Norfolk Autism Partnership Board

Meeting summary

Norfolk Autism Partnership Board Meeting Summary
Date: 09 September 2020
Venue: Microsoft Teams Meeting

Purpose of the Meeting
The Norfolk Autism Partnership Board (NAPB) met to discuss a range of topics related to autism services and support in Norfolk. The meeting included updates from working groups, presentations, and discussions on ongoing projects and strategies aimed at improving the lives of autistic people and their families across the county.

Main Updates and Discussions

Welcome and Introductions
The meeting began with introductions, and members were briefed on using Microsoft Teams for the session. New prospective members Richard Peat and Mel Rose introduced themselves and attended as observers before deciding on joining the Board.

Minutes and Actions from Previous Meeting
Members approved the minutes from the last meeting held on 16 July 2020 as a true record. Various outstanding actions from earlier meetings were reviewed. Some items remained ongoing, while others were completed or covered as part of the current agenda.

Key updates included progress on the Autism Hoarding and Self-Neglect agenda item, the Buddy Scheme and Strategy Multi-Agency Plan, and the update of the NAPB website. There was positive feedback about the forthcoming "Tricky Friends" animated video, which had been revised based on member comments and was expected to be available for endorsement in four to six weeks.

Work on safeguarding locked provision had been delayed due to Covid-19, but invitations for active participation from Partnership members would be sent soon. Autism training continued to be developed, with workforce development also maintaining attention.

Working group reports were shared and approved where available. Particular attention was to be given to updates from the Diagnosis and Data working groups at future meetings.

Presentation on Hoarding and Autism
Carolyn Watts gave an update on a report about hoarding and autism by Dr Abi Oludeye, which followed an earlier presentation on this topic to the Board. The report explored possible links between autism-related collecting behaviours and hoarding or self-neglect.

The Board noted that Norfolk County Council would consider the report’s recommendations and explore further options. It was agreed that those leading work in the Council should collaborate with the Diagnosis Working Group to develop proposals. Alison Furniss contributed by offering her experience with collecting behaviour and support for any ongoing studies.

An action was agreed for Walter Lloyd-Smith and Tracey Walton to work with Sussex University on applying for a research bid through the National Institute for Health Research. This study would focus on self-neglect in the Norfolk community. Carolyn Watts’s presentation and the report would be circulated for members' information. Tracey Walton would also link with Chris Scott from Norfolk County Council to align community work and future co-production links with the Board.

Presentation and Discussion on the New NAPB Website
Lee Gibbons, as the Engagement Working Group Lead, presented updates on the new independent Norfolk Autism Partnership Board website. The new site had moved from being hosted on Norfolk County Council servers to an independent domain. Changes included streamlined membership signup, the ability to post newsletters as blogs, and visitor comments on pages. Measures such as spam blocking, usage analytics, and accessibility improvements were also introduced.

The Board understood that no data would be stored on the website itself; any data entered would be encrypted and sent securely to the Council’s autism team. It was also explained that the move to an independent website was in response to feedback from autistic people who felt the Board’s independence was compromised while the site was hosted by the Council.

The Board unanimously supported the transition to the independent NAPB website. An action was assigned to Lee Gibbons and Tracey Walton to request the removal of NAPB content from the Council’s web pages and ensure a smooth transition.

Member Attendance and Input Outside of Meetings
The Board discussed concerns about inconsistent responses from members when feedback was requested outside of meetings. They acknowledged that the Covid-19 crisis had impacted people’s capacity. It was agreed to investigate barriers to progressing the autism strategy and to add this issue to the Board’s risk register for mitigation.

An action was set for Lee Gibbons to explore the possibility of adding visitor comments to meeting agendas and documents hosted on the new website to enable broader feedback to Board meetings.

Any Other Business and Wellbeing Check
Tom Bassett was congratulated on his appointment as Transformation Board Manager, where he would continue to coordinate partnership activities with Tracey Walton as the Autism Lead.

It was reported that a definition of Pathological Demand Avoidance would be discussed by clinicians and key stakeholders at the next Diagnosis Working Group, and then brought to the Board for agreement in October 2020.

Prospective member Mel Rose confirmed her wish to continue as a Board member and to participate in working groups.

Next Meeting
The next Norfolk Autism Partnership Board meeting was scheduled for Thursday 5 November 2020 from 11am to 1pm, to be held via Microsoft Teams.

Summary of Actions and Next Steps
The Administrator to distribute the diagnosis working group report following their meeting on 10 September.
Walter Lloyd-Smith and Tracey Walton to pursue a research bid with Sussex University on self-neglect and autism.
Carolyn Watts’s presentation and report to be circulated to members.
Tracey Walton to liaise with Chris Scott on community work and co-production links.
Lee Gibbons and Tracey Walton to complete the transition of the NAPB website away from Norfolk County Council’s servers.
Lee Gibbons to investigate visitor comment functionality on meeting-related documents.
The Board to consider barriers to strategy progress and add these to the risk register.
A Pathological Demand Avoidance definition to be reviewed and proposed in October 2020.

This meeting continued to focus on collaboration and progress towards improving services for autistic people in Norfolk, with ongoing commitment from board members, working groups, and partners.