Date & Venue:
30th April 2018, The Green Britain Centre, Swaffham
Key Highlights:
- Formation of the NAPB:
- The board aims to improve autism services in Norfolk through partnership and engagement with the autism community.
- Members agreed on the Code of Conduct and the Terms of Reference, outlining objectives, governance, and responsibilities.
- Leadership & Membership:
- James Bullion and Clare Smith confirmed as co-chairs.
- Vice Co-Chairs Elected: Mark Rushen and Zandrea Stewart.
- Some board seats remain vacant, especially for older autistic persons (55+).
- Key Discussions & Decisions:
- Autism Community Engagement: Development of an engagement tool to gather insights from autistic people and their families.
- Data Collection: Identifying gaps in autism-related data across Health, Social Care, Education, and Police services.
- Workforce Training: Norfolk County Council (NCC) and NHS organizations need structured autism training for staff.
- Diagnostic Pathways:
- Children’s diagnostic services received additional funding to reduce waiting times from two years to one year.
- Concerns raised about GPs being unaware of referral pathways.
- The board demanded clarity on the adult diagnostic process, including adherence to NICE guidelines.
- Creation of Working Groups:
- Engagement & Communication
- Data Collection
- Workforce Development & Training
- Diagnostic Pathways (Adults & Children)
- Next Steps:
- Develop an Autism Self-Assessment Framework for accurate service evaluation.
- Engage with healthcare commissioners to clarify autism diagnosis pathways.
- Set up working groups to advance key priorities.
- Invite Rt Hon Patricia Hewitt (Norfolk STP Chair) to discuss healthcare impact on autism services.
Next Meeting: July 2018 (exact date to be confirmed).
To read the full minutes click here