Issue - items at meetings - Brighton & Hove Adult Autism Strategy

Report of the Strategic Director, People, on the development of a local Adult Autism strategy (copy attached)

49.1    This item was introduced by Ms Jane Simmons, Head of Partnerships and Commissioning, Adult Social Care.

49.2    In response to a question from Cllr Follett on how realistic the strategy was given the current financial climate, Ms Simmons told members that a good deal of the strategy could be delivered with existing resources – i.e. by rationalising care pathways, encouraging closer working with children’s services and re-jigging existing training programmes. Where extra resources would be needed, or instance in terms of broadening the scope of autism awareness training, the sums involved were not necessarily unrealistically large. In any case, strategies are, to some degree, inherently aspirational.

49.3    In response to a question from Cllr C Theobald on the rising cost of care for autistic adults, particularly those with complex needs, Ms Simmons told the committee that social care was provided on the basis of need rather than of a particular diagnosis. Thus people with autism were (and when the strategy is implemented will be) no more or less likely to receive social care than people without an autism diagnosis; it will depend entirely on their level of need. Better diagnosis of autism would therefore not automatically lead to increased care costs: t would depend whether those diagnosed met the thresholds for care; thresholds which would be the same whether or not there was a diagnosis of any particular medical condition.

49.4    The Chair thanked Ms Simmons for her contribution.

49.5    RESOLVED – That members:

(1)       Note the contents of the strategy and its proposed strategic objectives, actions and outcomes;

(2)       Require a further opportunity to discuss the adult autism strategy once consultation has been completed;

(3)       Will submit a HOSC response to the consultation, based on the members’ comments detailed above.