Meeting Details
Date: Wednesday 03 June 2020
Time: 11:30 – 12:45
Venue: Microsoft Teams Meeting
Agenda Item 1: Welcome and Introduction
1.1 Welcome and introductions made. MS Teams introduced and guides referred to. No reasonable
adjustments were requested. Members reported no declaration of interest.
1.2 Noted: Bethany Slaughter advised that Inspector Jo Walmsley from Norfolk Police will be attending future meetings replacing Lucy King’s membership.
1.3 Noted: As there were no other volunteers, Tracey Walton was asked and agreed to monitor Code of
Conduct.
Agenda Item 2: Minutes of previous meeting (29/01/20) and matters arising not on the agenda.
2.1 Agreed: Minutes of previous meeting accepted as true record of the meeting. Add to the NAP
Webpages
2.2 Noted: Within the Action log the timeframes for delivery were disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic
and subsequent reassignment of staff to frontline duties. Timelines have been adjusted accordingly
with the action log reviewed and updated. It will be recirculated.
Agenda Item 3: Approval of Governance
3.1 In response to Covid-19 and social/physical distancing the Board coproduced new ways of
working, celebrated achievements to date and defined the priorities for each working group to the end of
October 2020.
3.2 In response to feedback the phrasing “social / physical distancing” will be made consistent across
Board communications. The literal meaning of the word social does not fit with the intention of physical
distancing.
3.3 A new Governance, Compliments and Complaints working group agreed. This new group, on behalf of
the NAPB, will manage compliments and complaints, manage queries and review all existing policies and
procedures as they are due. Members were asked to express an interest in joining the group.
3.4 The Engagement, Workforce Development and Diagnosis working group acknowledged as groups
that meet regularly via MS Teams. The new Governance, Compliments and Complaints working
group will meet as required via MS Teams. The Data and Education Working Groups acknowledged as
virtual groups who report into the Board. The SEND Transformation programme will report into the Board
every quarter. All members of the Board are members of the data working group.
3.5 It is the intention that the Autism Norfolk Forum will be sent work packages from the Autism Administrator as agreed by Tracey Walton (Autism Lead and Lee Gibbons (Working Group lead). The information will be reviewed monthly and sent via email. The engagement Working Group will consider other methods to engage people via MS Teams and other technology to facilitate an ANF forum.
3.6 Agreed: Members agreed to complete the buddy scheme and return to autism@norfolk.gov.uk
3.7 Agreed: New governance agreed
3.8 Agreed: “social / physical distancing” will be used in NAPB communications.
3.9 Noted: To continually improve the distributed MS Teams and Chairs guidance. These will be updated
as feedback is obtained from members regarding efficiency and advice from government regarding easing the lockdown.
Agenda Item 4: Acknowledgement of Strategy Launch
4.1 The local autism strategy “My Autism, Our Lives, Our Norfolk” was officially launched on 1 June 2020 at
09:00am. The launch was supported by a press release, NAPB newsletter, promoting membership of the partnership and an autism Covid-19 Survey.
4.2 An autism covid-19 survey “Coronavirus Survey May 2020” was launched alongside the strategy.
The Survey results will be analysed in 6 weeks, by either the Data or Engagement Working Group
dependent on resources available. Tracey Walton advised that the ADASS East of England Network recognised the progress Norfolk hasmade in launching a coproduced all-age strategy and
have requested to use the autism Covid-19 Survey across the region. The Board discussed the potential
issues and concerns that would prevent sharing.
4.3 Agreed: all members encouraged to read Newsletter and other products launched with the strategy.
4.4 Agreed: Survey will be shared with ADASS East of England Network.
4.5 Agreed: NAPB Engagement Working Group to consider the frequency of the Newsletter and
implement.
4.6 Noted: Board thanks Tracey Walton and Administrator for work on strategy launch. Special
acknowledgement given to all autism volunteers who have been involved in the process and the NAPB
engagement Working Group Lead Lee Gibbons.
Agenda Item 5 : Business case to manage NAPB complaints
5.1 The NAPB Engagement Working Group advised the Board of the challenges and difficulties it has
experienced in managing complaints on behalf of the NAP. It advised that some complaints were complex
and multi-faceted, and that was preventing their ability to progress other elements of their work. To provide a transparent and fair process the Engagement Working Group presented the Board with recommendations to manage the current active complaints.
5.2 The Board discussed the NAPB Co-Chairs devolved role in managing complaints on behalf of all NAP.
5.3 The Board discussed all options presented in the report. To do nothing was not considered an option.
To appoint an unknown independent reviewer was considered challenging. This was due to concerns of
scope creep and escalating costs and the challenges of working with someone new during different ways of working including social / physical distancing. But the benefits of additional independence were noted.
To appoint a known independent reviewer was considered the best option overall with benefits of
familiarity reducing the fear of the unknown, autism knowledge and ability to prevent scope creep.
5.4 The Board discussed the costs involved and acknowledge that all NAPB statutory members would
need to have internal conversation to agree match funding.
5.5 Noted: all members agreed that the co-chairs have the authority to oversee complaints on behalf to the
partnership.
5.6 Agreed: recommendation 2 an Independent Reviewer. Tracey Walton to implement this process.
5.7 Agreed: that all statutory organisation will have internal conversations to agree joint funding the
independent review. Feedback to Tracey Walton by 17 June 2020
5.8 Note: The police advised they are unable to contribute to the recommendations or the funding until
their additional questions raised by email on the 26 May have been answered. Tracey Walton will
address these and copy in the Co-Chairs before proceeding.
Agenda Item 6 : Any Other Business and Wellbeing Check
6.1 Based on feedback received the Engagement Working Group has delivered a wellbeing check
survey. This will be sent to attendees after each meeting. Its purpose is to provide consistency for
analysis but also to enable participants to feedback honestly, free of pressure rather than follow the
majority.
Date, time and location of next meeting
-Thursday 16th July 2020, 10:30am-12:30pm Microsoft Teams Meeting
-Wednesday 5th August 2020, 11:00am-1:00pm Microsoft Teams Meeting
-Thursday 9th September 2020, 11:00am-1:00pm Microsoft Teams Meeting
-Thursday 15th October 2020, 10:30am-12:30pm Microsoft Teams Meeting