Norfolk Autism Partnership Board

Meeting summary

Norfolk Autism Partnership Board Meeting Summary
Date of meeting: Tuesday 30th April 2024
Location: Microsoft Teams

Purpose of the Meeting
The Norfolk Autism Partnership Board (NAPB) met to review and discuss the refreshed Norfolk All Age Autism Strategy. The meeting focused on updates about the strategy refresh process, reviewing feedback received, agreeing wording and content adjustments, and planning next steps for implementing the strategy’s priorities.

Main Updates and Discussions

Strategy Refresh Process
Tracey Walton (TW) provided an update on how the strategy refresh was carried out. Between July 2023 and April 2024, an Autism Strategy Group, mainly composed of autistic people, was set up to oversee and lead the refresh. This included designing and sharing various communication materials such as documents, animations, and easy-read formats to explain what had been achieved in the past five years and plans for the next five years. Feedback was collected through an online questionnaire and workbook, with activities arranged to explore people’s views and ensure nothing important was missed. The group analysed all feedback to agree on the key priorities and wrote the refreshed strategy and action plan. By May to June 2024, the refreshed strategy was planned to be shared widely with Board members and partners.

Managing Feedback
The Board was informed about how feedback on the draft strategy was gathered and dealt with. Members were sent a full summary version of the strategy ahead of the meeting and invited to email their comments. Everyone who provided feedback received a personalised response explaining whether and how their feedback was included. Some feedback led to minor wording changes or the addition of links and data where available. Other suggestions, such as those about delivery plans or broader policy changes outside the strategy’s scope, were noted but not incorporated into the strategy document itself. There was an open discussion about the wording used to describe the number of people giving feedback. It was agreed to avoid vague terms like “lots” or “some” and instead use “many people” or “people said” to better respect and represent the voices heard.

Content and Wording Changes
Several changes were agreed or proposed to improve clarity and relevance in the strategy’s content. For example, it was agreed the full strategy document should be provided in plain text without photos or images, to mirror the accessible format of the summary. There was agreement to add partner organisations’ logos to the strategy to show endorsement and strengthen collaboration. In terms of data, the Board agreed to use statistics from University College London about the autistic population in the UK and to include local information such as birth rates and estimated increases in autism prevalence to assist with future service planning. There was also consensus on adding a statement about challenges in recording and reporting autism-related data, linked to responsibilities under the Autism Act 2009.

Priority Areas Discussed
Priority 1 - Increase Understanding and Inclusion
The Board discussed adding a statement about the lack of autism awareness training in primary care, which includes not only GPs but all staff working within or from GP surgeries. It was noted that mandatory training for primary care staff would be rolled out through the Oliver McGowan training programme, but more effort was needed to ensure wide uptake and impact. The Equality Act was also referenced, with agreement to add information about the legal duty to make reasonable adjustments for suspected disabilities and to address stigma and prejudice against autistic people.

Priority 2 - Improve Access to Education and Transitions to Adulthood
The group noted concerns about waiting lists and inappropriate education provision, which leads some families to choose home education not out of preference but due to lack of suitable placements or breakdowns. A sensitive approach was advised when including this issue, ensuring alignment with other ongoing work such as the Norfolk SEND and alternative provision strategy. Further conversations with relevant leads in Children’s Services were planned to agree appropriate wording.

Priority 3 - Support Adults into Employment
No significant feedback requiring discussion was received for this priority during the meeting.

Priority 4 - Tackle Health Inequalities
The Board agreed that the strategy should present a more robust and transparent picture of mental health provisions, diagnostic wait times, and suicide risk for autistic people. National data would be included to reflect the recognised shortage of community mental health services and professionals skilled in autism. It was proposed to acknowledge local reports of unmet mental health needs, misdiagnoses, and diagnostic overshadowing. The strategy would also include references to the need for pre- and post-diagnostic mental health support, the shortage of available clinical therapeutic interventions, and information about patients’ right to choose their diagnostic assessment provider. Regarding diagnostic wait times, challenges in presenting accurate local data were acknowledged. The Board discussed the pros and cons of including current wait times or worst-case scenarios and suggested linking to NHS national waiting time targets to provide context.

Priority 5 - Build the Right Support in the Community
Agreement was reached to add a statement calling for separate Integrated Care Board governance for learning disability and autism services to improve focus and accountability.

Priority 6 - Improve Support Within the Criminal and Youth Justice System
No feedback requiring discussion was received for this priority.

Putting the Strategy into Action
The Board discussed the delivery of the strategy priorities, agreeing that the NAPB itself is not responsible for direct delivery. Instead, the Board’s role is to oversee progress, monitor partner organisations’ contributions, and coordinate where possible. It was noted that the NAPB is a voluntary group with influence but no formal power to enforce service changes. The importance of reviewing membership to include key sectors such as Children’s Services and Mental Health Services was highlighted to ensure relevant voices and expertise.

Options for Co-Producing Delivery Plans
Two options were presented for how to organise work on delivering the strategy’s priorities. Option 1 suggested creating six separate working groups, one for each priority area. Option 2 proposed one planning and monitoring group that would develop the plan, assign smaller task-and-finish groups as needed, and report back to the NAPB. The Autism Strategy Reference Group expressed a preference for Option 2, citing concerns about sustainability and the risk of spreading resources too thin with six groups. Lee Gibbons was tasked with assessing the feasibility of each approach from financial and operational perspectives.

Next Steps
The revised draft strategy with the agreed changes will be circulated to members for final comment. If no objections or further feedback are received, it will be considered agreed in principle. The strategy is scheduled to be presented to the Integrated Care Partnership Mental Health and Wellbeing Board for sign-off on 12th June 2024. The next Norfolk Autism Partnership Board meeting was set for Tuesday 28th May 2024.

Summary
The meeting provided a thorough review of the refreshed Norfolk All Age Autism Strategy, with constructive discussions about wording, data, and content to ensure it accurately reflects the needs and experiences of autistic people in Norfolk. Priority areas focused on inclusion, education, health, employment, community support, and justice system support. Practical approaches for delivering the strategy were considered, emphasising collaboration and oversight by the NAPB. The meeting concluded with clear actions to finalise and share the strategy and prepare for ongoing implementation efforts.

Glossary
The minutes included a glossary covering key organisations and terms related to autism support and governance in Norfolk, such as Autism Norfolk Forum (ANF), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Integrated Care Board (ICB), Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), and others. This ensures clarity for readers about recurring acronyms in discussions.

This summary aims to convey the key points and outcomes of the Norfolk Autism Partnership Board meeting in straightforward language, making the process and priorities of the autism strategy accessible to all interested parties.