Norfolk Autism Partnership Board

Meeting summary

Norfolk Autism Partnership Board Meeting Summary
Date of Meeting: 14 April 2022
Venue: Microsoft Teams

Purpose of the Meeting
This meeting of the Norfolk All Age Autism Partnership Board (NAPB) aimed to share updates on the board’s activities, hear reports from working groups, review recent Autism Norfolk Forums, discuss the National Strategy for Autism 2021-2026, consider the board’s format and meeting schedule, and cover any other business relevant to autism support and partnership work in Norfolk.

Main Updates and Discussions

Working Group Reports
The Diagnosis Working Group reported progress on several fronts. The group helped develop a wellbeing script for checking on people waiting for autism diagnosis through Autism Service Norfolk. They are tracking adult autism diagnostic waiting times and clinical resource expansion, addressing these delays, and continuing efforts to clarify definitions around Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA). The group also connected with the Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust about a new Recovery College Autism Course. The group welcomes additional members, particularly autistic individuals or parent carers.

The Engagement Working Group lead shared successes of their independent website, noting over 1,100 views and growing eLearning participation. The group is hosting a series of Autism Norfolk Forums (ANF), with the latest (28 March 2022) focused on employment and the next planned on housing in June 2022. Feedback suggested that many attendees, especially parents, lacked information on employment, benefits, and support options. This has prompted suggestions to include these topics in annual Education, Health and Care Plan reviews for young people approaching adulthood. An adult social event is also planned for late April at the Shoebox Community Hub.

The Workforce Development Working Group is creating pre- and post-training quizzes for the Understanding Autism Course to better engage those taking the training. The course is becoming mandatory on Norfolk County Council’s new Learning Platform, with more online sessions planned between June 2022 and March 2023.

The Employment Working Group is focusing on setting up a resource list for autism employment, engaging employers as Autism Employment Champions, preparing for a neurodiversity conference, and raising awareness about differences between autism and learning disabilities, particularly related to employment. The group welcomes more autistic members and those affiliated with relevant organisations.

Autism Norfolk Forum Update
Lee Gibbons summarised the Autism Norfolk Forum held on 28 March 2022 with a theme on employment. The forum provided an opportunity for a wider community interested in autism to engage, including 10 public attendees along with representatives from the Norfolk County Council (NCC) Employment Team and Chances Project. It highlighted knowledge gaps around employment and benefits, with suggestions to embed this information in support plans for young people. Future forums are planned to address housing and will be held online, though the format (online, in-person, or hybrid) will be reviewed based on attendee preferences and public health guidance. Speakers from NCC Commissioning and Shelter are invited for the next forum.

National Strategy for Autism 2021-2026
Trevor Key presented key points of the national autism strategy, covering topics such as coronavirus rules, children, young people and families, employment, health and care, and the justice system. An Easy Read version of the strategy had been shared with meeting invitees. It was agreed that the Norfolk Area SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) strategy should align well with the national strategy. Maxine Blocksidge was tasked with ensuring this alignment.

Board Format and Meeting Schedule
Tom Bassett updated the board on discussions regarding the board’s format and progress on the specification and procurement exercise to move towards an independent partnership. Due to increasing agenda items, the board agreed that meetings should be held more often, ideally every two months.

The procurement timeline is as follows: bidding and tendering takes place from March to June, followed by a bidder’s event in May. Bids will be reviewed and interviews held in July, with the chosen provider going through a cooling-off period in August (if needed). The provider will prepare in September and officially take over in October. The co-chairs will be involved in bidder events and moderation. More work will be required in June and July to support the process.

An action was set for the coordinator to arrange a bi-monthly meeting schedule and seek approval from co-chairs.

Other Business and Wellbeing Check
Rachel Gates from the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) informed the board about an upcoming Building the Right Support Peer Review. The board agreed to participate and Rachel will arrange this.

Lee Gibbons will contact the Diagnosis Working Group to follow up on concerns around sensory needs assessments after diagnosis from the ‘OWL’ service.

Following discussions about funding for mental health and autism, the board agreed in principle that co-chairs Trevor Key and Adrian Grant should contact the Clinical Commissioning Group and Norfolk County Council to discuss this further.

Folk East, a local festival, expressed interest in greater involvement with the partnership.

The board noted limited involvement from children’s services and requested further escalation by Tom Bassett to address this.

Dr Maria Karetti, a GP connected with primary care providers, expressed interest in attending board meetings, and the coordinator was asked to facilitate this.

The board agreed to the use of the partnership logo on a Pathological Demand Avoidance statement.

An advert for a Mental Health and Autism Specialist nurse was noted to have gone live on the day of the meeting.

A wellbeing check for board members was completed via email survey.

Actions and Next Steps
Maxine Blocksidge will ensure local SEND strategies match the National Autism Strategy.

The coordinator will arrange the new bi-monthly meeting schedule and submit it for approval by the board co-chairs.

Rachel Gates will contact autism@norfolk.gov.uk to arrange involvement in the Building the Right Support Peer Review.

Lee Gibbons will follow up with the Diagnosis Working Group on sensory needs assessment issues.

Co-chairs Trevor Key and Adrian Grant will pursue discussions with the Clinical Commissioning Group and Norfolk County Council regarding funding for mental health and autism.

Tom Bassett will escalate the issue of limited children’s services involvement in the board.

The coordinator will facilitate Dr Maria Karetti’s attendance at future meetings.

Summary
The April 2022 Norfolk Autism Partnership Board meeting provided important updates from working groups, reviewed recent community engagement through Autism Norfolk Forums, and began preparations for the board’s future format and independence. Key strategic alignments with national autism guidance were considered, and several actions were agreed to improve communication, inclusivity, and service development. The board continues to encourage diverse membership involvement, including autistic people, carers, and service representatives, to ensure broad perspectives in shaping support and services for autistic people across Norfolk.