North Yorkshire Autism Strategy 2015-2020 the Changing Landscape of Autism in North Yorkshire
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Partnership Commissioning Unit Commissioning services on behalf of: NHS Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby CCG NHS Harrogate and Rural District CCG NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG The changing landscape of autism NHS Vale of York CCG in North Yorkshire Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven CCG North Yorkshire autism strategy 2015-2020 The changing landscape of autism in North Yorkshire Contents Foreword 3 4. What is on offer in North Yorkshire? 15 Executive Summary 4 What health provision is available for people with autism? How do I get a diagnosis of autism? 1. Introduction 7 What education provision is available for people with autism? • Why has this strategy been produced? What provision is available for families with autism? How do we prepare young people with autism for adulthood? • What is the scope of this strategy? What support is available for adults with autism? What provision is available in my community? 2. What do people with autism tell us? 9 • What are the themes that have come up so far? 5. How will the strategy make a difference for people with autism? 19 • What people would like to see Theme 1 – Support for people with autism and their families 3. What’s the bigger picture? 11 Theme 2 - Assessment and diagnosis Theme 3 – Raising awareness and training • How does national policy influence this strategy? Theme 4 - Information and signposting • What is the national prevalence of autism? Theme 5 - Employment and education Theme 6 - Supporting people with autism during key life changes • What is the local prevalence of autism in North Yorkshire? Theme 7 - Working together • What about people with protected characteristics and autism? 6. How will we make the aims of this strategy happen? 43 2 North Yorkshire autism strategy 2015-2020 The changing landscape of autism in North Yorkshire The changing landscape of autism in North Yorkshire North Yorkshire autism strategy 2015-2020 Foreword: A message from North Yorkshire’s autism leads According to ‘Fulfilling and Rewarding Lives’ the local community, and that people with autism can Commissioning Group 2010 national strategy for autism, autism is “a lifelong contribute fully to local life, through education, condition that affects how a person communicates employment opportunities and support for families. Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group with, and relates to, other people. It also affects how Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven a person makes sense of the world around them’’. This strategy is only the first step in our journey. We are living in challenging times and we need to work Clinical Commissioning Group Autism is a condition that can have a great together to realise the aspiration. Together, we are North Yorkshire Police impact on children, adults and their families. determined to empower people with autism and Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner Usually, difficulties are present in early childhood their families to live their lives to their full potential. Hambleton District Council although sometimes they are not evident or Harrogate Borough Council significant until a time of change or transition. This strategy is endorsed by a number of organisations, listed below, that work with people Selby District Council Autism is a development disorder, which with autism in the North Yorkshire area. We Craven District Council is also considered a disability, recognised look forward to working together to implement Scarborough Borough Council by the Equality Act of 2010. the priorities you have told us matter most. Richmondshire District Council Ryedale District Council We hope you find this strategy a positive North Yorkshire County Council step forward with the challenges facing us in We would also like to thank mental health and other meeting the needs of people with autism. We Hambleton, Richmondshire and Whitby specialist providers for their support on the journey to want this document to be aspirational. Clinical Commissioning Group develop this strategy. We want to see North Yorkshire becoming an Harrogate and Rural District Clinical “autism friendly” place, so that the unique perspective Commissioning Group of people with autism is a welcome part of the Scarborough and Ryedale Clinical North Yorkshire autism strategy 2015-2020 3 The changing landscape of autism in North Yorkshire Executive Summary What is this strategy for? What will this strategy do? Why do we need a strategy for people People with autism see things differently, and we want with autism in North Yorkshire? The overall objective of this strategy is to ensure to see North Yorkshire as an ‘autism friendly’ place, that services are identified, commissioned and • There are an estimated 7,000 people so that this unique perspective is a welcome part of improved to meet current and future needs and with autism across North Yorkshire. the local community, and that people with autism improve support for people with autism in North This is assuming 1% prevalence. can contribute fully to local life, through education, Yorkshire, in line with current national policy employment opportunities and support for families. • There is a projected growth in demand for e.g. Think Autism (2014). It runs for a five-year diagnostic assessment and support services. period from October 2015 to October 2020. Engagement with children, young people and adults with autism and their families has highlighted • There should be a continuum of provision This strategy achieves the following objectives: a number of local themes that are important to to support positive outcomes for people • One strategy across children, young people. This strategy considers these emerging with autism ranging from universal people and adult services in the county themes and identifies priority actions. services to highly specialist support. • Highlights the key priorities of local people Themes highlighted by people with autism How have we developed this strategy? • Considers national policy and guidance Support for people with autism and their families We have developed this strategy with direction from a virtual reference group of people with autism, their The partner organisations in North Yorkshire that Assessment & diagnosis families and organisations that work with people with have collaborated to produce this strategy share autism. We also held a public consultation in the a vision that within local communities people with Awareness raising and training summer of 2015 consisting of five consultation events autism can depend on mainstream services, to Information and signposting about the strategy and an online questionnaire. understand them and treat them fairly as individuals. We gathered the views of people with autism, their Employment and education families and frontline professionals, reviewed the Supporting people with autism during key life changes strategy and made changes to it as necessary. Working together 4 North Yorkshire autism strategy 2015-2020 The changing landscape of autism in North Yorkshire What work has already been How will we know whether the done for people with autism in strategy is working? North Yorkshire? The actions within the strategy will be As a result of previous autism strategies in monitored regularly by the joint strategic North Yorkshire there have been a number groups and the virtual reference group. of achievements, including the establishment Reports on progress will be taken of joint strategic groups consisting of senior to the North Yorkshire Health and managers from the NHS and North Yorkshire Wellbeing Board on a regular basis. County Council (NYCC). The joint strategic This strategy is endorsed by a number of groups are driving the work around the organisations that work with people with development of the autism strategy and the autism in the North Yorkshire area. These associated actions within it. This strategy organisations will be provided with regular will supersede the previous strategies and updates on progress of the strategy actions. build upon the foundations established. North Yorkshire autism strategy 2015-2020 5 The changing landscape of autism in North Yorkshire 6 North Yorkshire autism strategy 2015-2020 The changing landscape of autism in North Yorkshire Chapter 1 – Introduction Why has this strategy been produced? In order to produce this strategy, our priority and adults’ autism strategies and extends this work was to engage with people living in North to set new longer-term objectives. The strategy The overall objective of a strategy for autism is to Yorkshire who have autism. We wanted to does not cover details of interventions for autism. ensure that services are identified, commissioned gather their views, opinions and experiences Autism means many different things to each and improved to meet current and future needs and on what was working well for them, and what individual person, family and setting, and can improve services for people with autism. The Autism areas they would like to see improve. present very different challenges. Each person Act (2009) statutory guidance places a duty on all We have used feedback from public consultation is an individual and, as such, pathways and local authorities to produce an autism strategy. North events held for the separate children’s and adults’ interventions need to be personalised. Yorkshire’s strategy is written with due regard for all autism strategies published in 2012 and 2014, as relevant UK legislation and statutory guidance. A well as feedback from public consultation events Through early identification