Autistic Adult Strategy published in the UK

The UK government have published their strategy for autistic adults, Fulfilling and rewarding lives: the strategy for adults with autism in England. This was welcomed by the National Autistic Society.

The National Autistic Society (NAS) is pleased to welcome the publication of the first ever strategy for improving the lives of adults with autism in England.
Last year, when we achieved the Autism Act 2009, we committed the Government to publishing an Adult Autism Strategy to transform services for adults with autism. The publication of this strategy meets this commitment.
The strategy sets out a number of key actions and recommendations for central Government as well as for local authorities, the NHS and Jobcentre Plus.
In particular, we welcome the following aspects of the strategy.
• Improved training of frontline professionals in autism.
• The recommendation to develop local autism teams.
• Actions for better planning and commissioning of services, including involving people with autism and their parents/carers in this process.
• Actions for improving access to diagnosis.
• Leadership structures at national, regional and local levels to support delivery.
• Proposals for reviewing the strategy to make sure that it is working.
We are particularly pleased that the strategy encourages the development of local teams and the development of local autism partnership boards.
These were key actions that we have been calling for throughout the development of the strategy.

I have just read the report and it is an important step forward. I do have a couple of concerns about the strategy. Michael Baron, who organized a conference on ageing and autism last year copied me into an email that points out that the needs of elderly autistics are largely ignored. This may be because care of the elderly, with or without autism, is low on the government’s list of priorities. Michael also suggests that there is little in the strategy for severely impaired individuals who are least able to offer themselves for employment.

The economic crisis means that there is little money for new initiatives and I am not encouraged by this passage from the strategy.

This not only reflects the current economic
situation, where every public sector
organisation is facing budget restrictions
and is required to do more with less, but is
also in line with the Government’s overall
policy direction of reducing statutory
requirements and encouraging frontline
staff to develop services and solutions
to meet local needs. While we recognise
that these factors make it a difficult time
for public services to respond to a new
strategy, we can no longer ignore the moral
imperative to address the unmet needs of
so many members of our society.

How do they propose to meet a moral imperative without additional financial resources? Part of the answer is in helping autistic people to find jobs.

Over the last few years, the Government
has made it clear that work is the best form
of welfare, the most effective route out of
poverty and a vital part of social inclusion.
However, adults with autism are currently
significantly under-represented in the
labour market. That is why chapter 5 looks
at how we will help adults with autism
into work. It explains changes underway
to the welfare system to better support
adults with autism, through effective work
preparation programmes and through
improvements to our benefits and tax
credit systems.

In the middle of a recession with mass unemployment this may not be realistic. There are lots of autistic adults who are quite able and willing to work right now. What we need is a programme for employers who may be doubtful of the wisdom of employing autistic people and a programme to support autistic people once they are in employment. The structural factors in the labour market that contribute to autistic unemployment are at least as important as the personal difficulties that some autistic people need help with.

Another part of the answer, suggested by the National Audit Commission report which helped to inform this strategy is that timely provision of services may be cost effective if it saves on long term provision and support for people in crisis. In the past this sort of intelligent financing has failed because there is no incentive say for social services to spend money that reduces future costs to the health service. Managers are concerned to defend departmental budgets and have no incentive to contribute to global savings. It will be interesting to see how this is actioned.

The real deal will come in December when the government publishes statutory guidance which will impose duties on agencies to act to meet the strategy. That was mandated by the Autism Act and is a legal requirement that will still be there after the general election, whichever party comes to office.

On balance this is a good start. But this is a long haul, not a quick fix. And as ever, as pointed out by Zoe Thompson on Facebook, it will depend on how well it is resourced and who is monitoring the outcomes.

March 5th, 2010 Posted by Mike | adults, campaigns, government, services | one comment