Senior Keyworker: Undiagnosed Learning Disability and Autism

Are you an experienced practitioner looking for a dynamic role that makes a positive impact on the lives of children and young people with undiagnosed learning disability , autism or both?

Do you believe in transforming health, social care and educational systems for children and young people with undiagnosed learning disability autism or both?

West Yorkshire Keyworker Service is recruiting and this could be the next role for you. The role is full time, working Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Extended Keyworker support is provided to children and young people with high needs as well as those who are inpatients or at risk of being admitted to hospital. UndiagnosedKeyworker support is also extended to the most vulnerable children with an undiagnosed learning disability and/or who could be autistic, including those who face multiple vulnerabilities such as looked after and adopted children and children and young people in transition between services as they turn 18.

As our Senior Keyworker you will be:

• passionate about and have experience of improving the lives of children, young people, young adults up to the age of 25 who are undiagnosed autistic and/or have an undiagnosed learning disability and their families
• building a trusting relationship with families so they get the support that they need at the right time, and where possible local to them, in their community.
• supporting the operational leadership of our extended keyworker offer in the West Yorkshire Keyworker Service in its undiagnosed/high need priorities influencing internally and externally across systems
• working alongside cross-sector multiagency professionals including health, education, youth justice, voluntary sector and social care.
• having experience of being transformational in working with children, young people, young adults up to the age of 25 who do not hold an autism and/or learning disability diagnosis - leading on safe practice and service development, ensuring service effectiveness.
• having experience in data capture; with the ability to present data in reports and progress reports to commissioners at Place and across West Yorkshire.
• receiving quality and reflective supervision and learning opportunities to develop you in the role.

The Senior Keyworker: Undiagnosed Learning Disability and Autism reports to the Children's Services Manager, working closely with our Statutory Health Lead whose role informs strategic priorities, impact and outcomes. You will hold a caseload and support leadership in embedding and taking the learning from the extended keyworker offer; ensuring needs are met at times of crisis and high complexity.

This is an exciting opportunity that has arisen in the West Yorkshire Keyworker Service. It's a unique opportunity to combine practice expertise; supporting on transformational impact across systems at Place and across West Yorkshire, in a fast paced, innovative environment that puts children, young people, young adults up to the age of 25 who are undiagnosed autistic and/or undiagnosed learning disability and their families at the heart of everything we do.

You will work alongside a strong management team to operational oversight and data management to inform keyworking vision, priorities and development in West Yorkshire.

When completing your application please refer to your skills knowledge and experience in relation to the Person Specification, Job Description and Additional Information document - these provide you with details of the role and responsbilities you will hold. This should be done with an understanding of the context of the service described.

To understand the work of Keyworker Services, the remit and the Keyworker role please ensure you visit the websites below and read the relevant information before applying for the role:

NHS England » Children and young people keyworkers

These Are Our Children (ncb.org.uk)

cdc.keyworking.guidance.v4.pdf (councilfordisabledchildren.org.uk)

Please note the interview date for this role is Friday 10th July 2026. Please ensure you are available on this date.

Although this contract has a permanent status, please be aware that this post is subject to funding currently to 31st March 2027 and therefore should this funding not be extended further, you may be subject to a redundancy consultation or a TUPE arrangement.

Please note due to the high volume of applications for some posts, this advert might close before the displayed closing date. We recommend that you apply for this role as soon as possible.

Pay & Reward Framework

We know that our colleagues go above and beyond in delivering our vital work, driven by their passion and commitment to Barnardo's values. We also know that we can only realise our ambitions and achieve better outcomes for more children, thanks to the talent, hard work and creativity of our people.

For all these reasons, we are committed to a new approach to pay and reward, to ensure it is fair, attractive and progressive, which was rolled out in April 2023. This is a positive change for the charity, and a part of our People & Culture Strategy. It will assist us in supporting colleagues to belong, thrive and grow in their colleague journey at Barnardo's and in time will offer clear routes of progression for colleagues in both their career and their pay.

Whilst the full pay band and salary range is advertised, our approach to starting salaries is to appoint between the minimum to mid-point of the pay band – this ensures that pay steps are available to reward our colleagues annually based on their contribution to excellence and alignment to our values and behaviours. More details on Barnardo's pay framework can be found upon application.

Benefits

Workplace Offer: What it means for you

Our hybrid working initiative is based on trust, flexibility and empowerment. We understand our workplace offer means different things to different people, and we encourage those conversations. This may mean working at one of our stores, services, working at home, in the community, at one of our Collaboration Hubs or depending on the role any combination of these. Please read through the advert carefully to understand the remits of hybrid working that will be specific to the role.

Barnardo's require colleagues to be UK residents, based in the UK and to complete their roles from within the UK (with the exception of colleagues providing Barnardo's services in Jersey and colleagues who live in the Republic of Ireland providing services in Northern Ireland)

• Barnardo's believe in creating equality of opportunity in the workplace and supporting people to manage their work-life balance; we are therefore open to offering flexible working arrangements.
• Annual Leave entitlement for full-time colleagues is 26 days per annum, increasing to 27 days per annum, after 3 years Barnardo's service, 29 days per annum, after 5 years Barnardo's service and 30 days per annum, after 7 years Barnardo's service. Those working less than full time are entitled to the same level of holiday pro rata
• The ability to buy up to another 5 days annual leave via our Buy Your Leave scheme
• A host of family friendly leave options including company Maternity Paternity and Adoption pay; together with all family additional leave options
• Service related sick pay from day 1
• Access to a Group Personal Pension with a matched 4% or 6% contribution from Barnardo's. Ability to pay via salary sacrifice to garner both tax and NI savings on your own contribution
• Death in service cover of 4x annual earnings for all staff contributing to our Group Personal Pension
• Cycle2work scheme
• Interest free season ticket loans
• Discounts and cashback from at high street shops including major supermarkets, cinemas, gyms, leisure/theme parks, holidays and much more via our Benefit Portal
• 20% discount at Barnardo's stores
• Opportunity to purchase a health cash plan to claim towards dental, glasses, therapy etc
• Free access to round the clock employee assistance program for advice and support
• Access to Barnardo's Learning and Development offer

• T&C's apply based on contract

About Barnardo's

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and cultivating a culture where everyone can belong and thrive through inclusion and connectivity. We want our workforce to be reflective of the communities we work with, and for equality, diversity and inclusion to be embedded in everything we do. We are a Disability Confident Leader, are progressing our ambition to be an anti-racist organisation with Anti-Racism Commitments and actions in place and have networks for colleagues who are disabled, LGBT+, Black and Minoritised Ethnic and Women. We particularly encourage applications from Black and Minoritised Ethnic and/or disabled candidates who are currently underrepresented in our workforce. For disabled applicants, we offer reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.

Our basis and values

• Reference number: 23183
• Job Title: Senior Keyworker: Undiagnosed Learning Disability and Autism
• Location: Leeds
• Locality: Three Yorks
• Contract type: Permanent (Fixed term funded post)
• End date: 31/3/27
• Hours: 37
• Salary: £32,142 - £39,106
• Closing Date: 5 July 2026
• Interview Date: Friday 10th July 2026

Benefits

Discounts at 100's of retailers

Employee suggestion scheme

Company pension

Employee Assistance Programme