Date & Venue:
17th October 2019, County Hall, Norwich
Key Highlights:
- Leadership & Membership Updates:
- Stephen Durrance confirmed as autistic co-chair alongside James Bullion.
- Changes in Board Members: Amanda Dunn (Vice Co-Chair) and Lorraine Stephens (SEND lead).
- NAPG (public forum) renamed Autism Norfolk Forum (ANF) for clarity.
- Autism Self-Assessment Findings:
- Norfolk has a high rate of adults receiving social care support but lags behind in autism diagnosis rates.
- Need to collect private diagnosis data and tailor autism training based on local needs.
- Data Working Group to be refreshed and develop a new autism dashboard.
- Employment Service for Autistic Adults:
- Goal: Support 5-10% of people with autism, learning disabilities, or mental health conditions into employment.
- Currently focuses on retail, farming, and horticulture jobs, but aims to diversify opportunities.
- Service is only available to those eligible under the Care Act; expansion being explored.
- SEND & Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs):
- EHCP backlog clearing underway, and new tracking system for parents in development.
- Local Offer website being reviewed to improve accessibility.
- Launch of the Norfolk Autism Strategy:
- Officially launched on 7 November 2019.
- Organisations must report back on how they are implementing the strategy.
- A progress update is due in January 2020.
- Improvements to Engagement & Working Groups:
- New Buddy Scheme to support autistic members in meetings.
- Working Groups to provide summaries of their actions for the NAPB website.
- Volunteers needed for media campaigns on autism experiences.
- Next Steps:
- Assess gaps in autism training within organisations.
- Refine data collection & diagnosis pathways.
- Develop a one-page communications plan for better outreach.
Next Meeting: 29 January 2020, Costessey Centre
To read the full minutes click here