Norfolk Autism Partnership Board

Meeting summary

Norfolk Autism Partnership Board Meeting Summary
Meeting Date: Wednesday 14 July 2021
Venue: Microsoft Teams
Duration: 10:00am to 12:00pm

Purpose of the Meeting
This meeting of the Norfolk All Age Autism Partnership Board (NAPB) focused on updates from various working groups, progress on ongoing projects, and discussions about the future direction of the partnership. Attendees included board members, carers, autistic adults, health and social care professionals, and voluntary sector representatives. Apologies were received from some key members who were unable to attend.

Welcome and Introductions
The meeting opened with a welcome and introductions. Communication support arrangements were explained, including the use of communication cards and quiet rooms. No adjustments were requested, and no conflicts of interest were declared. Lee Gibbons agreed to monitor the Code of Conduct during the meeting.

Minutes of Previous Meeting and Matters Arising
The minutes from the 14 April 2021 meeting were approved as a true record and will be made available on the NAP webpages. Actions from the previous meeting were reviewed with several items noted as ongoing, including social media engagement sharing, work on terms of reference and application forms, and development of a data dashboard. Some actions could not be completed due to lack of data availability, while others were completed or progressing well.

Working Group Highlights
Diagnosis Working Group: Significant progress has been made towards the group’s objectives, with Adrian Grant appointed as co-chair alongside the lead, Tracey Walton. The group is developing a data dashboard and will provide an update at the next meeting.

Engagement Working Group: The group reported positive visitor data for the partnership website. An autistic volunteer is being trained to maintain the website for continuity. A new newsletter is planned for release at the end of August or beginning of September. In response to changing lockdown rules, Autism Norfolk Forums (ANF) will be reorganised, with the next forum proposed as a hybrid in-person and virtual event in September 2021 in Norwich. It was agreed that smaller informal engagement events, such as coffee mornings run by ASD Helping Hands and led by Lee Gibbons, will complement the larger forums. All members were encouraged to contribute material for the newsletter and to participate in conversations at upcoming forums. Data on membership locations will be shared to assist planning these events.

Workforce Development Working Group: Despite the lead, Hannah Riches, being absent, an update was provided by Tom Bassett. The group has achieved many objectives and will reduce meeting frequency, shifting focus to monitoring. Training recommendations will continue pending further information on national Oliver McGowan training. A joint message encouraging greater uptake of training will be prepared by the co-chairs, aimed at Community Care Team leaders.

Other Matters Arising
An assessment of board members’ autism training levels found that all members meet or are booked onto appropriate training, fulfilling the expectations outlined in the partnership’s Terms of Reference. To improve meeting efficiency, time will be set aside on future agendas for progress updates on objectives, with working group leads preparing slides for these updates. Tracey Walton will provide plans to the administrator for distribution among members.

Future and Vision of the Partnership
Tom Bassett provided an update on the ongoing development of the partnership board. The business case remains a work in progress and is complex, linking to various projects such as the Front Door project and Norfolk County Council’s Innovation Team. Initial funding from the partnership’s current NCC budget will cover start-up costs, with the aim for the project to become self-sustaining. Additional funding contributions from other members are being sought. Challenges relating to NHS provider and Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) funding were noted. Targets and deadlines exist but depend on multiple external parties. Adrian Grant offered to assist in connecting with Primary Care Networks. Actions were agreed for Tom Bassett to meet with relevant colleagues to discuss integration with Primary Care Networks and CCG funding issues. Health-related board members were invited to assist with business case and funding matters. All members were asked to provide advice on making contacts within their own organisations or networks.

Presentation on the CHANCES Project
Thomas Humphries and Andrew Morter gave a presentation about the CHANCES Project, focusing on its aims and impact on employment for autistic people in Norfolk. The Future Projects staff have completed autism eLearning via the partnership's website and are promoting it further. An invitation was extended for CHANCES team members to join forthcoming Employment Working Group or Task and Finish group meetings. It was agreed that engagement leads would coordinate with the CHANCES team to promote each other’s work. Laura Cox was asked to facilitate contact with the CHANCES team if needed.

Any Other Business and Wellbeing Check
There was agreement to prioritise establishing an Employment Working Group. The administrator and Tom Bassett were tasked with initiating this setup.

Next Meetings
The next scheduled meetings were confirmed for:
Wednesday 13 October 2021 at 10:00am
Wednesday 12 January 2022 at 10:00am

Glossary and Abbreviations
Various abbreviations were referenced during the meeting, including ANF (Autism Norfolk Forum), ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), CCG (Clinical Commissioning Groups), NAPB (Norfolk Autism Partnership Board), NCC (Norfolk County Council), NCH&C (Norfolk Community Health and Care), and others, reflecting the organisations and terms relevant to the partnership’s work.

Summary
The meeting provided important updates across several areas of the Norfolk Autism Partnership’s work, highlighting progress in diagnosis, engagement, and workforce development. It addressed the strategic development of the partnership’s future, noting ongoing funding and integration challenges but positive steps toward sustainability. The CHANCES Project was introduced to the board, emphasising employment support initiatives. Several actions were agreed, including cooperation between working groups, enhanced communication efforts, and the establishment of a new Employment Working Group to further support autistic individuals. The board continues to work collaboratively across sectors to improve autism services and support in Norfolk.