Norfolk Autism Partnership Board

Meeting summary

Norfolk Autism Partnership Board Meeting Summary – 6 January 2021

About the Meeting
The Norfolk All Age Autism Partnership Board (NAPB) held a meeting on 6 January 2021 via Microsoft Teams. The meeting brought together representatives from various organisations and groups involved in autism services and support in Norfolk, including health, social care, voluntary sector, family carers, and autistic adults. Due to a new coronavirus lockdown announced shortly before the meeting, some members were unable to attend, and this was noted and accepted by the Board.

Main Updates and Discussions

Previous Meeting Minutes and Actions
The minutes from the previous meeting held on 5 November 2020 were agreed as a true record. Most actions from earlier meetings are ongoing, with some complete. Notably, updates on autism hoarding, self-neglect, safeguarding, and the website were covered by agenda items. The Diagnosis Working Group and Workforce Development Working Group reported progress in their areas, including improving waiting times for under-18s and the release of new e-learning training resources.

Working Group Reports
The Engagement Working Group continues to drive membership recruitment and has been working on improving communication with providers, especially regarding feedback on Covid-19 related support. They have created an NAPB newsletter, which is in the process of becoming accessible and may be updated due to current events. Volunteer agreements are in development.

The Diagnosis Working Group is making significant progress in objectives such as reducing waiting times for diagnosis and supporting timely interventions for children. A draft clinical review of adult autism services is underway and a definition for Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) is being developed.

The Workforce Development Group has launched new e-learning training about autism, which has been uploaded to the independent NAPB website for worldwide access. The group is also monitoring the procurement of in-person trainers.

Safeguarding Update and ‘Tricky Friends’ Video
Walter Lloyd-Smith provided a safeguarding update focusing on autism-related hoarding, self-neglect, and the use of locked provision cases. The Board received a revised ‘Tricky Friends’ video that has received unanimous approval and may be hosted or linked to on the new NAPB independent website.

Independent Website and Communications
Lee Gibbons reported the new independent NAPB website is fully functional for training and ready to launch as soon as training documents are approved for upload. The Board agreed to launch the website as soon as possible and expressed interest in having other local websites, such as the Norfolk Community Directory, link to it. The website will replace current NAPB and Autism Norfolk Forum (ANF) webpages hosted on the Norfolk County Council website. The Engagement Working Group will take responsibility for keeping the content up to date.

Future Vision and Meeting Schedule
Tom Bassett outlined his role as Partnership Transformation Manager and led discussions on the Board’s successes, future ways of working, and strategy priorities. The Board agreed to hold quarterly meetings instead of bimonthly, with Working Groups continuing monthly. Other meetings will occur as needed, considering reasonable adjustment requirements for members.

A new Vision and Long-Term Plan Working Group was created to develop ideas and proposals for future Board operations. Current Working Group leads along with two Board members volunteered to participate. Opportunities will be offered for other Board members to join. Actions were agreed to send invitations for the new group and to arrange the updated Board meeting schedule.

Special Thanks
The Board formally thanked former member Sue Medley for her contributions, particularly in autism training and developing easy-read materials, and wished her well in her future endeavours.

Actions and Next Steps
Walter Lloyd-Smith will provide a future update on safeguarding, with emphasis on locked provision cases and autism hoarding studies.

The Administrator will send invitations for the new Vision and Long-Term Plan Working Group and arrange quarterly Board meetings with revised invitations.

Tom Bassett and the Administrator will compile and summarise the feedback from the current meeting to guide the Vision and Long-Term Plan group’s discussions.

The Engagement Working Group will continue maintaining and updating the independent NAPB website and support communications including newsletters.

Workforce Development will monitor training delivery and share autism training within organisations to identify gaps.

A bid is being scoped with Sussex University for research into autism-related self-neglect in Norfolk, in collaboration with Tracey Walton and Walter Lloyd-Smith.

Other routine actions such as recruitment to the Buddy Scheme and strategy multi-agency plans are ongoing or complete.

Summary
The meeting focused on updating Board members on progress made across various working groups, safeguarding concerns, and communications. The Board agreed to launch a new website shortly and to reduce meeting frequency to quarterly. Establishing a new working group to plan for the partnership’s long-term vision and strategy was agreed. The meeting reflected ongoing adaptation to Covid-19 challenges and demonstrated collaborative efforts to improve autism support services in Norfolk.