Meeting Details
Date: Wednesday 12 January 2022
Time: 10:00 – 12:00
Venue: Microsoft Teams Meeting
Agenda Item 1: Welcome and Introduction
1.1 Welcome and introductions made. Communication prompts posted to the Teams Chat window, and their use explained. No reasonable adjustments were
requested. Members reported no declaration of interest.
Agenda Item 2: Minutes of previous meeting October 13 2021 and matters arising not on the agenda.
2.1 Agreed: Minutes of previous meeting accepted as true record of the meeting. Will be added to the NAP Webpages.
2.2 Actions from the Meeting held 14/04/21
2.2.1 Item 3.1: Complete. Hannah will update about Oliver McGowan training at a future Board meeting.
2.2.2 Item 3.6: Ongoing. Tom and Maxine are working together to move Education priorities forward. They will update at a future Board meeting.
2.2.3 Item 5.3: Action on Safeguarding will be picked up at a future ANF, as participants at latest Forum provided specific feedback about what topics they would like to see at forthcoming Forums.
2.2.4 Complete.
Agenda Item 3: Working Group Highlight Reports
3.1 Diagnosis Working Group lead reports that the group has supported creation of transparent and up to-date autism pathways on the Partnership Website, Knowledge Anglia and Norfolk Community Health and Care websites; investigated accessible waiting rooms and waiting room policy; described what needs to be included in an appointment letter for autistic people; monitored progress on autism diagnosis waiting times and contributed to understanding of a Demand Avoidance Profile. A key priority for the next year will be increasing number of autistic people or parent/carers in working group, with goal of at least five members
Action: All members are asked to encourage membership of Partnership and working group.
3.2 Engagement Working Group lead reports that independent website continues to grow and succeed, Since January 2021, 6737 unique visitors have viewed the website 11,541 times. Issues with the newsletter sign-up system have been corrected, and an additional 62 members have been added to the mailing list since the last update. The second of the new series of Autism Norfolk Forums (ANF) was held successfully online 11/01/21. Feedback from members of the public generated by the Forum submitted to the Board as a verbal update. Following discussion, decision made to set up a more formal post-Forum meeting to go through attendee feedback. Based on feedback, the next Forum will be focussed on Personal Independent Payment (PIP), Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Welfare Rights and related issues.
Action: Explore new ways to acknowledge and share feedback from Autism Norfolk Forum (ANF)
3.3 Workforce Development Working Group lead reports that the group continues to update the eLearning and in-person training in response to feedback. The UEA is currently going through these changes. The pandemic response has made delivering training more difficult, but progress is being made and is expected to be substantial in the next year. Five organisations have been trained in the Understanding Autism course so they can deliver it internally to their staff. Two further organisations are planning to be trained in the course next year. The Group intends to develop a quiz to check training attendees learning.
3.4 The Employment Working Group is still in its earliest stages. The lead reports that the group is positive about the work it is doing. Following discussion with people with autism in the community, the Group intends to focus on compiling knowledge and resources on Employment into one place and finding a large employer to work with as an “Autism Champion”.
Agenda Item 4 : Overview of the year with Tom Bassett
4.1 Tom Basset gave a summary of the Partnership’s activities over 2021. This included the creation of the Vision, Document Update and Employment Working
groups; restarting the ANF; establishment of Library Champions scheme; and a general increase in membership and projects across the Partnership. Challenges include a continued lack of funding from health services associated with the Partnership and NCC rules around the use of social media. Around £90k funding has been allocated from NCC for the next two years.
Action: A group of volunteers will be put together to discuss ways to use funding and report back next time.
Agenda Item 5 : Partnership Membership with Tom Bassett
5.1 The Administrator compiled data about attendance at Board and Working Group meetings over the last year. Discussion followed around current membership, gaps in working groups and on Board and suggestions for people to approach to join.
5.2 As part of the review of membership, appointment of new Co-chairs was floated. Adrian Grant and Trevor Key put themselves forward, and after explaining their backgrounds, interest in the role and reasons for wanting to be co-chairs, were elected unopposed.
5.3 Action: Members will send suggestions for Board membership to autism@norfolk.gov.uk
Agenda Item 6 : Any Other Business and Wellbeing Check
6.1 Amanda Dunn announced that she would soon be leaving the Partnership Board as she is moving onto new role. The Board gave its sincere thanks to her for her dedicated service.
6.2 Following discussion, the next Board meeting will include a presentation on National Autism strategy.
6.3 Action: Members are requested to send articles or links they would like to have on the next partnership newsletter to autism@norfolk.gov.uk by 28/02/21
6.4 Wellbeing check performed via email survey.
Date, time and location of next meeting
-Tuesday 14 April 2022, 10am – 12pm
-Tuesday 11 October 2022, 11am – 1pm
-Wednesday 13 July 2022, 10am – 12pm