Date & Venue:
9th September 2020, Microsoft Teams (Online Meeting)
Key Highlights:
- Leadership & Membership Updates:
- Trevor Key confirmed as Autism Co-chair.
- New prospective members, Richard Peat and Mel Rose, introduced.
- Working Group Updates:
- Engagement:
- New independent NAPB website launched, improving accessibility and community interaction.
- Newsletter can now be updated as blog posts, and visitors can leave feedback on pages.
- NAP membership sign-up process streamlined to improve engagement.
- Workforce Development:
- Training materials still not accessible on NCC’s training platform—issue under review.
- Workforce Development report to include measurable training outcomes.
- Data & Diagnosis:
- Diagnosis Working Group report to be circulated following its next meeting.
- Updates required on Data Dashboard progress in the next meeting.
- Engagement:
- Autism & Hoarding Research Initiative:
- New study on autism and hoarding behaviors—report by Dr. Abi Oludeye suggests a link.
- Proposal to collaborate with Sussex University on a funded research project on self-neglect.
- Diagnosis Working Group to help shape next steps.
- NAPB Website Transition:
- Board unanimously approved move from NCC-hosted site to an independent website.
- Lee Gibbons to coordinate data transfer from NCC to the new platform.
- Website to align with government accessibility guidelines.
- Other Key Announcements:
- Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) definition under review by clinicians and stakeholders.
- PDA discussion scheduled for the next Diagnosis Working Group meeting in October.
- Concerns raised about inconsistent Board member engagement—to be added to risk register.
Next Steps:
- Complete transition to independent NAPB website.
- Launch collaborative autism and hoarding research project.
- Improve data collection efforts and review the Autism Dashboard.
- Continue discussions on PDA recognition within diagnosis pathways.
Next Meeting: 5 November 2020, Microsoft Teams
To read the full minutes click here