Female Social Personal Assistant – EMUNCL

About the role

We are recruiting for an experienced personal assistant for Emily, a 7‑year‑old loving girl with Autism, Sensory Processing Disorder, and Global developmental delay. Emily lives with her mum and older brother in Walker, Newcastle Upon Tyne, and spends one or two nights per week with her dad. The household is bilingual (Italian and English) and has a cat, so being animal‑friendly is essential.

Responsibilities

• Provide full supervision of Emily at all times, ensuring her safety as she has no awareness of danger and is a flight risk.
• Monitor food intake to prevent choking, undereating, overeating, and PICA behaviours; avoid sugar and manage tics that occur during eating.
• Support sensory seeking activities: sand, water, play‑dough, slime, food, and stickers.
• Assist with personal care, including prompting toilet use and hygiene.
• Engage Emily in kitchen activities such as chopping fruit and vegetables and cooking.
• Facilitate music and dance activities; maintain a good level of fitness.
• Use safe de‑escalation techniques (calm voice, pressure hugs) when Emily becomes overstimulated and may grab, pinch, or bite.
• Accompany the family on outings using a specialist buggy with restraint straps and car trips.
• Potentially work with an augmentative and alternative communication (ACC) device in the future; training can be provided.
• Build rapport initially in the home, then support community access and activities of Emily’s choice.

Requirements

• Experience working with children with autism (necessary requirement).
• Female only – genuine occupational requirement under Health and Social Care Act 2008 and Equality Act 2010.
• Animal‑friendly (household has a cat).
• Right to work in the UK at start of employment.
• Ability to provide full supervision and manage safety risks.

Skills

• Knowledge of sensory seeking behaviours and ability to facilitate sand, water, play‑dough, slime, food, and sticker activities.
• Experience with personal care and toileting support.
• Ability to manage challenging behaviours using calm voice and pressure hugs.
• Comfortable assisting in kitchen tasks (chopping, cooking).
• Good level of fitness for physical activity and dance.
• Willingness to learn ACC device use; prior experience beneficial.
• Ability to work in a bilingual Italian/English environment.

Pay

£14.50 per hour.

Schedule

5 hours per week during term time and 11 hours per week during school holidays, including weekends.