neurodevelopmental providers?

• We are clinically‑led, Care Quality Commission (CQC) registered, and rigorous in recording our outcomes and family experiences.
• Our in‑house product & engineering team ensures we can:
  • Give families a more consumer‑like experience of healthcare
  • Free our clinicians from documentation to focus on supporting families
• Our strong culture, including transparency, a sense of community, and supporting staff career development
• The experience of our founders (Dr Mark Jenkins & Darshak Shah) who have previously built tech‑enabled NHS obesity and ophthalmology services. Combined, their previous companies have treated over 1 million NHS patients in the last 15 years!
• Being backed by leading healthcare investors (Triple Point Ventures and Heal Capital) allows us to move fast

The Opportunity

• An exceptional service and timely assessments, as well as clear strengths and needs‑based outcomes, regardless of whether an autism diagnosis is made.
• High assessor role satisfaction by improving the experience of delivering assessments; for example, we are building an AI tool to streamline diagnostic report writing, which we know is a pressure of the role.

Responsibilities

• Conduct high‑quality child observations as part of an autism assessment.
• Act in accordance with our Safeguarding Policy, including conducting a risk assessment where necessary.
• Keep up to date with mandatory training and your professional qualification requirements, including CPD.

Qualifications and experience

Required:

• Professional Registration with any of: HCPC, NMC, or Social Work England
• Typical job titles of people with the relevant skills include:
• Psychologist, including Clinical Psychologist, Counselling Psychologist, and Educational Psychologist (HCPC)
• Occupational Therapist (HCPC)
• Speech and Language Therapist (HCPC)
• Nurse, including Mental Health and Learning Disability Nurse (NMC)
• Social Worker (Social Work England)
• Completion of a recognised ADOS‑2 course is required for NMC, HCPC and Social Work England registered applicants. Clinical Psychologists would be considered without having completed ADOS‑2.
• At least 1 year of experience delivering children’s observations within an autism assessment process. This can be EITHER working with children 5‑18 years of age OR 2‑4 years of age, OR the full age range.
• High‑quality parent and patient communication skills
• Enhanced DBS with barred list check (as you will be working with children)
• Experience in conducting risk assessments within an autism assessment service
• Evidence of Safeguarding training (Level 3 and above)

You will be part of a mission‑driven organisation

• A strong and positive culture that prioritises staff well‑being, transparency, and career development.
• Protected time and budget for team connection, learning, and community‑building.
• Competitive compensation, including:
• Salary of £70,000‑74,000 per year for allied healthcare professionals (nurses, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists) and social workers, depending on prior relevant experience.
• Salary of £75,000‑80,000 per year for practitioner psychologists (clinical, educational, counselling), depending on prior relevant experience.
• Private medical insurance and Employee Assistance Programme (from early 2026)
• Professional Registration Fees Allowance for clinicians
• A unique annual leave benefits package which includes:
• 34 days of annual leave, including eight bank holidays and your birthday off.
• Option to buy an additional 5 days per year
• An additional 10 days of paid sabbatical leave every three completed years of service (which means 44 days of leave in year four at Paloma!)
• Additional benefits including:
• A premium performance company laptop
• Equity compensation through Share Options in Paloma Health for employees working at least 32 hours per week with Paloma.
• NHS discounts, including the Blue Light Card (as we are an NHS provider).

Equality & Diversity

Paloma Health is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace and throughout the application process. We do not discriminate based on any protected characteristic.

Accommodations

We’re glad to accommodate candidates who need adjustments throughout the hiring process. We encourage you to be open about the adjustments you need so we can adapt our interview process.

Safer Recruitment & Pre‑Employment Checks

Paloma Health ensures that supporting people to be safe is at the heart of our work and a key priority across all areas of the organisation. As part of our pre‑employment checks, you will be asked to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Depending on your role within the business, this will be at either an Enhanced, Standard, or Basic level. We are committed to safer recruitment practices and expect all applicants to share our dedication to safeguarding. Our recruitment processes are designed to ensure we appoint individuals who are aligned with our values and who will contribute to maintaining a safe and supportive environment for everyone we work with.

Application process

Please apply via our website. We understand that applying for a new job requires a significant amount of effort, and we appreciate your time. We look forward to reviewing your application.

Join us and be part of our journey to revolutionise access to NHS Autism Assessments in England!

Person Specification

Qualifications

• Required:
• Registration as any one of the following:
• Occupational therapist (HCPC)
• Speech and language therapist (HCPC)
• Nurse, including mental health or learning disability nurse (NMC)
• Psychologist, including counselling psychologist, educational psychologist and clinical psychologist (HCPC)
• Medical doctor (GMC)
• Social Worker (Social Work England)
• At least 2 years experience in children and young people’s autism diagnostic assessments with specific knowledge including:
• Having a sound understanding of co‑occurring conditions and differentials.
• Demonstrate an ability to concisely present findings, including diagnostic formulation, into a client‑centred clinical report that includes a strengths and needs profile.
• High‑quality parent and patient communication skills
• Enhanced DBS with barred list check (as you will be working with children)
• Completion of a recognised ADOS‑2 course
• Experience in conducting risk assessments within an autism assessment service

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.