/
Autism Strategy Meeting
ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP– SUBGROUP
Thursday25th September 2016at the Shirlie Project, Inverness

Chair

/ Neil Macleod
Note
Present / Ann Gilles, Ann Lee Bushell, Claire Watt, Jo Chamberlain, Monika Thompson, Helen Carey
Item /

AGREED ACTION

/ Action
1. / Welcome and Apologies
Apologies from Alison Carey, Andy Maxtone, Lynn Holmes and Kirsten Smail
2. / Introductions
Neil thanked everyone for coming everybody re-introduced themselves and what their job was.
3.
3.1 / Operational Information
For this meeting the group focussed on point 1 around what a positive transition would look like. We looked at a number of questions. These are:
What does this mean?
What is the vision?
What do we need to achieve this?
A summary of this conversation included:
  • Looking at existing pathways
  • Being honest about what can be offered
  • Supporting young people to have their voices heard
  • Intervention at an earlier stage
  • To be aspirational for the young person
  • To make good choices
  • People with complex needs to be more at the centre of the pathway
  • Putting the person at the centre and building the curriculum around them
  • Need for transparency
  • To make it simple
  • Consider transition for parents and carers
  • There was a question of how many people with Autism are participating in work experience or work focussed transition events.
  • What is involved in the transition process?
  • Group to set criteria for process – what is the ideal transition process?
We discussed written views presented from Andy Maxtone around transitions (attached). There was broad agreement from the group on the points highlighted.
The group looked at targets to be achieved by 2018 and actions to take place over the next 6 months
Actions included:
  1. Ann Gilles to send out a list of initiatives that are taking place in school around Enterprise including employment focussed initiatives and developments such as Young Engineering clubs, Young Philanthropy initiative etc..
  1. Jo to find outnumbers of pupils with Autism leaving school
  1. Jo to talk to principle teachers for Learning Support to find out their views for what works well and ideas about changes they would like to see.
  1. Monika to invite Jill Asher to talk to the group at the next meeting from a parents perspective
  1. Neil to invite Duncan Sanderson from Nairn Academy to provide his perspective on positive transitions
  1. Helen Carey to talk at the next group meeting about what’s happening at Dingwall Academy and their experience.
  1. Neil to invite a person who has Autism to share their experience of having gone through transitions.
Monika has also kindly agreed to present a Self-Directed Support pathway from a working point of view for people who have complex support issues.
4. / AOCB
Nothing arising
5. / Date of Next Meeting
Neil agreed to send a doodlepoll to set a meeting before the October break.

1