Developments in England
Michael Swaffield,
Adult Autism Policy Lead
2 May 2013, Northern Ireland Policy Summit
Fulfilling and rewarding lives
• The Autism Act 2009 committed the
Government to publishing an adult
autism strategy to transform services for
adults with autism.
• The first ever strategy for improving the
lives of adults with autism in England
was published on 3 March 2010.
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‘Fulfilling and rewarding lives’
The strategy for adults with autism in England (2010)
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Fulfilling and rewarding lives
The strategy sets out a number of key actions and
recommendations for central Government as well as for
local authorities, the NHS and Jobcentre Plus, focusing on
five key areas:
1. increasing awareness and understanding of autism
2. developing a clear and consistent pathway for diagnosis
3. improving access to the services and support people need to live
independently within the community
4. employment
5. enabling local partners to develop relevant services to meet identified
needs and priorities.
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The Review
The Review will :
• consider current progress and practices towards adults with
autism and their families by health and social services;
• identify best practice on how services for people with autism
should be delivered;
• develop further advice for front line and mainstream services
if necessary.
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The priority themes for the review
1. autism awareness – not only the training of key staff groups but general
awareness of staff in more mainstream services who may have to make
adjustments to services so that people with autism can access them;
1. social care assessment and support - provision of community care
assessments including for those with high functioning autism, and the
operation of personal budgets;
1. diagnosis - development of pathways to improve the diagnosis of people
with autism (including the extent to which the 2012 National Institute for
Health and Clinical Excellence adult autism guidelines have been
implemented);
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The priority themes for the review
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•
needs assessment, commissioning and service planning development of local commissioning plans and extent to which the needs
of adults with autism are being taken into account in local Joint Strategic
Needs Assessments;
•
involvement - the extent and way which the views of adults with autism
and carers have been sought to inform the design and delivery of local
services;
•
the identification of good practice – including in advocacy services and
in making adjustments to main stream services;
The priority themes for the review
•
lifecourse – the transition between children and young people’s plans
and services into adults’ and support across different stages of life,
including older people with autism.
The review will also look across other service areas including :
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•
Criminal justice system;
•
Employment;
•
Housing.
The timetable
• May – October : the investigative stage of the review;
• November – January 2014 : initial proposals
consideration;
• February – March 2014 : Final report and publication.
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How you can help
Let me know what is working well elsewhere via :
[email protected]
or
0113 254 5002
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