Norfolk Autism Partnership Board

Meeting summary

Norfolk Autism Partnership Board Meeting Summary
Date: Wednesday 3 June 2020
Venue: Microsoft Teams Meeting

Purpose of the Meeting
The Norfolk Autism Partnership Board (NAPB) held its meeting to review ongoing work, share updates, approve governance arrangements, discuss handling complaints, and acknowledge the launch of the local autism strategy “My Autism, Our Lives, Our Norfolk.” The meeting aimed to maintain effective partnership working in response to Covid-19 and discuss future priorities.

Attendees
The meeting involved board co-chairs, representatives from Norfolk County Council, the NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups, Norfolk Constabulary, voluntary sector representatives, autistic adults, and health and social care organisations. Some members sent apologies due to other commitments.

Main Updates and Discussions

Welcome and Introductions
The meeting opened with introductions and a reminder about using Microsoft Teams for remote participation. No declarations of interest were made. It was noted that Inspector Jo Walmsley from Norfolk Police would replace Lucy King in future meetings. Tracey Walton agreed to monitor the Board’s Code of Conduct for the meeting.

Minutes of Previous Meeting
Minutes from the last meeting on 29 January 2020 were accepted as a true record and were to be added to the NAP webpages. It was noted that timelines for actions had been disrupted due to the Covid-19 pandemic and reassignment of staff to frontline duties. The action log had been updated accordingly and would be recirculated.

Governance Approval and Working Groups
The Board acknowledged the need to adjust ways of working in response to Covid-19 and social/physical distancing measures. To reflect feedback, the Board agreed that the phrase “social / physical distancing” would be consistently used in all communications to clarify the meaning.

A new Governance, Compliments and Complaints working group was established. This group will manage compliments and complaints, handle related queries, and review policies and procedures when due. Members were invited to express interest in joining this new group.

The Engagement, Workforce Development, and Diagnosis working groups continue to meet regularly virtually via MS Teams. The Governance group will meet as needed. The Data and Education Working Groups remain virtual and report into the Board. The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Transformation programme will report quarterly. All Board members are also members of the Data working group.

Plans were discussed to send work packages to the Autism Norfolk Forum monthly via email, facilitated by the Autism Administrator, with support from the Engagement working group. The Engagement Working Group will also explore other ways to engage forum members using technology such as MS Teams.

Members agreed to complete and return a buddy scheme form to strengthen communication within the Board.

Strategy Launch and Covid-19 Survey
The Board acknowledged the official launch of the local autism strategy “My Autism, Our Lives, Our Norfolk” on 1 June 2020. The launch was supported by a press release, the NAPB newsletter, and an autism Covid-19 survey launched alongside the strategy.

The survey, named "Coronavirus Survey May 2020," aims to gather feedback on the impact of Covid-19. Results will be analysed within six weeks by either the Data or Engagement working groups depending on available resources.

Tracey Walton reported that the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) East of England Network had recognised Norfolk’s progress in co-producing the autism strategy and requested permission to use the Covid-19 survey regionally. The Board discussed potential concerns about sharing the survey but ultimately agreed to share it with the ADASS East of England Network.

Members were encouraged to read the newsletter and other strategy materials. The Engagement Working Group will consider how often to publish the newsletter and implement a schedule. The Board thanked staff and autism volunteers for their contribution to the strategy launch.

Managing Complaints
The NAPB Engagement Working Group reported difficulties managing complaints on behalf of the Norfolk Autism Partnership, noting some complaints were complex and affecting their ability to progress other work. They presented recommendations for handling current complaints more effectively.

The Board discussed options for appointing an independent reviewer to manage complaints. The idea of using a known independent reviewer with autism knowledge was preferred over an unknown reviewer, due to benefits of familiarity and controlling scope and costs. The Board recognised the need for statutory members to have internal discussions on funding to support the review process.

It was agreed that NAPB co-chairs have authority to oversee complaints on behalf of the partnership. Tracey Walton was tasked with implementing the appointment of the independent reviewer. Statutory members agreed to report back by 17 June 2020 regarding joint funding arrangements.

The police indicated they could not commit to funding or recommendations until some additional questions they raised via email were answered. Tracey Walton will address these and keep the co-chairs informed.

Wellbeing Check and Closing
Based on feedback, the Engagement Working Group introduced a wellbeing check survey to be sent after each meeting. This aims to provide consistent feedback opportunities and enable honest responses without pressure.

Next Meetings
The following dates for future meetings were noted:
Thursday 16 July 2020, 10:30 am - 12:30 pm
Wednesday 5 August 2020, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Thursday 9 September 2020, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Thursday 15 October 2020, 10:30 am - 12:30 pm
All meetings to continue virtually via Microsoft Teams.

Glossary and Abbreviations
The minutes include a glossary for terms such as Autism Norfolk Forum (ANF), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG), Norfolk County Council (NCC), Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), and others to support readers’ understanding.

Summary of Actions and Next Steps
Updated minutes from the 29 January 2020 meeting to be uploaded to NAP webpages.
Updated action log with adjusted timelines due to Covid-19 to be recirculated.
Members to consider joining the Governance, Compliments and Complaints working group.
Engagement Working Group to explore ways to engage the Autism Norfolk Forum via email and MS Teams.
Members to complete the buddy scheme and return forms to the designated email.
Survey results to be analysed within six weeks by Data or Engagement groups.
Survey shared with ADASS East of England Network as agreed.
Engagement Working Group to plan newsletter frequency and implement accordingly.
Tracey Walton to implement appointment of an independent complaints reviewer.
Statutory members to discuss and confirm arrangements for joint funding by 17 June 2020.
Tracey Walton to respond to Norfolk Constabulary queries regarding complaints management.
Wellbeing check survey to be sent after each meeting for participant feedback.

This meeting ensured continued collaboration and progress despite pandemic challenges, with key governance and operational matters addressed alongside recognition of the new local autism strategy launch. The Board demonstrated commitment to transparent complaint handling and ongoing engagement with the autism community.