Issue - meetings

(i)        to approve the Autism Strategy and Action Plan, which would take effect from 1 April 2019, subject to approval by the Aberdeen City Council Operational Delivery Committee;

(ii)       to note the Autism Strategy and Action Plan would be presented to the Aberdeen City Council Operational Delivery Committee on 17 January 2019 for approval; and

(iii)      to note that progress reports on its implementation would be provided to the Integration Joint Board annually, with updates to the Clinical Care and Governance Committee in the interim.

The Board had before it a report by Jenny Rae, Strategic Development Officer ACHSCP, which sought approval of the revised Autism Strategy and Action Plan for Aberdeen City.  Ms Rae explained that the review had been undertaken through collaboration between NHS Grampian and Aberdeen City Council and local stakeholders.  The revised strategy took the Local Outcome Improvement Plan and Strategic Plan into account, as well as the views provided by autistic people and their families in relation to their experiences.  It had been developed through full consultation with autistic people and their families and relevant professionals.

Thereafter, Members asked questions and provided comments in respect of the possible workforce implications, noting the recent announcement of funding from the Scottish Government which required to be match-funded.  Ms Rae advised that the report had been written prior to the announcement of the funding and the action plan would be delivered within the current workforce arrangements.  Work had already commenced to identify the match-funding and it was expected that this could be met by aligning existing resources, although Alex Stephen advised that if this was not possible, officers would take the matter back to the Board for determination.

It was suggested that appendix A could be delineated to remove some of the information in respect of process and make it clearer what the strategy would do.  Kenneth Simpson suggested that there could be a role for the third sector in the action plan, and Ms Rae advised that there were three representatives from the Autism Forum on the steering group but that they were looking to increase those numbers.

The report recommended:-

that the Board –

(a)      approve the Autism Strategy and Action Plan which would take effect from 1 April 2019;

(b)      note the Autism Strategy and Action Plan would be presented to the Aberdeen City Council Operational Delivery Committee for approval in January 2019; and

(c)       note that progress reports on implementation will be provided to the Integration Joint Board annually.

At this juncture, Graeme Simpson proposed a slight amendment to recommendation (a) as follows:-

“To approve the Autism Strategy and Action Plan, which would take effect from 1 April 2019, subject to approval by the Aberdeen City Council Operational Delivery Committee.”

The Board resolved:-

(i)        to approve the recommendations, with the amendment to recommendation (a) as set out above; and

(ii)       to note that outwith the annual progress report to the IJB, updates would be provided to the Clinical Care and Governance Committee in the interim.