NHS South Yorkshire and Barnsley Council have been working together with wider local health and social care partners to help build a new All-Age Autism Strategy for the next five years.
Our new Barnsley All-Age Autism Strategy will be developed based on the six National Strategy commitments for children, young people and adults with Autism, these are:
- Improving understanding and acceptance of Autism within society
- Improving access to education for children and young people with Autism, and supporting positive transitions into adulthood
- Supporting more people with Autism into employment
- Tackling health and care inequalities for people with Autism
- Building the right support in the community and helping people accessing inpatient care
- Improving support within the criminal and youth justice systems
Over the past year, we have been gathering the views and experiences of people with lived experience of Autism, as well as professionals who work in the field. This includes children, young people, adults, parents, carers, and the professionals who support them. Their feedback has been crucial in shaping our draft strategy.
You can find a summary of the process we followed, the methods we used, and the feedback we received, along with updated timescales for the next steps, by visiting our website at southyorkshire.icb.nhs.uk/barnsleyautismstrategy.
From the feedback that we have received so far, we’ve created a draft set of local commitments that are important to our strategy. We would love to hear your thoughts on these commitments. Do they reflect what people have told us? Is there anything you think we’ve missed?
The second phase of our involvement started during the Barnsley Council’s SEND Local Offer Live Event at the Barnsley Metrodome on Wednesday, 25 September. Local people attended to share their feedback in person on our draft strategy. This phase will continue for four weeks, ending on Wednesday, 23 October 2024.
If you were unable to attend you can still give us your views and feedback in our online survey at southyorkshire.icb.nhs.uk/barnsleyautismstrategy
Wendy Lowder, Executive Place Director for Barnsley at NHS South Yorkshire, and Executive Director for Place Health and Adult Social Care at Barnsley Council, said: “Autism is a lifelong developmental condition which affects how people communicate and interact with the world. NHS South Yorkshire, Barnsley Council and local health and social care partners want to improve the lives of people with Autism who live or work in Barnsley.”
“It’s important that we continue to work in partnership with local people to understand what matters to them. Hearing the voices of people with lived experience of Autism and those who care for and support them will mean we can make sure our plans are right for people with Autism of all ages in Barnsley.”
“If you have lived experience of Autism, an Autism diagnosis, if you’re currently on or have been on an Autism pathway or are a parent/carer of someone with or awaiting an Autism diagnosis, then we want to hear from you to influence our local strategy development.”
Cllr Trevor Cave, Cabinet Spokesperson for Children’s Services, said: ““Thank you to everyone who has contributed their views on our draft strategy so far.
“We want Barnsley to be a place of possibilities for everyone. To achieve this, it’s crucial that all our residents have equal access to the public services they need to lead a healthy, safe, and fulfilling life.
“This strategy aims to ensure that the needs of people with Autism are understood and met across education, care, and health services. Together with our partners, we are committed to making a meaningful difference in the lives of those with lived experience of Autism in Barnsley.”
For the most up-to-date information about this work please visit our website at southyorkshire.icb.nhs.uk/barnsleyautismstrategy