Issue - meetings

To receive a report from the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health and the Corporate Director of Social Care, Health and Wellbeing, to consider and approve the final version of the Strategy and endorse or make recommendations to the Cabinet Member on the proposed decision to approve and adopt the Strategy and delegate authority to the Corporate Director to refresh and/or make revisions to the Strategy during its lifetime.

Ms B Palmer, Manager, Sensory and Autism Services, and Mr G Offord, Commissioning Officer, were in attendance for this item.

1.            Ms Palmer introduced the item and reminded Members that the committee had previously considered and commented on a report on the consultation on the new Strategy.  The new Strategy, taking account of views received as part of the consultation, was now presented for comment and approval prior to the Cabinet Member taking a formal decision to approve and publish it. Ms Palmer then responded to comments and questions from Members, as follows:

a)    a pilot autism enablement service, led by occupational therapists, would address the need for such services as travel training, which was regularly provided to young people now but would not have been given years ago, meaning that some people now in adulthood had never had the opportunity to benefit from it;

b)    although the response rate, of 107 responses out of 13,000 people known to have autism, seemed disappointing, this did include some responses being made on behalf of groups. Hence, the total number of people represented by the responses given was greater than 107.  To increase the level of engagement and extend the autism collaborative would always be welcome, and staff liaising with working groups of young people and adults would collect their contact details for future use;

c)    the County Council was currently working on a project to establish an all-age pathway, which would ensure that people being diagnosed with autism at any age would have access to the support and services they needed.  Demand for services among young people was currently growing; and

d)    adults with autism were currently under-represented in the employment market but had good skills to offer; it was important to identify how these skills could be best used. Kent Supported Employment supported adults with autism to find employment but it was hoped that this work could be extended. Some national employers were known to employ only people with autism, due to the particular skills they could bring to the work of those companies.

2.            The Cabinet Member, Mr Gibbens, thanked Members for their comments and undertook to take account of them when taking the decision.

3.            RESOLVED that:-

a)    the final version of the Strategy for Adults with Autism in Kent (2016-2021) be approved; and

b)     the decision proposed to be taken by the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, to approve and adopt the Strategy for Adults with Autism in Kent (2016-2021) and to delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Social Care, Health and Wellbeing, or other nominated officer, to refresh and/or make revisions, as appropriate, during its lifetime, be endorsed.

To receive a report from the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health and the Corporate Director of Social Care, Health and Wellbeing on the draft strategy, on which the committee is invited to comment.

Ms B Palmer, Manager, Sensory and Autism Services, and Mr G Offord, Commissioning Officer, were in attendance for this item.

1.            Ms Palmer introduced the report and advised that the consultation period had been extended until 24 December to allow Members to comment on the draft strategy.  Mr Ireland added that identifying and providing services for adults with autism was one of the largest challenges facing education and social care authorities.  Ms Palmer responded to comments and questions, as follows:-

a)    many adults would never receive a diagnosis of autism, and this was partly because many people did not meet the new criteria for diagnosis;

b)    tools such as travel training, used to great success for children with autism, would be developed and used by the special social care team for adults, working with the University of Canterbury. However, to be most effective, this training would need to be undertaken soon after diagnosis; and

c)    the special social care team for adults would also be proactive in engaging carers of adults with autism and assessing their needs, particularly those approaching old age.

2.         RESOLVED that the information set out in the report, and given in response to comments and questions, be noted.