Autism Strategy Year Two Plan
This page sets out the actions organisations in Norfolk will take from 1 August 2025 to 31 July 2026 to continue delivering Norfolk’s All Age Autism Strategy 2024 to 2029.
The plan will be monitored by the Autism Strategy Oversight Group, with progress reported to the Norfolk Autism Partnership Board, the Integrated Care System Learning Disability and Autism Programme Board, the Health and Wellbeing Board when requested, and the public through the NAP website.
What is included in the Year Two Plan
The Year Two Plan is organised around the same six priorities as the wider strategy. Each section sets out what people said was important, what organisations will do, how progress will be measured, and who will lead the work.
Priority 1 – Improved understanding and inclusion of autism
Understanding autism in society, public services, information and resources, co-production, and safe spaces.
Priority 2 – Improve access to education and support transitions into adulthood
Support in education settings, communication, home education support, and transitions into adulthood.
Priority 3 – Support adults into employment
Getting a job, support for employers, and keeping a job.
Priority 4 – Tackle health inequalities for autistic people
Diagnosis, health services, and mental health services.
Priority 5 – Building the right support in the community
Early intervention, support for autistic people, social care services, and housing and independent living.
Priority 6 – Improve support within the criminal and youth justice system
Early intervention, support in police stations and courts, support while in prison, and support on release from prison.
Year Two priorities and actions
Priority 1 – Improved understanding and inclusion of autism
Better understanding of autism in society
- Continue promoting the one day Understanding Autism course through events and in-house delivery, with a target of training more professionals.
- Promote the free Autism Awareness e-learning through public events and workshops, aiming to increase learners and website visits.
- Plan and deliver Autism Acceptance Week 2026 through a co-production group of autistic people and parents or carers.
- Support inclusive leisure and youth opportunities through the Local Area Inclusion Plan, including provider guidance, training routes and evaluation.
- Work with Titan and bus companies to improve autism-friendly travel resources based on autistic people’s feedback.
- Continue exploring an autism quality mark or kitemark linked to the Norfolk Autism Directory.
Understanding of autism in public services
- Pilot prison communication training in the East of England and continue autism and reasonable adjustment training in prison settings.
- Expand Autism Education Trust training in schools, including leadership modules focused on inclusive practice.
- Continue autism training and awareness activity in Norfolk Constabulary.
- Roll out Reasonable Adjustments are our Statutory Duty training and Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training more widely across health and social care.
- Develop Green Light Champions, National Autism Trainer Programme activity, neurodiversity content in staff learning, and targeted support in services such as drug and alcohol support.
- Share good practice examples across health, social care and education.
Information, co-production and safe spaces
- Increase listings in the Norfolk Autism Directory and encourage organisations to add and update information.
- Co-produce staff guidance and reference groups in mental health services.
- Continue co-producing the yearly plan and You Said, We Did work through the Autism Strategy Oversight Group.
- Promote the strategy to younger autistic people and increase engagement with the Young People Autism Advisory Group.
- Work with acute hospitals to raise awareness of the need for quiet and safe places for autistic people.
Priority 2 – Improve access to education and support transitions into adulthood
Support in education settings
- Pilot and expand 360 audits of SEN Information Reports in schools.
- Work with further education colleges on SEND improvement and sharing good practice through the Local First Inclusion programme.
Communication and participation
- Create and share a jingle for the 10 tips for inclusion.
- Launch and monitor a SEND participation training module to help professionals support children and young people to have their voice heard.
- Co-produce easy read information and animation linked to Know Your Rights for a Healthy Adult Life.
Home education and transitions into adulthood
- Identify, test and share home education resources for families of autistic children and young people.
- Improve Preparing for Adult Life work for young people with complex needs, including transitions linked to continuing healthcare and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.
- Review referral and allocation systems to reduce waiting times for support from the Preparing for Adult Life team.
Priority 3 – Support adults into employment
Getting a job
- Provide more support for autistic adults into work through the Connect to Work scheme and best practice job coaching.
- Continue work within Norfolk Constabulary to encourage autistic applicants and create a more inclusive workplace culture.
- Continue using the General Recruitment Aspirational Norfolk Model to support autistic people through police recruitment processes.
Support for employers and keeping a job
- Develop a new online employer resource area to help employers recruit and retain autistic people.
- Continue support for autistic employees in Norfolk Constabulary, including disability network promotion, a support directory and reasonable adjustment passports.
Priority 4 – Tackle health inequalities for autistic people
Diagnosis
- Continue increasing assessment capacity for children and young people and develop new system tools, training and earlier support approaches.
- Monitor the adult autism diagnosis and support pathway and work with ABL Health to deliver the service aligned to the co-produced model.
- ABL Health will establish a co-production group, publish a clear pathway and use screening data to shape resources and navigation support.
- Improve pre- and post-diagnostic support for both children and adults, including a single place to find information and support.
Health services
- Promote and improve consistent use of My Health Passports in acute hospitals.
- Raise awareness of misdiagnosis and appropriate referral pathways through targeted partner sessions.
- Co-produce guidance on private diagnosis for autistic adults.
- Agree a plan to improve access to specialist health services and increase the availability of autism champions in acute hospitals.
Mental health services
- Co-produce and publish positive practice guides for NHS Talking Therapies to improve adapted support for autistic people.
- Increase the number of therapists and types of therapy available for children and young people up to age 25.
- Monitor the Crisis Plus pilot for autistic adults and improve support to reduce reliance on urgent and emergency services.
- Continue work to reduce admissions, improve discharge and strengthen crisis support for autistic children and young people.
Priority 5 – Building the right support in the community
Early intervention and support for autistic people
- Develop Autism Handbooks for providers and practitioners in Adult Social Services.
- Continue work with the University of East Anglia to bid for research funding on short-term support services for autistic people.
- Support engagement on guidance about positive relationships through policing and community engagement.
Social care services and housing
- Extend and review Parent Carer Needs Assessment and Support work in Children’s Services.
- Increase understanding of demand for respite for autistic adults and Shared Lives support.
- Monitor social care waiting lists for autistic adults and consider how to reduce waiting times.
- Create new guidance to support staff in Adult Social Services working with autistic people and improve communication and approaches to assessment.
Priority 6 – Improve support within the criminal and youth justice system
Early intervention
- Continue youth justice work to support children who are NEET and improve routes into numeracy, literacy, apprenticeships and employment.
- Start providing in-house autism assessments in Norfolk Youth Justice Service to shape tailored intervention plans and reduce reoffending.
Police stations, prison and release
- Include action relating to police stations within the Year Two work, with future plans identifying the need for stronger court-related actions.
- Continue support in prison settings, including better environments, reasonable adjustments and tailored support.
- At His Majesty’s Prison Bure, liaise with offender management to simplify licence conditions and make them easier to understand.
Future plans
The PDF also lists themes that will need more work in future yearly plans. These include areas that are only partly covered by Years One and Two.
Priority 1 future themes
Wider public understanding, more inclusive leisure opportunities for adults, job centre training, advocacy, safe community spaces, and better understanding of trauma.
Priority 2 future themes
University support, more resources for teachers and parents, friendship support, bullying, and more work around rights and decision-making as young people grow older.
Priority 5 future themes
Assistive technology, wider drop-in and community support, support during life changes and transitions, and having one consistent person to go to.
Priority 6 future themes
Adult early intervention, good citizenship work, community sentence support, courts, youth justice support in prison, and broader release support across more prisons.
Download the full plan
If you want the full detail, including the full tables and glossary, use the PDF version.
Download the full PDF