Norfolk Autism Partnership Board

Meeting summary

Norfolk Autism Partnership Board Meeting Summary
Meeting Date: 18 July 2019
Location: County Hall, Norfolk County Council, Norwich

Overview
The Norfolk Autism Partnership Board (NAPB) met to discuss ongoing work and developments related to supporting autistic people and their families across Norfolk. The meeting included presentations on important topics, updates from various working groups, and discussions on priorities and next steps for improving services and support.

Main Presentations and Discussions

Hoarding and Self-Neglect Policy
Walter Lloyd-Smith, Safeguarding Adults Board Manager, presented on self-neglect and hoarding, highlighting the serious impact these issues can have on individuals’ lives. He explained that self-neglect is unique in adult safeguarding as the person is both the victim and perpetrator. Challenges in defining and addressing self-neglect were noted, including the lack of a national definition and the complex nature of each case. A 2018 survey of frontline workers helped develop a new county-wide strategy focused on early help, assessment of capacity, and guidance on hoarding. Board members discussed difficulties with individuals who do not engage with safeguarding services, overlap with other issues such as drug exploitation, and the importance of consistent recording of cases to better link data on autism and hoarding. Walter Lloyd-Smith expressed interest in developing a business case for a specialist self-neglect service and welcomed input from the Board.

Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Education Health and Care Plans (EHCP)
Maxine Blocksidge, Senior Adviser for SEND at Norfolk County Council, gave an update on the Norfolk Area SEND Strategy and the SEND and Alternative Provision Transformation Programme. The strategy, co-produced with stakeholders, aims to improve the SEND journey, provision, confidence in the Local Offer, and preparation for adult life. A survey gathering feedback on the strategy was open until 13 August 2019. The Transformation Programme, backed by £120 million of capital investment, focuses on providing good quality education closer to home, increasing special school places, reducing exclusions, and balancing budgets for High Needs and SEN transport. While recognising current delays in EHCP processing, there is a workstream dedicated to improving performance and developing a parent portal for monitoring progress. Maxine noted ongoing work to include objectives and targets in each area, with plans to align SEND work with the NAPB Education Working Group. The importance of sign language as a tool for inclusion was also raised. A standing agenda item for SEND updates at future Board meetings was agreed.

Working Group Updates

Engagement Working Group
Lee Gibbons reported on efforts to improve the NAPB’s public website, aiming for content that is more accessible and engaging, especially for autistic users. Plans include developing an easy-read introduction to the Autism Questionnaire to support wider participation. The group is recruiting two autistic individuals, one older and one younger, to join the group and welcomed interest from outside the current membership.

Data Working Group
Progress has been limited due to annual leave and the time between meetings. A recently completed data placement by an autistic employee will form the basis of an Autism Dashboard. This dashboard is a priority for review and development with a goal to bring it to the Board for discussion in an upcoming meeting.

Diagnostic Pathways Working Group
There have been several meetings supporting an independent review by RethinkPartners to improve autism diagnostic pathways. The group will consider review recommendations and plans to share these with the Board at a future session. An improvement plan is underway within Autism Service Norfolk, with regular clinical psychologist meetings and monthly contract monitoring meetings with Norfolk Community Health and Care to ensure progress. The importance of third sector involvement in support services was highlighted. The Board noted the need to improve health service representation and leadership involvement for this area.

Education Working Group
Maxine Blocksidge provided a brief update. She, along with Bruce Hubbard and Tracey Walton, plans to meet soon to refresh the working group and prepare future agendas. Members were asked for patience as they work towards more substantial progress and reporting at the next Board meeting.

Workforce Development and Training Working Group
Jane Hanrahan, Workforce Development Manager, updated on autism training developments within Norfolk County Council. Training includes an eLearning module and face-to-face sessions which have been positively received. The group is exploring how to offer the in-house developed training to wider partners such as Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs). Concerns about ensuring trainers’ suitability led to a decision to pursue accreditation for trainers. Due to platform limitations, alternative solutions for delivering eLearning to external users are being investigated. The Board agreed on the importance of gathering and sharing data on autism training across organisations. The group will liaise with NHS and other partners regarding ICT and associated costs. Future plans include exploring ways to provide training access to schools and the police. Recent training deliveries to a local prison and potential plans with Norfolk Museums Service and Wymondham Town Council were noted.

Other Business and Next Steps
The minutes from the previous meeting in May 2019 were reviewed, with minor corrections noted. Updates on various ongoing actions were provided, including follow-ups on data collection, action plan updates, and strategy approvals. The Health and Wellbeing Board has committed to supporting autism training, with the Autism Strategy progressing to Cabinet and Joint Strategic Commissioning Committee for further consideration.

The Autism Administrator reminded Board members that meeting dates were scheduled through to October 2020, with a venue change needed for the January 2020 meeting due to lack of an available quiet room. The Board agreed to keep the date but change the venue accordingly.

Upcoming Meeting Dates
The next Board meeting is scheduled for Thursday 17 October 2019, from 10:30am to 1:30pm, in the Edwards Room at County Hall. Further meetings for 2020 have been planned with dates provided up to October 2020.

Summary
This NAPB meeting focused on key issues affecting autistic people in Norfolk, including safeguarding around self-neglect and hoarding, developments in SEND education provision and EHCPs, and the progress of several working groups addressing engagement, data, diagnostic pathways, education, and training. The Board discussed challenges and initiatives but did not record specific binding decisions beyond agreed actions and commitments to continue work in these areas. Several actions were assigned, including supporting the self-neglect strategy promotion, reviewing future business cases, developing dashboards and improvement plans, and continuing to enhance training provision and engagement opportunities for autistic people. The Board remains engaged in improving autism-related services and support across Norfolk through collaborative and informed approaches.