Agenda item

Report of the Director of Adult Services

The Cabinet considered a report of the Director of Adult Services that sought approval of an all-age Autism Strategy for Coventry and Warwickshire for the period 2021-2026. Appendices to the report provided the Joint All Age Autism Strategy 2021-2026, and the Autism Strategy Delivery Plan 2021-2022.

A Briefing Note and Presentation on the Strategy had been considered by the Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny Board (5), with Members of Education and Children’s Services Scrutiny Board (2) invited to the meeting, on 1st December 2021 (their minute 20/21 referred). The Board supported and endorsed the proposed Strategy.

Local Authorities and CCGs had a number of statutory responsibilities to support autistic people, such as those outlined in the Autism Act 2009, Equality Act 2010, Care Act 2014, Children and Families Act 2014, SEND code of Practice 2014 and NHS Long Term Plan 2019. In recognition of these statutory responsibilities and the inequalities faced by autistic people, the Coventry and Warwickshire Collaborative Commissioning Board approved the development of a joint all age strategy for autistic people. This was a joint five-year strategy owned by Warwickshire County Council, Coventry City Council, and NHS Coventry and Warwickshire Clinical Commissioning Group.

The Strategy built on the previous joint commissioning plan developed by Coventry City Council and Warwickshire County Council in 2017. Publication of the local Strategy was delayed while the national strategy was being developed, however, work had continued to work towards delivery of the Strategy in the meantime. Significant progress had been made since the previous joint commissioning plan to develop diagnostic pathways for adults and children; pilot new support services for autistic people pre and post diagnosis and those in mental health crisis; improve support for young people in education with communication and sensory needs; and deliver autism training for parents, carers, and the wider workforce. However, autistic people continued to experience inequalities due to gaps in services and support, hence the need for this Strategy.

This Autism Strategy was informed by a range of co-production and mapping activity which was completed in 2019 and 2020 with experts with lived experience and key professionals and was undertaken to build shared understanding of the experience of autistic people of all ages and their families in accessing support appropriate to their needs and getting a formal diagnosis of autism. An accessible and easy read version was being developed and would be published following sign off of the Strategy.

The Strategy gave the overarching objectives for the next 5 years. These would be delivered in a co-ordinated way across Coventry and Warwickshire and some elements would be delivered differently in different places to take account of the different services and communities across the area. 

In line with the Coventry and Warwickshire Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) and Inclusion Strategies, the Autism Strategy emphasised the importance of promoting inclusive practice and supporting young people to access their full potential through education. Delivery of the Strategy would therefore be aligned with the Warwickshire SEND change programme and the Coventry SEND Strategy 2019 to 2022 ‘Lifting the Cloud of Limitation’. 

The new national Autism Strategy (2021-2026) launched in July 2021 built on the previous national Strategy’s pre-existing duties placed on commissioners and service delivery providers in relation to adults, and through the SEND Code of Practice in relation to children and young people. Overall, there was close alignment between the local and national strategies, although the priorities were described differently between the two documents.

A year 1 Strategy delivery plan had been developed to describe activities that had been initiated while awaiting the publication of the national Strategy.  Priorities identified within this plan were funded and were deliverable.  The year 1 plan focussed on reducing waiting times for a diagnosis and pre and post diagnostic support, as well as reducing the numbers of autistic people admitted to Mental Health hospitals. In year 2 priorities would reflect the wider scope beyond health, social care, and education.

In reflecting on the national strategy priorities, there was the opportunity to strengthen the focus on workforce development in the local delivery plan for year 2 and building the links with education, criminal justice, and public health as well as with the organisation’s own employment practices in promoting the employment of autistic people. For example, greater consideration needed to be given in the local delivery plan to improving the experience of autistic people in accessing public transport and advocacy services and improving support in and environments of services working with autistic people. 

RESOLVED that the Cabinet approves the Coventry and Warwickshire All Age Autism Strategy 2021-2026.