Autism (Local Offer)

WHAT IS THE ALL AGE AUTISM STRATEGY?

This five-year (2021-2026) All Age Autism Strategy supports our aim for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to be an autism friendly place where children and adults with autism can live full, healthy, and rewarding lives, within a society that accepts and understands them.

Our vision is for both Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to be recognised as autism friendly places to live, where people with autism of all ages have access to equal opportunities.

Autism friendly services throughout Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are those that are person centred and take into consideration each person’s strengths, talents, and interests; thereby ensuring that all individuals have access to the same support throughout their lifetime.

This includes working together as partners to deliver services in a more inclusive, integrated way that puts the needs of people with autism, and their families first, providing help, support and care informed by an understanding of what matters to each person with autism and their family.

View the CAMBRIDGESHIRE AND PETERBOROUGH ALL AGE AUTISM STRATEGY 2021 – 2026

The Autism Toolkit

The Autism Toolkit has been created as part of the All Age Autism Strategy Development. View our video on YouTube telling you all about the toolkit.

It is a self assessment tool which encourages and supports organisations to become more accessible to children, young people and adults with autism; or other neurodiverse conditions. In doing so, we hope to increase the accessibility of organisations and businesses across Peterborough.  

The Autism Toolkit will also be used across Peterborough City Council (PCC) and NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough when commissioning services and as part of provider contract management.

Please feel free to complete the Autism Toolkit or share with organisations and business across Peterborough. View The complete Autism Toolkit 2021. If you want a copy of the excel spreadsheet please email: childrenscommissioningteam@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

Be included within our Autism Accessible Directory

Organisations who have completed the toolkit and looking to increase neurodiverse accessibility can be included within our Autism Accessible Directory by notifying:

Children's Commissioning (childrenscommissioningteam@cambridgeshire.gov.uk)

Early Help Pathway

If you feel you might benefit from some support you can approach a health professional, school or nursery to ask about the Early Help Pathway.  

You can find out more about Early Help on the Early Help pages.

About the Peterborough Child Development Unit

The Peterborough Child Development Unit assesses and manages children (0-5 years) who live in Peterborough city or north Cambridgeshire who have significant problems with development.

This includes, children with communication difficulties including autism (but excludes pure visual or hearing impairment).

Referrals are accepted from GPs, social care and other professionals and organisations working with young children and families (eg Portage, Early Years Service) for children registered with a GP in Peterborough, Yaxley and Whittlesey.  We also accept children who live in the Peterborough City Council area but who are registered with a GP in Stamford and Market Deeping. 

Providing assessments

The CAMH Integrated Neurodevelopmental Service can provide assessments of autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The service works with young people up to the age of 18, their families and professionals. 

After diagnosis training is provided to parents and carers on the diagnosis given to their child. They can also provide specific interventions including medication if appropriate. 

Treatment is provied to these children where there is also a mental health condition.  

The service is provided by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT).

What is The Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Specialist Teacher Service?

The Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Specialist Teacher Service is a school based service that works with children and young people aged 4 years to 19 years who have received a diagnosis of an ADHD.  

The ADHD Specialist Teacher Service is a peripatetic service and works Wednesdays term time only.

A parent/carer consultation service operates every second Wednesday of the month, term time only.  Appointments need to be pre-booked by emailing sen.inclusion@peterborough.gov.uk

School websites

• The Autism Hub for Secondary Schools at Nene Park Academy - view their website 
• The Autism Hub for Secondary Schools at Ken Stimpson Community School  - view their website
• The Autism Hub for Primary Schools at Welbourne Primary School - view their website

National strategy

The government has published the national strategy for improving the lives of autistic people and their families and carers in England, and an implementation plan for 2021 to 2022.

The strategy builds on and replaces the preceding adult autism strategy, Think Autism, which was published in April 2014. It extends the scope of the strategy to children and young people for the first time.

Further details can be accessed below which includes the strategy, the 2021-22 implementation plan and easy read version.

• The national strategy for autistic children, young people and adults: 2021 to 2026

• The national strategy for autistic children, young people and adults: 2021 to 2026 (easy read)

Full details are available on the GOV.UK website

National strategy for autistic children, young people and adults: 2021 to 2026 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Ambitious About Autism: young people create diagnosis resources 

A group of autistic young people have shared their experiences of receiving an autism diagnosis, to help others going through the process feel 'less alone’.   
 
Members of Ambitious about Autism’s Youth Network have created a series of new videos and blogs in which they talk about what it felt like to be diagnosed  - some as children, teenagers or as young adults. 
  
The group decided to embark on the project to tackle the lack of peer-led advice and support available for young people going through the autism diagnosis process.   
 
Find out more here. 

Community support for people with a learning disability and/or autistic people

Community support for people with a learning disability and/or autistic people can be a complex process. Even more so if people also have a mental health need. Success depends on a concerted effort across multiple agencies working in partnership with the people supported and their families.

However, it can and does work, delivering a good quality of life, often at much lower prices compared to hospital settings. This assertion is supported by a body of policy guidance and literature going back almost three decades.

View the Care Quality Commission report