Horrors & Hormones

[pearl]

You might remember I posted details of this conference in Blackpool a while back. Well it was yesterday.

 

Three speakers: John Mortlock (Care Training Ltd) on Autism: behaviour, sexuality & relationships

Alan Bicknell (head of support programmes, NAS) on People with asd & their involvement with the criminal justice system - an overview

And John Clements (clinical psychologist) on Dreams & nightmares - the challenges of growing up for young people with ASD

Closed by Joan Humble MP, who is heavily involved in the Autism Bill.

 

A very good day covering subjects I'd really rather not think about but know I have to.

Edited May 23, 2009 by pearl

[Cat]

You might remember I posted details of this conference in Blackpool a while back. Well it was yesterday.

 

Three speakers: John Mortlock (Care Training Ltd) on Autism: behaviour, sexuality & relationships

Alan Bicknell (head of support programmes, NAS) on People with asd & their involvement with the criminal justice system - an overview

And John Clements (clinical psychologist) on Dreams & nightmares - the challenges of growing up for young people with ASD

Closed by Joan Humble MP, who is heavily involved in the Autism Bill.

 

A very good day covering subjects I'd really rather not think about but know I have to.

 

<'> Subjects that we might well not want to think about but would be being silly not to.

 

Did Joan Humble say much about the Autism Bill? I would love to know. I am pretty up tp speed with sex, criminal activities and nightmares (I live one much of the time)

 

Cat

[pearl]

She seemed like a pretty good egg to me. She's made 172 speeches on the subject over the last few months (she didn't tell us that but the Chair did) She's pretty certain it will become law soon when all the final hoops have been jumped through, House of Lords etc.

 

I think its only when local authorities are forced by law to make provision that real change will happen.

[Cat]

She seemed like a pretty good egg to me. She's made 172 speeches on the subject over the last few months (she didn't tell us that but the Chair did) She's pretty certain it will become law soon when all the final hoops have been jumped through, House of Lords etc.

 

I think its only when local authorities are forced by law to make provision that real change will happen.

 

This is quite true Pearl (however) the bulk of what needs to change is going to be covered by the Adults Autism Strategy and although that is included within the Act now, which is good news for sure, it will only be subject to section 7 guidance. It has taken me several weeks to get my head around section 7 guidance (I hate that word because it always screams at me that an LA will find an out clause if they can). However Phil Hope appears to be taking as many measures as he can to close up the loop holes. The BIG ISSUE is going to be what is included in the Adults Strategy which is why it is important that as many people as possible respond. The recommendations that the External Reference Group made were at last published this week and while they do not go far enough in my opinion, even though I am part of the group, they do make a good start at finding the way forward. The one thing that so far the Bill or the Strategy does not make provision for is a vehicle to drive through what should come with the Bill and the Strategy. Without a vehicle which would give Local Authorities no choice but to develop joined up thinking and working practices it could take years for any of the changes to come into being and if we question this we will be referred back to the Act. That is why I believe that we need an equivalent to the Valuing People Learning Disability Partnership Boards, which is the vehicle that has been used to drive through 'Valuing People' It's not perfect and still requires some fine tuning but it is a structure that could be adopted and used for us. Better still if an Autism Partnership Board was also tied in - in some way - to the National Performance Indictors. So we need to make sure, again in my opinion, that the Startegy includes something which will drive through the change. OK Enough of the party political broadcast. I shall get off my soap box now.

 

Cat