Draft Autism Training and Development Strategy February 2012 – For discussion at the Trafford Autism Partnership Board16/2/12
National Agenda
In 2009 the Autism Act became law. This was the first piece of legislation focused on a single impairment group. The act was followed in 2010 by “Rewarding and Fulfilling Lives” the Adult Autism Strategy (1) for adults living in England. The strategy recognised that the needs of adults with autistic spectrum conditions have often been overlooked and it placed a statutory duty on local authorities to make provisions in a number of areas.
A local self-assessment tool (2)was put together in 2009 by the Department of Health to assist Local Authorities and NHS organisations to implement the strategy, and to assess their progress against the statutory guidance
A central part of the strategy is training and awareness raisingfor those working directly with people with autism and also for people in the wider community who will come in contact with people with autism in their day to day lives. The strategy mentions specifically those working in social care, those carrying out community care assessments, and health, employment and criminal justice professionals.
The strategy emphasises that training must lead not only toimproved knowledge and understandingbut also to changing behaviour andattitudes. Todo this, training needs to reflect the actualsituations that people are working in.
Local Context
In 2010 Trafford established an Autism Partnership Board to oversee the local implementation of the strategy. Terms of reference and membership of the Partnership Board are attached (3).
Additional representatives from employment services, Trafford College and others are being sought
The Autism Partnership Board is affiliated to the Greater Manchester Autism Consortium and works in partnership with the other 9 Greater Manchester authorities to improve outcomes for people with autism. Autism leads from each of the authorities meet on a quarterly basis to share information, and work jointly on developments.
The Children’sNeuro Developmental Pathway group (the children’s equivalent of the Partnership Board) also feeds into the Greater Manchester Consortium, and includes representation from health education and social care.
The Partnership Board has established a number of task and finish groups to focus on key areas identified in the strategy
These include:
- The development of an assessment and diagnosis pathway for the Trafford Extended Services.
- A training sub group
- Trafford Carers Centre has also established a group for carers of adults with autism which will meet on a regular basis and feed into the Partnership Board.
There are some areas of overlap with the work of the Learning Disability Partnership Board, and representatives from the Autism Partnership Board sit on the LD Partnership Board to ensure information sharing, continuity and consistency.
New developments
A new Assessment and Diagnostic service for adults with ASCs, the Trafford Extended Services (TES) was established in partnership with Greater Manchester West in 2011. TES employs an autism specialist clinical psychologist and two case workers to carry out assessment and diagnosis.
A specialist Speech and Language Therapist working across TES and the Community Learning Disabilities Team (CLDT) was appointed in 2010, to work with adults across the autism spectrum.
A new post, Autism Support Coordinator was established and recruited to in December 2011. The main areas of responsibility are to develop key areas of the strategy in line with the local implementation plan.
Training Strategy
The Autism Strategy offers guidance about the type of training that needs to be provided in local areas. A local strategy and implementation plan will be informed by the views of local groups and individuals. Some consultation has already taken place, and a survey of people working with adults with autism is planned early in 2012.
Consultation with people with ASCs and carers
A consultation event in Trafford in May 2011(4) attended by family members and at least one individual with autism identified a range of people who needed autism awareness/training. These ranged from family members to people working in specialist and mainstream/ generic services. (See consultation document for further details)
The range of issues identified in the consultation event were consistent with those outlined in the strategy and included:
- An appreciation of the breadth and range of the autism spectrum
- Difficulties associated with communication and interaction
- The importance of family and carer views and support.
Training Needs Analysis
A questionnaire for staff currently working with adults with autism is being prepared by a sub group of the greater Manchester Autism Consortium. This should be completed early in 2012 and will be available for all 10 authorities to use as a template to survey their staff.
Values underpinning the training strategy
The Trafford training strategy should be underpinned by a coherent value base. The national strategy and Skills for Care/Skills for Health 2011 publication “Autism Skills and knowledge list for workers in generic social care and health services” (5) identify the values that should be reflected. These will need to be discussed and agreed by the Autism Partnership Board.
Involvement and Co Production
Key to the delivery of the autism strategy is the involvement of people with autistic spectrum conditions and those who know them well. The strategy acknowledges the value of consultation and co-production, and every effort should be made to include people in the development design and delivery of awareness raising and training.Materials should acknowledge the views of people with autistic spectrum conditions and should use their words wherever possible.
A Person centred Approach
There should also be recognition that every person with an autistic spectrum condition is an individual and therefore the starting point for any training strategy should emphasise a person centred approach.
A value base
The Skills for Care/Skills for Health 2011 (5) publication identified some of the underpinning values and attitudes which should be contained within a training strategy. All people providing a service to people with ASCs should value the individual’s right to
- Be independent
- Be treated as an individual
- To make choices
- To be treated in a fair and equitable way
- To be treated with respect dignity and confidentiality
- To be able to access specialist support when needed
- Be able to give and receive compassionate and non- judgemental support
Autism skills and knowledge
The Skills for Care/ Skills for Health publication (5) Identified different levels of autism skills and knowledge for health and social care staff. These levels can be applied to anyone who comes into contact with people with autistic spectrum conditions.
AwarenessRaising
Awareness raising needs to be provided in an on- going way and in a variety of formats.Some people with Autistic Spectrum Conditions may choose not to, or may not be eligible to access specialist provision, but their wellbeing and access to appropriate support will be improved by greater public awareness and understanding.
Leaflets DVDs, E Learning, and websites may be the most appropriate way for some people to extend their knowledge of Autism. For others this kind of information can provide the foundation from which more structured training can be offered. Face to face autism awareness training should be offered in a variety of formats to anyone who wishes to access it.
Ideas for Awareness raising
In Trafford
- Link in with the Communications team in Trafford Council and the local media to promote information about autism.
- Creating an ‘Autism News’ space on the Trafford “”My Way” website
- Linking with local providers to promote awareness of autism and to develop partnerships and ideas for future working.
- Linking with Workforce and Core Strategy to develop autism links in the Trafford Learning Platform
- Launching the British Psychological Society E Learning packages – In Trafford and also across the Consortium
In Partnership with the Greater Manchester Consortium
- Supporting a proposed Greater Manchester employment event(GM Consortium) focusing on highlighting the needs skills and qualities of people with autism with prospective employers.
- Exploring the possibility of developing an ‘Autism Champion’ kite mark in collaboration with other partners in the Greater Manchester Autism Consortium
- Creating good practice guidance around reasonable adjustments (or creating an autism friendly environment) for mainstream and specialist service providers (possibly with support from partners in the GM Consortium)
- Linking in with the North West Criminal Justice Forum and looking at opportunities to work alongside partners involved in raising awareness with those working in the criminal justice system.
Autism Training
Levels of Training
Introduction to Autism Training
Introductory training will offer the baseline from which other more advanced training can be accessed. As a minimum, all staff working directly with people with autism should have introductory level training. This will offer basic information about autism, the main areas of difficulty that people experience, and some practical strategies for improving practice. Introductory training can be delivered in a variety of ways. For those who are not able to attend face to face training, e learning packages can provide a good introduction.
E learning
E learning may be appropriate for staff working in customer service or reception type roles. These staff need an awareness of how they can adapt their approach to meet the needs of people with autism, but they may not need the detail that face to face training can offer.
The autism coordinator will work with the training sub group and the Partnership Board to identify a range of e learning that can be signposted for people in Trafford to use. Signposting e learning and information about autism through the MyWay website and the Trafford e learning platform will ensure that as many people as possible have access to the information.
Face to face training
Some staff may prefer or may need to have access to face to face training which will provide them with more opportunity to discuss and explore the issues relating to working with people with autism. Face to face training can be provided to whole staff teams and to mixed groups. This can be stand alone or form a back up to introductory e learning.
Intermediate Skills and Knowledge
People wishing to access this level of training will have attended some form of introductory training and will be working directly with people with autism. This will include those working in specialist services in the statutory and private voluntary and independent sectors. Intermediate skills and knowledge training will need to be targeted to the needs of particular groups of people.
It is anticipated that the groups likely to need intermediate skills and knowledge will be those working in supported living environments or day service provision, carers and parents, those carrying out community care or health assessments.
This level of training will be more specialist and its development will need to follow on from the training needs analysis. However it is anticipated that requests for training may cover areas such as Autism and Stress and Anxiety, Understanding Communication and Behaviour, Autism and sensory difference, Autism and Employment. Those working in an assessment role with people with autism for example community care assessors and Approved Mental Health Professionals.
The QCF Diplomas in Health & Social Care
The Health and Social Care (HSC) NVQs at levels 2 and 3 were replaced by QCF Diplomas in Health and Social Care (HSC) at levels 2 and 3 in January 2011.
The diplomas offer opportunities to take a generic HSC diploma or a diploma with a specialist pathway in either dementia or learning disability pathway, so learners can tailor their learning to their job role.
Collectively, the units within the Diplomas in Health and Social Care cover many of the areas identified in the Autism skill and knowledge list as essential underpinning values and attitudes, basic autism awareness and knowledge and skills.
There are currently three QCF knowledge units specifically about autism, at levels 2, 3 and 5:
•Level 2 - Introductory awareness of Autistic Spectrum Conditions
•Level 3 – Understand how to support individuals with autistic spectrum conditions
•Level 5 - Promote good practice in the support of individuals with autistic spectrum conditions
Work is currently underway to develop further specialist QCF competence units about autism. The QCF framework would sit under the “Intermediate Skills” heading and would be appropriate for people working with people with autism on a day to day basis.
Specialist Skills and Knowledge
This training is likely to be for those who have a specialist role in working with people with autism. Examples might include training for those carrying out assessment e.g. ADOS, DISCO training, specialist training for practitioners working in the Learning Disability and Trafford Extended Services teams.
Delivery of training
Introductory Training
It is anticipated that the autism coordinator will take a lead role in the development of introductory training with the support of colleagues from the Workforce and Core Strategy team, people with autism, representatives from the CLDT, the Partnership Board and others in the Consortium. This work will be on going, and priorities and targets will need to be identified in the local implementation plan.
Intermediate Skills and Knowledge
It is hoped that this level of training will be provided by practitioners in the CLDT and the TES services along with the Autism Coordinator. Other members of training pool may be able to deliver intermediate skills and knowledge as requested.
Specialist Skills and Knowledge
It is anticipated that some of this training will need to be commissioned from specialist providers
Levels of Autism Awareness and Training
Training Pool
A proposal to pull together a pool of trainers with knowledge of autism who could work in partnership to provide basic awareness training will need to be discussed by the Partnership Board. It is hoped that this pool would include people with Autism and carer representatives as well as partners from the Private Voluntary and Independent sectors. Members of this pool will have knowledge and experience of autism. However, they may need support in terms of the delivery of training materials, and there might be a need to pull together a Train the Trainers programme to support the development of these individuals. This could be facilitated by the Autism Coordinator and a learning and a representative from the Workforce and Core Strategy team.
Key stakeholders
For the successful development of the training strategy key people need to be involved in the training sub group and in the delivery of training. These people include:
Members of the Autism Partnership Board
Specialist practitioners in the Community Learning Disabilities Team and Trafford Extended Services
People with Autism and family members
United Response Consultants (“experts by experience”)
Managers/staff in provider services with an interest in and experience of Autism.
Resources
- Venues for training
- Administration and coordination of training activity
- Budget:
To develop a one day training course in partnership with the UR consultants.
(Includes design, co-delivery of pilot session, evaluationand any suggested changes)
- Autism Training Pool
Time and commitment from key professionals and partners to join an autism training pool which will deliver basic awareness training (time commitment and training and support needs to be discussed and agreed)
- Train the Trainers Course
Time and commitment from key people to deliver a train the trainers course and to offer on-going support and development to members of the training pool – coordinated by the Autism Support Coordinator with support from the Workforce and Core Strategy Team.
References
- ’Fulfilling and Rewarding Lives’ The strategy for adults with autism living in England 2010 HM Government
- Fulfilling and Rewarding Lives: Evaluating Progress 2011 Department of Health
- Terms of Reference Autism Partnership Board
- Autism and Aspergers Consultation Report May 2011 Jenny Holt
- Autism Skills and knowledge List for Workers in generic social care and health services 2011 Skills for Health, Skills for Care