The new Bexley Autism Strategy was approved at Public Cabinet last week (24 October).
The new strategy focuses on autism awareness, education and positive transitions into adulthood, employment, health and wellbeing and building the right community support.
Bexley MENCAP were commissioned to engage with local people to help develop the strategy.
More than 200 people responded to surveys and shared their views and experiences. Focused events were also held with over 100 people aged five years and up across a number of workshops and engagement sessions.
Bexley’s Autism Partnership reviewed the emerging feedback and identified the following priority areas for the strategy:
- Raising Awareness - Autistic people feel valued, understood and part of our community.
- Autistic people have good access to support and services to thrive as individuals.
- There are more opportunities for autistic people to be heard and to influence change in Bexley.
- Autistic people have better health and wellbeing.
- Autistic people have better access to education and employment.
Cabinet Member for Adults’ Services and Health, Cllr Melvin Seymour said:
This is an excellent piece of work that benefited from input from individuals, families, carers and partners from across the borough. I’d like to thank them all for playing their part in the development of this new strategy. Their feedback has been invaluable.
The world for people with autism can be very lonely at times and it can be lonely for parents and carers. This strategy will make sure that we are putting those people firmly as individuals at the heart of the community. It makes sure that they are treated as individuals, recognising that not ‘one size fits all’, allowing them to achieve whatever they need to in order to make the very best of their lives.”
The strategy action plan proposes a number of outcomes over a three-year period. These include a range of areas of focus aligned to the priority areas including:
- Developing a communications subgroup,
- Development of a digital hub to provide information and resources to support autistic people,
- Evaluating outcomes from short term funded services (funded through the Learning Disability and Autism programme)
- Working with local businesses and employees to support accessibility to employment
The strategy will shortly be available to view online.