Community Partners - auticon United Kingdom

We have put together a list of community support organisations and training suggestions and programs to help you in developing your skills. It is not exhaustive and so if you can think of an organisation which we have missed and should be included please let us know by emailing: ku.oc1713592148.noci1713592148tua@o1713592148fni1713592148

Job support & opportunities outside of auticon

Access to Work

Access to Work is a government initiative from the Department for Work & Pensions that can help you get or stay in work if you have a physical or mental health condition or disability.

https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work

Ambitious About Autism

This is national charity for young people with autism with lots of support and advise on education and employment.

https://www.ambitiousaboutautism.org.uk/

AS Mentoring

Specialist mentoring and employment support for adults with Autism Spectrum Conditions and other neurodiverse conditions.

http://www.asmentoring.co.uk/

Autism Forward

Autism Forward provides grants for specialist mentoring support for autistic adults to help them find employment and fulfil their full potential in life.

http://www.autismforward.org.uk

Autism Initiatives

Working positively alongside people with autism, their families and carers providing specialist services tailored to each individual.

https://www.autisminitiatives.org

Autus

Autus is a small charity creating exciting opportunities for growth, learning and work for young people with Autistic Spectrum Conditions. They aim to provide a welcoming 3D environment created entirely by Autistic Adults, to support, collaborate and develop social skills, improve communication skills, and promote career endeavours.

https://www.autus.org.uk/what_we_offer/job_club

Care Trade

Care Trade supports and prepares autistic people for employment.

https://care-trade.org

City Bridge Trust (London)

City Bridge Trust is London’s largest independent funder, providing grants which support the diverse communities and civil society of Greater London. Many of their funding streams are continually open to application, with no minimum or maximum grant size.

https://www.citybridgetrust.org.uk/what-we-do/grant-making/what-we-fund/

Employ-ability

Employ-ability supports, advises and advocates on behalf of neurodivergent and disabled students looking to get into work or onto a graduate-scheme to remove the barriers into employment.

https://www.employ-ability.org.uk/students-and-universities/internships/

Enna

Enna offers a range of free support services, including a jobs board, aimed at neurodivergent job-seekers in the UK, Ireland and beyond.

https://enna.org/neurodivergent-job-seekers-2/

Even Break

Evenbreak is a social enterprise run by and for disabled people that aims to reduce the disability employment gap in three ways. They offer inclusive and accessible careers support for disabled people looking for new or better work, including resources, events and personalised one-to-one career or business coaching. They support employers to become more inclusive and accessible through training and consultancy and an online best practice portal and they help you find your next employer through our award-winning disability job board. All services are free of charge, and designed and delivered by professionals with lived experience of disability.

https://www.evenbreak.co.uk/ 

Exceptional Individuals

Exceptional Individuals provide neurodiversity consulting, recruitment and employment support to employers and individuals with diagnosed or undiagnosed dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD and autism. They also have resources on autism including autism work place needs assessments, Autism characteristic tests and 80% of their team are neurodivergent.

https://excpetionalindividuals.com/neurodiversity/what-is-autism/

National Autistic Society

The National Autistic Society’s job board advertises many different jobs, many in tech but not only. Additionally, they have many employment resources to help autistic adults with job searching and work preparation.

https://www.autism.org.uk/what-we-do/employment/job-opportunities

Specific Support in Scotland:

AMASE (Autistic Mutual Aid Society Edinburgh)

Helping autistic people to help each other in Edinburgh.

https://amase.org.uk

Autism Understanding (Scotland)

Offer 1:1 support sessions for those living in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Shetland to help increase understanding of autism and build support strategies for autistic people, their supporters, and professionals working with families and autistic adults.  AUScot also have an Employment Specialist who can support local autistic adults to seek and access reasonable adjustments in employment, and also works with local businesses and organisations who are ambitious about inclusion at work.

https://www.autismunderstanding.scot

Into Work (Scotland) 

Into work are an Edinburgh based, non-profit organisation who have years of experience helping people with long-term health conditions and disabilities achieve their goal of both finding and keeping meaningful paid employment.

https://www.intowork.org.uk/

National Autistic Society – Moving Forward Programme (Scotland)

The ‘moving forward’ programme seeks help those on the autism spectrum into employment.

https://www.autism.org.uk/services/scotland/moving-forward.aspx

Number 6 (Scotland)

An Edinburgh based service for autistic adults who fit the following criteria: aged 16 and over, formally diagnosed with autism and no additional learning disability.

www.number6.org.uk

Scottish Autism

Autism awareness charity and services for children and adults – Advise line: 01259 222 022. https://www.scottishautism.org

Skills Development Scotland

Skills Development Scotland (SDS) is Scotland’s national skills body. They support people and businesses to develop and apply their skills. They also offer a large number of apprenticeships.

https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/ 

IWORK4ME

IWORK4ME is the only Scottish Charity providing specialised support to people with an Autism Spectrum diagnosis who wish to become self-employed. They offer a business coaching service to support individuals to reach their employment potential.

http://www.iwork4me.org.uk/

Help getting a diagnosis

National Autistic Society

The National Autistic Society has a good set of guidelines if you think you are autistic as an adult and want to seek a diagnosis:

https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/diagnosis/pre-diagnosis/adults

Autism Services Directory (NAS)

The NAS also has a helpful search directory for different types of services, including diagnostic.

https://www.autism.org.uk/directory

The Edinburgh Practice (Scotland)

https://edinburghpractice.com

Technical Training Resources

Code Academy

Code Academy makes learning to code fun and rewarding by doing exercises including building real websites. They have dedicated, active forums for each class and offer plenty of help along the way.

www.codeacademy.com

Code Clan

Code Clan is an award-winning coding site for coders of all skills and experience. They offer course on software and web development, specific coding languages, UX design as well as bespoke courses.

https://codeclan.com/

Free Code Camp

Free Code Camp offers a plethora of coding lessons along with opportunities for applying those lessons in the real world. Hundreds of hours of coding lessons. Integrates with GitHub and connects users to non-profit groups in need of coding volunteers.

www.freecodecamp.com

QA is an Apprenticeship provider that provide tech apprenticeship programmes within various IT strands. These programmes result in qualifications that are valued in the tech sector, as well as relevant work experience. Their apprentices benefit from in-house instructors and coaching teams.

https://www.qa.com/apprenticeships/