Employer Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Wolverhampton Civic Centre Town Black Country Wide Salary £32,073 - £39,043 per annum Salary period Yearly Closing 20/11/2026 08:00
Learning Disability and Autism Keyworker
NHS AfC: Band 5
Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is growing and changing. We provide specialist mental health, learning disability and community services across Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton. We’re looking for people who care about others, take responsibility, treat people with respect and have the confidence to speak up and shape what comes next.
We’re focused on the future, with a clear Trust Strategy and our Best for the Black Country programme driving improvement across our services and communities.
What we do
- Adult and older adult mental health
- Children and young people’s mental health
- Specialist learning disability services
- Community healthcare for children, young people and families in Dudley
We’ve got real momentum. Clear priorities and our Best for the Black Country work mean things are moving in the right way, fast.
Our culture is built around being compassionate, accountable, respectful and empowering each other - you’ll see this in how teams support patients and colleagues every day.
You’ll be looked after. Flexible working, family-friendly policies, supportive teams, proper wellbeing support and opportunities to learn and develop.
There’s room to grow. A wide range of services, space to try ideas and a voice that’s heard.
It’s a great place to live. Diverse communities, good transport links, strong schools and green space, with a lower cost of living than many city regions.
What it’s like to work here
You’ll join friendly, skilled teams who look out for each other. We plan together, share pressures and celebrate wins. You’ll be encouraged to take ownership, speak up and learn from experience. New starters get a warm welcome and clear induction; early careers colleagues have preceptorship and buddying; experienced staff can lead, teach and innovate.
Who we are
We’re 4,000+ colleagues from many backgrounds, committed to improving health and wellbeing for our communities and for each other. If you’re interested in the role but don’t meet every requirement, please apply — we value potential, different perspectives and people who want to grow.
As part of our commitment to fairness, transparency, and personal integrity, we ask all applicants to ensure that their job applications reflect their own experiences, skills, and motivations. While AI tools can support spelling, grammar, or formatting, we expect that the content of your application—especially personal statements and responses to role-specific questions is written by you. This helps us get to know the real you and ensures that our recruitment process remains equitable and meaningful for everyone.
Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust is proud to support the Armed Forces Covenant. We welcome applications from veterans, reservists, service leavers, military spouses and members of the wider Armed Forces community. We recognise the valuable skills, experience and attributes developed through military service and are committed to supporting the Armed Forces community in their careers.
Job overview
The Learning Disability and Autism Keyworker is part of the NHS Long Term Plan. Keyworking within the Learning Disability and Autism services of the Black Country has been embedded within the system since May 2022 (following a successful pilot from 12 months previously). Since the Black Country’s mobilisation of keyworking, there has been expansions including an Early Intervention Model and in-reach clinical keyworkers. The Black Country has been successful in it ’ s implementation of the model and as such has been tasked alongside 1 other system nationally to be a ‘ proof of concept ’ for expanding the service to a keyworker model for all ages who have a diagnosis of Learning Disability and/or Autism.
The keyworker key functions are:
- Navigation
- Upskilling
- Empowerment
- Challenge of Systems
The All Age Keyworker Model aims to support reduction of the number of citizens with a diagnosis of Learning Disability and/or Autism in crisis and inappropriate admissions to mental health units, provide our citizens and their support networks with the support that they need at the right time, and improve transitions and quality of life.
Main duties of the job
Key functions of the keyworker role include:
- Empowerment of our citizens and families/carers.
- The navigation of multiples services and organisations to effectively access the right support from the system.
- Our keyworking model is about a set of functions introduced to the system via the keyworking role, in addition to the current roles in place to support our citizens.
- The keyworking function will dynamically connect the system, coordinating care systemically to maximise local resources and work more effectively with families.
- The keyworker team covers all 4 areas of the Black Country Foundation Healthcare Foundation Trust.
Working for our organisation
Employees, workers, and / or contractors will be expected to uphold the values of the Trust and exhibit the expected Trust behaviours aligned to the Trust’s values. Individuals have a responsibility to ensure that they display the Trust values and behaviours in carrying out their job and that individuals feel able to challenge (or raise a challenge) when other colleagues’ behaviours breach the spirit of Trust values.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
The All Age Keyworker Model aims to support reduction of the number of citizens with a diagnosis of Learning Disability and/or Autism in crisis and inappropriate admissions to mental health units, provide our citizens and their support networks with the support that they need at the right time, and improve transitions and quality of life.
A key function of keyworking is to empower our citizens and their support network and support them with identifying and navigating barriers across multiple services and organisations to effectively access the right support from the system.
The keyworking function dynamically connects the system, coordinating care systemically to maximize local resources and work more effectively with individuals.
The keyworker model is Black Country wide covering all 4 localities. Referrals for the keyworker service are received via the Dynamic Support Registers. Each individual will have a dedicated keyworker as their navigator
We recognise that our keyworkers need to be experienced to be effective in this pivotal role. Therefore, are keen to recruit keyworkers across Social care, NHS, voluntary sectors, and experts by experience, making allowance for Local Authority and NHS working terms and conditions to be continued where applicable. Black Country wish to attract a breadth of experience and relevant qualities, passion and vision.
Person specification
Education and Skills
- Significant and relevant skills and experience for this challenging dynamic role, non-professional/non-registered persons e.g. from community voluntary sector, are welcome and encouraged to apply.
- Experience of working with children and/or young people with complex needs and their families.
- Experience of supporting CYP to access the right support at the right time
- Knowledge or ability to learn of child development, autism, learning disabilities, attachment and trauma, and of personalised and coproduced care planning.
- Reliable, organised, proactive
- Ability to be patient and flexible, working at CYP level and pace
- Knowledge or ability to learn of Black Country locally available provision.
- A level of understanding of the education, health and care system to fulfil keyworking function of holding services to account.
Pay and contracts
Most NHS roles are paid under NHS Agenda for Change. With us, your starting point is set against the advertised band and your relevant NHS service, with progression through annual increments.
Medical and Very Senior Manager roles follow separate national pay frameworks, not Agenda for Change. Details are provided in each advert and during recruitment.
Standards and checks
- Clinical posts up to and including Band 4 are expected to hold the Care Certificate. If you don’t have it yet, we’ll support you to complete it in post.
- Some roles require a Standard or Enhanced DBS check under part V of the Police Act 1997. Having a criminal record won’t automatically prevent employment - we consider the role and individual circumstances.
- We are an equal opportunities employer, offer flexible working, and are a smoke-free Trust.
Inclusion, equality and adjustments
- We are an equal opportunities employer and are committed to creating an environment where everyone is treated with dignity, feels respected and is able to thrive.
- We are an anti-racist, disability-inclusive and LGBTQ+-inclusive Trust.
- We welcome applications from under-represented groups and people with lived experience relevant to our services.
- Disabled applicants can request consideration under our Guaranteed Interview Scheme where essential criteria are met, and you can ask for reasonable adjustments at any stage.
Our culture and values
Best for the Black Country is our improvement journey. Our values Compassionate, Accountable, Respectful and Empowered guide how we work every day.
That means:
- taking time to understand people and respond with kindness
- being open and taking responsibility for our actions
- listening and valuing different perspectives
- supporting each other to speak up, improve and make a difference
You’ll see this in how teams work together and in the impact you can have on local people.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
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