Trustee - Volunteer

Join to apply for the Trustee - Volunteer role at Autism Early Support

Are you passionate about making a lasting difference to the lives of autistic children and their families?

If yes, we have an exciting opportunity to become a member of our Board and we would be delighted to hear from you.

Established in 2001, we are specialists in early intervention education for young children with autism and communication difficulties. We empower and upskill their families, so they feel confident in supporting and advocating for their child’s needs, and we provide training to teachers and practitioners across the UK to help broaden the understanding of autism. We do this through our Circle Centre Nursery;

our outreach work 1‑1 with children at home and in other settings; our training courses for parents, carers, practitioners, local authorities and schools; along with consultancy; and our Parent Support Groups. Each child has a bespoke, specialist education plan, which is delivered by our professional team of speech and occupational therapists, and 1‑1 learning assistant support.

• Communicating verbally and non‑verbally
• Regulating their emotions
• Confidence to interact with others and to engage in the world around them

Our ultimate objective is to prepare every child to progress onto the next stage of their education, with the confidence to take part in and enjoy the learning activities – and for their families to feel able and empowered to support their child, and advocate for them and their needs when necessary.

"Words can’t quite describe how grateful we are for all the support and love you have given our family. You have taught our son so much. Helped him to express himself and how to experience different things – it means the world to us. Every day we thank our lucky stars that we are part of such a wonderful community."

• Information Management and Technology
• Business Development
• Autism, neuro‑divergence and/or Special Education Needs
• Health and Safety Compliance
• Human Resources

Our Board members are the Trustees of the charity. They oversee how the organisation is led and work closely with our staff to decide how it is run. We are keen to recruit new board members who can help us:

• Deliver on our vision, mission and strategic aims
• Reach and support more autistic children and their families
• Help to raise our profile and introduce our work to the local business community
• Be self‑sustaining and efficient for the long term

We meet six times a year; there is no expectation to fulfil operational volunteering. Our meetings are in the evenings, either in‑person or online. Training will be given, so we welcome applications from first‑time board members and any out‑of‑pocket expenses will be paid.