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They care about what their frontline employees think and want to be a good employer.
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Scottish Autism
Scottish Autism provides a wide range of support services across Scotland for autistic people, their families and professionals.
About Scottish Autism, in their own words:
Through Relationships, People Value People. Our mission is to enable autistic people to lead happy, healthy and fulfilling lives.
Scottish Autism believe in the power of relationships to change and enhance the lives of the people we support. At the core of our work is service development and delivery.
How we develop and work is shaped by our values: collaboration, compassion, change-makers, and contribution. For over 50 years we have provided services and support for autistic people and their families in Scotland.
We believe in relationships; investing in and building them, as a force for change. As a Scottish Autism practitioner you get to emotionally invest and you will be supported to reflect and grow, as well as gain sector leading learning and a national qualification.
If you believe in relationships, can work in line with our values and have an aptitude for working with people, investing in others and personal self-development, then we need your qualities and talent. Together we can achieve great things.
The best things about working at Scottish Autism
- 80% say they get paid above average
- 78% say they enjoy their job
- 75% say they don’t worry about hours
Featured by Scottish Autism, based on 50 employees who took the Breakroom Quiz
What Scottish Autism say
Perks of working at Scottish Autism from Scottish Autism
- 🎓 Free L&D helping you to achieve the Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ 3) in Social Services and Healthcare as standard
- 👍 Free 24/7 access to an Employee Assistance Programme for counselling and support via Care First
- 😎 £50 contribution to buy glasses for work
- 🚲 Cycle to work scheme
- 👯 Refer a friend scheme
- 🏅 Annual values awards
- 💰 Progression pathway that allows for salary increase
- 🕺 Workplace pension that's matched by up to 9% and more.
Company values from Scottish Autism
Scottish Autism is an organisation dedicated to enabling autistic people to lead happy, healthy and fulfilling lives.
Established in 1968 by a group of parents, we are now the largest provider of autism-specific services in Scotland and a leading authority and advocate for good autism practice.
We exist to help those diagnosed with autism to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives and be recognised as valued members of the community they live in.
We also seek to share our knowledge and expertise with parents, carers and other professionals in order to support the development of skills and strategies needed to provide the best care and support for autistic people.
The key concepts underpinning our mission are inclusion, potential, citizenship, individualism, progression, responsibility and leadership.
Diversity and inclusion statement from Scottish Autism
At Scottish Autism, valuing diversity and inclusion is at the heart of our vision, mission and values.
We are part of: the Young Person’s Guarantee; LGBT charter; Armed Forces Covenant; and Disability Confident.
We also have a Colleague Forum for peer to peer support. Our approach aligns with the autistic community’s views and we actively seek opportunities with a progressive outlook.
We particularly encourage and welcome applications from people with lived experience of autism. There is an active Neurodivergent Employee Forum to provide connections and mutual peer support between colleagues. We are committed to inclusive governance.
We would like to receive more applications from men and young people too because they are under-represented in our workforce.
Featured roles from Scottish Autism
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Autism Practitioner
Social care experience not essential.
Autism Practitioners work directly to provide support to autistic people within our services. We seek people who share our values: Collaboration; Compassion; Change Makers; and Contribution.
What Scottish Autism employees say
50 Scottish Autism employees have taken the Breakroom Quiz and told us what it’s really like to work there. Here’s everything they have told us:
Breakroom Rating for Scottish Autism
Pay
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Good
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Most people are paid a living wage
Do Scottish Autism pay a living wage?
Most people are paid a living wage.
How we know this
82% of people say they are paid at or above the Real Living Wage for where they live.Based on data from 17 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2023 and February 2025.
Why this matters
Everyone should be paid enough to live on.
The Real Living Wage is a voluntary rate employers can sign up to that is based on the real cost of living.
The current rates are £12.60 per hour, and £13.85 per hour in London.
Find out more in our explainer about the Real Living Wage.
Good
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Most people are paid market rates
Do Scottish Autism pay market rates?
Most people are paid above average for their job.
How we know this
80% of people are paid above average for the type of work they do.Based on data from 25 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2023 and February 2025.
Why this matters
Pay can vary a lot between types of job. Employers should be ensuring that the rates their staff are paid are in line with similar roles elsewhere.
Okay
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Only some people get paid breaks
Do workers at Scottish Autism get paid breaks?
Sometimes. Only some people get paid breaks.
How we know this
61% of people say they don’t get paid breaks.Based on data from 23 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2023 and February 2025.
Why this matters
A good job should have paid breaks.
You should be paid for all your time at work, whether you’re on a break or not.
Good
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Most people get sick pay
Do Scottish Autism pay sick pay?
Yes. Most people get proper sick pay.
How we know this
91% of people say they would get paid if they were sick but scheduled to work.Based on data from 22 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2023 and February 2025.
Why this matters
Everyone gets sick sometimes. You should be able to take time off without worrying.
At a good job you should still get paid if you’re scheduled to work but can’t due to sickness. Your contract should say how many sick days you can take each year.
This is more than the legal minimum, which says you should only get paid if you are unwell for 4 full days. See Citizens Advice for more details.
Good
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Most people don’t do unpaid extra work
Do workers at Scottish Autism do extra work that they don't get paid for?
Rarely. Most people don’t do unpaid extra work.
How we know this
70% of people report that they don’t do extra unpaid work.Based on data from 23 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2023 and February 2025.
Why this matters
Everyone should get paid for any extra work they do, even if it is outside your contracted hours. At a good job, you should be paid for all the time you spend at work.
Hours and flexibility
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Needs improving
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Less than 4 weeks notice of shifts
How much notice do people get of their shift pattern at Scottish Autism?
Most people don’t get 4 weeks notice of when they’re working.
How we know this
- 35% of people with changing schedules report getting one week notice or less.
- 12% of people with changing schedules report getting two weeks notice.
- 24% of people with changing schedules report getting three weeks notice.
- 29% of people with changing schedules report getting four weeks notice or more.
Based on data from 17 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2023 and February 2025.
Why this matters
At a good job, you get plenty of notice about when you’re working.
This makes it easy for you to plan the rest of life, as well as your finances, because you know how much you’ll be working and when.
Good
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Most people don’t worry about their hours
Do workers at Scottish Autism worry about hours?
Most people don’t worry about getting enough hours.
How we know this
75% of people report they don’t worry about getting enough hours.Based on data from 16 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2023 and February 2025.
Why this matters
At a good job, you shouldn’t have to worry about getting enough hours each week.
A good job should guarantee you a minimum number of hours in a contract, if you want it.
This makes it easier to plan your finances, because you know how much you’ll be earning.
Okay
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Only some people get a choice of shifts
Do Scottish Autism workers get to choose the shifts they work?
Some people don’t get enough choice over which shifts they work.
How we know this
38% report that their manager doesn’t give them enough choice over which shifts they work.Based on data from 21 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2023 and February 2025.
Why this matters
A good job is flexible around your personal life. This means you get a say in when you prefer to work.
Okay
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Can be hard to change shifts
How easy is it for Scottish Autism workers to change shifts?
Some people find it hard to change shifts.
How we know this
50% of people report that it’s hard to change shifts if they need to.Based on data from 16 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2023 and February 2025.
Why this matters
A good job is flexible around your personal life. It should be easy to change a shift if you need to, whether that’s in an emergency or for planning ahead.
Good
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Easy to book holiday
How easy is it to book a holiday at Scottish Autism?
Most people find it easy to book holiday.
How we know this
70% of people report it’s easy to book holidays.Based on data from 23 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2023 and February 2025.
Why this matters
A good job should let you take time off when you need it, and it shouldn’t be a nightmare to arrange.
Okay
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Shifts can get changed at short notice
Do Scottish Autism managers change shifts at short notice?
Some managers change people’s shifts at short notice.
How we know this
54% of people say their manager changes their shifts at the last minute.Based on data from 24 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2023 and February 2025.
Why this matters
If your manager is often changing your shifts at short notice that’s a sign of poor planning. At a good job you won’t be messed around at the last minute.
Good
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Most people find it easy to take sick leave
How easy is it to take sick leave at Scottish Autism?
Most people find it easy to take sick leave.
How we know this
90% of people report that it’s easy to take time off if they are sick.Based on data from 20 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2023 and February 2025.
Why this matters
Everyone gets sick sometimes. You should be able to take time off when you need to.
A good job should support you when you’re unwell and have systems in place that will allow you to take time off to recover when you need it.
Workplace
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Okay
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Only some people feel treated with respect
Do people at Scottish Autism feel treated with respect by their managers?
Some people don’t feel treated with respect by their managers.
How we know this
36% of people say they’re not treated with respect by their managers.Based on data from 22 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2023 and February 2025.
Why this matters
Everyone should get treated with respect by their managers. You shouldn’t feel discriminated against or bullied, and if you have a problem you should be able to speak to someone about it.
Needs improving
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Most people don’t get proper breaks
Do people at Scottish Autism get proper breaks?
Most people don’t get proper breaks.
How we know this
88% of people report that they don’t get to take proper breaks.Based on data from 24 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2023 and February 2025.
Why this matters
When you take a break it should be a proper rest. It should last the full duration and you shouldn’t get pulled off it.
Needs improving
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Most people are stressed
Is it stressful to work at Scottish Autism?
Most people feel stressed here.
How we know this
72% of people say they often feel stressed at work.Based on data from 25 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2023 and February 2025.
Why this matters
Work isn’t always easy, but if you’re frequently feel stressed, that’s not good.
Your employer should support you with enough people and resources to get your job done without feeling overwhelmed.
Good
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Most people enjoy their job
Do people at Scottish Autism enjoy their jobs?
Most people enjoy their job.
How we know this
78% of people report they enjoy their job.Based on data from 23 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2023 and February 2025.
Okay
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Only some people recommend their team
Do people at Scottish Autism recommend working with their team?
Only some people recommend working with their team.
How we know this
56% of people report that they wouldn’t recommend working with their immediate team to a friend.Based on data from 25 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2023 and February 2025.
Why this matters
A good job means enjoying the place where you work.
The people you work with every day really matter. They can be the difference between a terrible day and a great one.
If you’d recommend your team to a friend, this shows that something’s going right.
Good
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Most people get enough training
Do people get enough training when they start at Scottish Autism?
Most people got enough training when they started.
How we know this
69% of people report they got enough training when they started working here.Based on data from 26 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2023 and February 2025.
Why this matters
A good job should give you good training when you start, not just drop you in at the deep end.
This means that you’ll be happier and more productive from day one and shows that your employer values you.
It’s also very important if your job involves anything that could be dangerous. Good training from the outset keeps you and your team safe.
Okay
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Only some people get support to progress
Are people given support to progress at Scottish Autism?
Only some people are given support to progress here.
How we know this
In the last year, 45% of people report not being given an opportunity to get better at their job, learn a new skill, learn to manage a team or get more responsibility in their role.Based on data from 22 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2023 and February 2025.
Why this matters
A good job should help you progress at work, if you want to. That might be supporting you to get better at the job you currently have, learn something new, manage a team or take on more responsibilities.
This means you’ll be able to build on your skills and experience, and earn more money.
Needs improving
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Head office doesn’t understand what’s happening
Do people think Scottish Autism head office understands what's happening where they work?
Most people think head office doesn’t understand what’s happening where they work.
How we know this
84% of people think that this employer’s head office or owners don’t have a good understanding of what’s really happening where they work.Based on data from 25 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2023 and February 2025.
Why this matters
At a good job, the role of head office should be to support the people on the frontline serving customers.
To do that properly, the company’s owners or head office need to have a good understanding of what’s really happening on the frontline. This is especially important when a company owns multiple locations.
Okay
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Only some people feel well informed by head office
Do workers feel well informed about how Scottish Autism is doing?
Only some people feel well informed about how the company is doing.
How we know this
50% of people feel that they aren’t kept well informed about how the company is doing as a whole.Based on data from 24 people who took the Breakroom Quiz between March 2023 and February 2025.
Why this matters
At a good job, there should be a supportive relationship between the people working on the frontline serving customers and the people who own the company or work in head office.
You should be kept informed about how the company is doing as a whole, both in good times and when things get tough for the business.
Scottish Autism job reviews
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Best thing
Taking individuals out and getting to connected with them.
Worst thing
People not doing there job
Support worker at Scottish Autism, February 2025
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Best thing
The people we support
Worst thing
We are not paid enough, toxic work culture, other work long shifts and no breaks as we signed them away
Support worker at Scottish Autism, October 2024
More about social care providers
Scottish Autism ranks joint 60th to work for out of social care providers.
- 60= Apex Prime Care
- 60= Scottish Autism
- 60= Age UK
Rankings are based on Breakroom Ratings for employers with 20 or more Breakroom Quiz responses, accurate as of 23 April 2025.