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About Vertis Health
Vertis Health is a federation of general practices delivering high-quality NHS services across Worcestershire. We were founded by local primary care clinicians and are owned by the practices we serve. As a purpose-led limited company, the money we generate is reinvested into the local healthcare economy, helping to strengthen services, support innovation and improve patient care.
Our neurodevelopmental services are being built around clinical quality, meaningful outcomes and strong governance. You will join an organisation that understands NHS systems and values while giving experienced clinicians the opportunity to influence, develop and improve services.
Depending on the role, our benefits include access to the NHS Pension, structured learning and development, clinical leadership opportunities, career progression and genuine flexibility.
Why this role exists
To deliver high-quality autism spectrum disorder (ASD) assessments for adults aged 16 years and over within a governed multidisciplinary diagnostic pathway, in line with NICE guidance, Vertis Health SOPs and commissioned service requirements. Working closely with our Service and Clinical Lead and other clinical colleagues, the postholder will contribute advanced psychological assessment, formulation and diagnostic reasoning, supporting safe and defensible MDT decision-making, high-quality report production, support planning and communication of outcomes to service users, carers and referrers.
About the Service
The Adult ASD service is one of four Mental Health & Neurodevelopmental Services offered by Vertis Health:
Adult ADHD – assessment and ongoing clinical reviews, with medication titration delivered under appropriate prescribing governance and shared care with GPs where agreed.
Adult ASD – diagnostic assessment pathway delivered through an MDT model.
Children and Young People (CYP) ADHD – an assessment and diagnosis pathway (with onward treatment and medication pathways subject to commissioning and wider system arrangements).
Children and Young People (CYP) ASD – a diagnostic assessment pathway delivered through a multidisciplinary model, aligned to national guidance and local commissioning arrangements.
The postholder will be working primarily within the Adult ASD service and its commissioned scope and agreed clinical governance arrangements, contributing to pathway improvement without over-promising provision outside current remit. From time to time however, you may have opportunities to collaborate with colleagues elsewhere across these four services. ADHD diagnostic assessments are delivered face-to-face at our Redditch HQ or a similar Worcestershire location. The service is open to eligible patients aged 16 years and over who are registered with a Worcestershire GP.
The end-to-end pathway includes referral screening, pre-assessment questionnaires, initial contact, face-to-face clinical assessment, MDT diagnostic decision-making, report production, support planning and post-diagnostic signposting, with clinicians contributing to all aspects of the assessment process.
Key responsibilities
Deliver comprehensive Adult ASD assessments in line with NICE CG142, DSM-5 diagnostic criteria, Vertis Health SOPs and commissioned pathway requirements.
Undertake detailed clinical interviews, developmental history taking, psychological assessment, formulation and differential diagnostic reasoning.
Use validated assessment tools and structured approaches as required by the pathway, including ADOS-G / ADOS-2, ADI-R, AAA, ASDI or equivalent NICE-recommended tools where applicable and within competence.
Explore core autism features present from childhood and continuing into adulthood, including social communication differences, social interaction, restricted or repetitive behaviours, sensory differences, resistance to change and focused interests.
Assess functioning at home, in education, employment, relationships and community participation, including the impact of masking, coping strategies and environmental demands.
Integrate multi-source evidence, including self-report questionnaires, informant accounts, partner/carer information, school reports or other documentary evidence where available and consented.
Produce high-quality ASD diagnostic reports within agreed timeframes, using clear, accessible and neurodiversity-affirming language.
Communicate diagnostic and non-diagnostic outcomes sensitively to service users, and to families, partners or carers where appropriate and consented.
Contribute to personalised support plans describing strengths, reasonable adjustments, identified support needs, risk management considerations and onward signposting.
Provide psychologically informed recommendations for reasonable adjustments across health, education, employment and daily life contexts.
Contribute to the co-production of personalised support plans describing strengths, areas where support or reasonable adjustment may be required, and appropriate signposting.
Support seamless signposting to local post-diagnostic autism support, Talking Therapies, crisis services, social care, substance misuse services or voluntary and community sector support where clinically indicated.
Person specification
Qualifications and registration:
HCPC registration and doctorate or equivalent training in Clinical Psychology
Experience: Recent UK adult ASD assessment experience.
Knowledge and skills: Working knowledge of ADOS-2 ASD guidance, local formulary, risk and safeguarding; strong written communication and clinic time management.
Values: Person-centred, fair, improvement minded, committed to equality, diversity and inclusion.
Location(s)
Vertis Health
38 Kenilworth Close
Crabbs Cross
Redditch
B97 5JX