Services in Leicester for ASD. Are they good?

[dana]

Hi all.

 

We are thinking about moving to another town because there are almost no NHS professionals for ASD in the town where we live. Social services are very bad and there is no transition plan for children with ASD or any other disability.

 

How is the situation in Leicester?

 

Any advice appreciated. Thanks.

 

Danaxxx

[call me jaded]

No idea. What you need to find is a PCT that doesn't have a deficit, and Children's services where there aren't that many children. Bournemouth springs to mind (full of fairly well-off penioners).

 

Where I live the PCT has been mismanaged for years and we have loads of people who have come from abroad to get a better deal for their disabled child (stretching limited resources to the limit), not to mention a social work manager who thinks it's all the parents fault. However we love where we live and stay, working towards improving things for those that come after us.

Edited May 4, 2010 by call me jaded

[Tempus]

I'm not sure about the current state of services in Leicester, never having used them myself except when getting a diagnosis (which, although a slow process, was very good -- the person I eventually saw was excellent and well-known) . My mum works at the City Council and last I heard was on a planning committee at the moment, or something or other aimed at improving said services for ASDs -- so there is at least scope to see improvement in future, if such a thing exists.

 

I certainly wouldn't say above average though. If you are considering moving somewhere specifically for better services, I wouldn't advise Leicester.

Edited May 13, 2010 by Kathryn
To remove name of professional in line with forum rules

[LicklePaulie]

Hi Dana,

 

Services in Leicester for AS children, good and above average;

Diagnostic services for adults excellent but under-resourced and over-run;

Post-diagnostic services for AS adults, sparse, under-resourced and over-run;

Transition services extremely poor though strategic plans are afoot to address this.

 

Short but brief, there you have it

[Canopus]

I'm in contact with a parent of a teenager with AS who lived in Leicester. Their experience of support services for kids with AS in two primary schools was diabolical, and they didn't even get to experience the situation in secondary school because they decided to home educate.

 

Leicester is a city with a higher than average proportion of under 16 year olds, and a high proportion of them are born outside the UK or do not have English as a first language. This puts strain on educational services and diverts resources away from SEN.

 

I personally wouldn't recommend Leicester as a city for kids with AS.