Community Practitioner

Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 19,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a Band 6 Community Practitioner to join the Children\'s Neurodevelopmental assessment Pathway across Newcastle and Gateshead on a maternity cover post. The role supports the neurodevelopmental pathway and involves coordinating autism and ADHD assessments for children and young people.

You will work within a multidisciplinary team with families, schools and partners to ensure timely, child-centred care and smooth service delivery

Qualifications

• Registered health or social care professional.
• Experience with children, young people and families.
• Skilled in multi-agency working and collaborative practice.
• Organised and able to manage a busy caseload.

Responsibilities

• Coordinating and contributing to autism and ADHD assessments.
• Completing developmental histories, structured observations, and clinical interviews.
• Working collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team including psychology, speech and language therapy, social work, medics and nursing.
• Supporting families to understand the assessment process and next steps.
• Providing clear, compassionate communication with parents, carers, and professionals.
• Participating in MDT discussions and formulation meetings.
• Contributing to service development and quality improvement initiatives.

Skills

Registered professional

Children & families experience

Dev/behav assessment

Multi-agency working

Caseload management

Compassionate care

Job description

We are looking for an enthusiastic and skilled Band 6 Community Practitioner to join our dynamic Children's Neurodevelopmental assessment Pathway in Newcastle and Gateshead CYPS. This post is to cover maternity leave for 12 months, 25 hours per week, or 8 months full time.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in co-ordinating high-quality autism and ADHD assessments for children and young people across Northumberland.

You will be central to the coordination and delivery of neurodevelopmental assessments, working closely with families, schools, and multi-agency partners to ensure timely, child-centred, and evidence-based care.

We're Looking For Someone Who Is

• A registered health or social care professional (e.g. mental health or learning disability nurse, OT, Social Worker, SLT, or equivalent)
• Experienced in working with children, young people, and families
• Confident in assessing developmental, behavioural, or emotional needs
• Skilled in multi-agency working and collaborative practice
• Organised, proactive, and able to manage a busy caseload
• Compassionate, child-focused, and committed to improving outcomes

Experience in neurodevelopmental assessments is desirable, but we welcome applicants with transferable skills and a passion for this area. Training and supervision will be provided.

• Coordinating and contributing to autism and ADHD assessments
• Completing developmental histories, structured observations, and clinical interviews
• Working collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team including psychology, speech and language therapy, social work, medics and nursing
• Supporting families to understand the assessment process and next steps
• Providing clear, compassionate communication with parents, carers, and professionals
• Participating in MDT discussions and formulation meetings
• Contributing to service development and quality improvement initiatives

We aim to attract and retain a diverse, talented and committed workforce, who are caring and compassionate, and therefore able to meet the demands of the modern NHS now and in the future. In return we can offer a dynamic working environment in which to build a career.

Newcastle and Gateshead Children and Young People's Service is a well-established, multi-disciplinary community team providing high-quality support to children, young people, and families across the county. Our service operates from bases in Newcastle (Benton House) and Gateshead (Bensham Hospital) where working between both bases will be essential.

You will be joining a friendly, supportive team that includes professionals from nursing, psychology, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, medicine and social care. We work collaboratively, drawing on a wide range of expertise to deliver holistic, child-centred care. Regular supervision, peer support, and opportunities for joint working are embedded in our culture, and we actively encourage professional development and reflective practice.

For further details / informal visits contact:

Name: Alexis Baker-Smith Job title: Clinical Lead Email address: [e-mail] Telephone number: 01912876210