Agenda item

Briefing note of Alison Coles, Senior Joint Commissioner for Disabilities and Autism

Members of the Education and Children’s Services Scrutiny Board (2) have been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item along with Councillors P Seaman and B Gittins, Cabinet Member and Deputy Cabinet Member for Children and Young People and Councillor K Sandhu, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills

The Board considered a briefing note of Alison Cole, Senior Joint Commissioner for Disabilities and Autism, concerning the Coventry and Warwickshire All Age Autism Strategy 2021-2026, a copy of which was set out at an appendix to the briefing note. Members of the Education and Children’s Services Scrutiny Board (2) attended the meeting for the consideration of this item along with Councillors K Sandhu and P Seaman, Cabinet Members for Education and Skills and Children and Young People. Councillor M Mutton, Cabinet Member for Adult Services and Councillor G Hayre, Deputy Cabinet Member for Public Health and Sport also attended for this item. Helen Stephenson, Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust was also in attendance.

The briefing note indicated that Local Authorities and CCGs had statutory responsibilities to support autistic people. 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 Warwickshire County Council and Coventry City Council in 2017. The Boards were informed that 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 the strategy.

The autism strategy had been 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, which was undertaken to build our 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 of the strategy was being developed and would be published following sign off of the Strategy.

The Board noted that the strategy gave overarching objectives for the next 5 years.  These would be delivered in a co-ordinated way across Warwickshire and Coventry and some elements would be delivered differently in the 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’.

Reference was made to the new national Autism Strategy (2021-2026) launched in July 2021 which 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 have been initiated while waiting for 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, building the links with education, criminal justice, and public health as well as with the two Councils and CCGs 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.

The briefing note set out the following five main priority areas of the Autism Strategy along with the key objectives that had been developed for each area:

i)  Support autistic people and people with social, communication and emotional health needs to help themselves pre and post diagnosis

ii)  Reduce inequalities for autistic people and make Coventry and Warwickshire autism friendly places to live

iii) Develop a range of organisations locally with the skills to support autistic people

iv) Develop the all age autism specialist support offer, including redesign of the diagnostic pathway to address waiting times for a diagnosis

v) Co-produce, work together and learn about autism.

The briefing note also set out a summary of the key activities for year one under these five priorities.

Members questioned the officers on a number of issues and responses were provided, matters raised included: 

·  Support for the All Age Autism Strategy, including the support of the three Cabinet Members present for the consideration of this item

·  What difference would the Strategy make to a primary school teacher with an autistic child in their class

·  A request for details about the length of time associated with the long waiting lists for assessment

·  What informal support was available for teachers and parents when a child was on the list awaiting assessment

·  Details about the partnership working between agencies who support adults with autism and how could these organisations work better together in the future

·  Information about the financial implications of providing a service that meets aspirations

·  Further information about the numbers of autistic children in hospital and care and the importance of schools making adjustments to support pupils to remain in school

·  Concerns about young people and adults with more complex needs who, due to a backlog in the system, were unable to access specific support and were often not known to the Team. Such cases were often picked up at a time of crisis

·  Expectations for future funding of the service.  

RESOLVED that:

(1) Contents of the briefing note and presentation be noted.

(2) Cabinet be informed that the Board supported and endorsed the strategy.