Contents

  1. Introduction to the Autism Strategy
  2. Context to the Autism Strategy
  3. Autism in Bexley
  4. National context
  5. Our approach to the Autism Strategy
  6. Our language
  7. Our vision and priorities
  8. How we will achieve our Autism Strategy
  9. Appendix A: Action plan priorities

7. Our vision and priorities

Our vision

This strategy will help us to make sure that autistic people of all ages in Bexley are valued, supported and empowered to thrive as individuals.

To help us achieve this we have identified 5 main priorities.

Our priorities

1. Raising awareness - Autistic people feel valued, understood and part of our community

Why is this important?

Less than half of people who responded to our survey felt that people living or working in Bexley understand autism.

Through our conversations with local people, we heard that people felt that they experienced a wide range of challenges in living their lives due to a lack of understanding, reasonable adjustments and personalised support.  We want to work towards improving public understanding and acceptance of autism so that autistic people feel more included in our community.

In a survey response, a family member of an autistic person said:

Greater awareness in that many autistic people are working and living independently or with little support and may well be your neighbour or colleague or the person on the bus next to you”

Our ambition

  • to promote greater awareness of autism in Bexley
  • that autistic people are understood, welcomed and can better access community services
  • that reasonable adjustments are better understood and more widely offered to autistic people
  • that local professionals have access to high quality training delivered in partnership with autistic people

How we will know we are making progress

  • autistic people feel that people living or working in Bexley better understand autism
  • training delivered in partnership with autistic people to local partners is developed and accessed
  • autism friendly borough scheme is evaluated and implemented 

2. Autistic people have good access to support and services to thrive as individuals

Why is this important?

Over half of autistic people and families who we spoke to felt that there is not enough information and support for people to take part in hobbies and activities. Many people felt that there is a lack of autism specific services in the borough, especially for autistic adults.

We want autistic people to have the opportunity to be involved in our community and to do the things that are most important to them.

In a survey response, a family member of an autistic person said:

To make support, information, the services available, more easily accessible. It would be good not to feel so isolated from support”

Our ambition

  • that information about support and services is accessible and easier to find
  • that autistic people help to identify gaps in services and are involved in developing solutions 
  • services are more accessible for autistic people 
  • there are a range of activities, support and services for autistic people
  • we understand our autistic population better and use this information to help shape services

How we will know we are making progress

  • there is a central place for accessing information about services in Bexley which support autistic people
  • there are a wider range of activities and services that autistic people can access
  • we have more accurate data about autism in Bexley which is used in planning local services

3. There are more opportunities for autistic people to be heard and to influence change in Bexley

Why is this important?

Almost three quarters of autistic people felt that they could be better involved in decision making locally.

We asked people what else would help autistic people be move involved in decision making in Bexley. In the survey a family member of an autistic person said:

Being heard, they are speaking, they just aren’t being listened to!”

Our ambition

  • ensure the voices of autistic people in Bexley are heard and considered when planning and delivering services
  • ensure that the Autism Partnership represents the views of a wide range of autistic people and works to influence positive change for autistic people in Bexley
  • autistic people feel listened to and that their views and experiences are reflected in our support and services

How we will know we are making progress

  • there is more engagement with autistic people and their views and experiences help to shape local services
  • the Autism Partnership Board has a diverse membership and works to influence local planning

4. Autistic people have better health and wellbeing

Why is this important?

Almost three quarters of people felt that there needs to be more support for autistic people following their diagnosis. Many people told us that they did not feel that they could get the support they need from mental health services and that there needed to be a wider range of reasonable adjustments when accessing health and wellbeing services.

We want people to be able to access information and support to get a diagnosis when the time is right for them.

We want autistic people to have fair access to health and wellbeing services that are accessible to help them live healthier lives.

In a survey response, an autistic person said:

Support is geared up to pick us up after we have fallen. We need support to stop us from falling in the first place” 

Our ambition

  • to improve early identification and better understanding of how autism can present in a range of individuals
  • people have the right information at the right time about how to seek a diagnosis
  • to reduce diagnosis waiting times and improve pre and post diagnosis support
  • autistic people have good support to improve their mental health and wellbeing and have improved access to mental health services
  • health and wellbeing services are accessible and provide appropriate reasonable adjustments

How we will know we are making progress

  • mental health services are more accessible for autistic people
  • a greater number of health and wellbeing services offer suitable reasonable adjustments
  • autistic people receive support whilst awaiting, and following, their diagnosis

5. Autistic people have better access to education and employment

Why is this important?

We heard from many people that accessing the right education at the right time can be challenging and that many young people find the transition to adulthood and adult services difficult.

Over half of the people we spoke to felt that there is not enough support around education, transitions to adulthood or employment. We know that autistic people nationally face the worst employment gap out of all disabled people; only ‘three in ten autistic people are in work, compared with five in ten disabled people and eight in ten for non-disabled people’. (National Autistic Society, Buckland Review data).

We want to make sure that children and young people are more able to achieve their potential through inclusive and understanding education.

We also want to see more autistic people employed and supported to stay in employment, with local employers feeling more confident in employing autistic people and recognising the value they bring to the workplace.

In a survey response, an autistic person said:

All of my attempts to gain employment have failed. I have felt unsupported and totally unwanted” 

Our ambition

  • autistic children and young people have access to the right support at the right time and in the right place
  • autistic children and young people have opportunities to live a fulfilled adulthood
  • autistic people have more opportunities to use their skills to gain employment
  • employers have a better understanding of how to support autistic employees and provide more opportunities to autistic people 

How we will know we are making progress

  • the ambitions of the SEND strategy are fully met
  • more autistic people are in work in Bexley
  • more employers offer opportunities and support to autistic people