Joint Strategy for Autistic People 2020-2025
The 2020-2025 Strategy builds on the achievements of the previous Warwickshire All Age Autism Strategy (2014 -2017) ‘Fulfilling & Rewarding Lives’ and the joint commissioning plan developed by Warwickshire County Council and Coventry City Council with the Warwickshire Autism Partnership Board in 2017.
This is a joint Autism Strategy for adults, children and young people across Coventry and Warwickshire and is owned by the following organisations and partnership boards:
- Warwickshire County Council
- Coventry City Council
- NHS Coventry and Rugby Clinical Commissioning Group*
- NHS Warwickshire North Clinical Commissioning Group*
- NHS South Warwickshire Clinical Commissioning Group*
- The Warwickshire Autism Partnership Board
*Now the newly formed CCG - Coventry and Warwickshire Clinical Commissioning Group
All partners to this strategy are committed to commissioning high quality autism services and support and will work with partner organisations to improve the lives and opportunities for autistic children, young people and adults. This 5-year local strategy has been coproduced with support from a wide range of people, including autistic people and their families and people working in services and organisations that support autistic people. A range of co-production and mapping activity which was completed in 2019 and 2020 which was undertaken to build our shared understanding of the experience of autistic people of all ages and their families in accessing support appropriate to their needs and getting a formal diagnosis of autism.
It was agreed in December 2020 to pause the sign off and formal publication of the Autism strategy due to the focus on the COVID pandemic, however work has continued on the delivery of priority actions. A communications plan for the strategy is currently being developed with partner organisations with an anticipated launch Autumn 2021.
There is also an imminent refresh of the national autism strategy expected in Summer 2021.
Needs assessments
This strategy is informed by a range of co-production and mapping activity undertaken to build a shared understanding of the experience of autistic people of all ages and their families and carers in accessing support appropriate to their needs and getting a formal diagnosis of autism. A robust co-production approach will be used throughout all stages of Strategy delivery to ensure that we build on strengths, experience and voice of individuals with direct experience of using health and social care services in supporting them in relation to autism related needs. Parent and carers will be equally supported and will be recognised as experts in experience.
Autism Partnership Board
We have an established Autism Partnership Board (a multi-agency group) including people with autism and their families. This board’s primary role and purpose is to implement, monitor and track progress of the strategy and ensure that progress is reviewed.
The board is currently under review pending the launch of the new strategy 2020-2025.