Communication Support Worker Autism - High School Based

Staffordshire County Council; Newcastle-under-Lyme; On-site; GBP 12,000 - 18,000; Part time

Job summary

Staffordshire County Council's Autism Inclusion Team at The Orme Academy Resource Base is seeking a Communication Support Worker for 19 hours per week (Wed–Fri, 8:20am–3:20pm) to help autistic pupils access learning and participate in school life. You will work under the guidance of teaching staff to support curriculum delivery and student engagement.

You will join a multidisciplinary team to promote inclusive practice, build positive relationships with learners and families, and foster

Qualifications

• Experience of working with autistic young people in an educational setting.
• Commitment to supporting inclusion and positive outcomes for autistic students.
• Strong communication and teamwork skills.
• GCSE Grade 4 (or equivalent) in English and Maths.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct support to Autistic young people within the Resource Base, helping them to access learning, engage positively in school life and achieve their individual potential.
• Support Autistic young people in mainstream lessons and during transitions throughout the school day, promoting independence and successful participation.
• Help develop and maintain an autism-friendly Resource Base, creating a welcoming, inclusive environment.
• Work collaboratively with school staff to promote understanding of autism and inclusive practice.
• Promote social, emotional and personal development, supporting communication, wellbeing and self-advocacy.
• Work with families and professionals to ensure a consistent, person-centred approach.

Skills

Communication

Teamwork

Driving licence

Education

GCSE English & Maths (4+)

Job description

Job Introduction

This is a great opportunity to join the Autism Inclusion Team and work within one of our High School Resource Bases.

We are seeking to appoint a part-time Communication Support Worker (19 hours per week, working 3 days: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 8:20am to 3:20pm) to join the Autism Inclusion Team based at The Orme Academy, commencing as soon as possible.

The successful candidate will work alongside the Specialist Teacher and a team of Communication Support Workers within the Resource Base, supporting autistic young people to access learning and thrive in their school environment.

AIT Resource Brochure - link to further information

Main Responsibility

• Provide direct support to Autistic young people within the Resource Base, helping them to access learning, engage positively in school life and achieve their individual potential. This will include supporting the delivery of curriculum activities and coursework under the guidance of teaching staff.


• Support Autistic young people in mainstream lessons and during transitions throughout the school day, promoting independence, confidence and successful participation in all aspects of school life.


• Help develop and maintain an autism-friendly Resource Base, creating a welcoming, inclusive and supportive environment that meets the diverse needs of Autistic young people.


• Work collaboratively with school staff to promote understanding of autism and inclusive practice, sharing strategies, modelling effective approaches and supporting colleagues to meet the needs of Autistic young people across the school.


• Promote the social, emotional and personal development of Autistic young people, supporting communication, wellbeing, self-advocacy and positive relationships with peers and staff.


• Work in partnership with families and professionals to ensure a consistent, person‑centred approach that enables Autistic young people to thrive both academically and socially.

The Ideal Candidate

We are seeking to appoint an enthusiastic, knowledgeable and committed Communication Support Worker to join the Autism Inclusion Team at The Orme Academy Resource Base. The successful candidate will play a key role in supporting Autistic young people to access a high-quality, inclusive education, enabling them to achieve their potential and thrive within both the Resource Base and the wider school community.

The ideal candidate will have significant experience of working with Autistic children and young people in educational settings, together with a strong understanding of autism and the barriers that some Autistic young people may experience in school. You will be passionate about inclusion and committed to ensuring that every young person is valued, supported and empowered to flourish academically, socially and emotionally.

You will be an excellent communicator with the ability to build positive relationships with young people, families, school staff and colleagues. You will be flexible, resilient and able to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team, contributing to a supportive and autism‑friendly environment where neurodiversity is understood and celebrated.

As this role may occasionally require providing cover support at other locations across the county or transporting students to educational activities and events, the post is designated as a casual car user. Applicants must therefore hold a full driving licence and have daily access to a vehicle. Reasonable adjustments will be considered where required for disabled applicants.

This role offers a rewarding opportunity to make a meaningful difference to the lives of autistic young people as part of a supportive and experienced specialist team.

The minimum criteria that will be used to shortlist for this role will be:

• Experience of working with autistic young people in an educational setting.


• A commitment to supporting inclusion and positive outcomes for autistic students.


• Strong communication and teamwork skills.


• GCSE Grade 4 (or equivalent) in English and Maths.

Interviews will be commencing from 12th November 2026

About Staffordshire County Council

We are no ordinary county council.

Our Values

The core of who we are as an organisation. Just like we all have personal values that shape our thoughts and behaviour, organisational values drive how we think and act collectively.

Our values were created and shaped by colleague feedback and national best practice and they sit at the heart of People Strategy:

We have a real sense of community spirit that brings our people together. This feeling of belonging means we are all connected to what we do and take pride in the difference we make every day for Staffordshire people. We are ambitious and our sights are set firmly on a better future.

We look forward and race ahead - that goes for your career too.

Our benefits

We recognise that it is our employees that are central to everything we do. We aim to create a supportive working environment where employees can achieve their full potential and achieve a healthy work‑life balance.

In addition to your salary, as a member of staff, you will have access to Our rewards and benefits - Careers at Staffordshire

Our recruitment process

As an Authority we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people/vulnerable adults and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.

Equality and Inclusion

Staffordshire County Council is an equal opportunities organisation and Disability Confident employer. We encourage applications from all background and communities

As part of our commitment as a Disability Confident employer, a Gold Award Armed Forces employer and our commitment to supporting care leavers - we offer a guaranteed interview as long as your application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

As you'll know safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our children and young people/vulnerable adults is important to us and that's why this position is subject to a criminal record check from the Disclosure and Barring Service. If applicable you should disclose details of unspent and unfiltered spent reprimands, formal warnings, cautions and convictions in your application form.