H&F working with residents to improve services for people with autism and their families

H&F Council welcomed residents with autism and their family and friends to the Irish Centre on 9 October.

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Cllr Ben Coleman pictured at the workshop launching a new drive to 'co-produce' better services for residents living with autism, and their families

Hammersmith & Fulham Council welcomed residents with autism and their family and friends to the Irish Centre on 9 October.

The workshop launched a new drive by the council to 'co-produce' better services for residents living with autism, and their families.

Residents, council staff and health professionals discussed numerous ways of improving autism understanding and support in the borough.

“We are committed to making this the best borough for Disabled people by working in co-production with residents rather than just doing things to them," said Cllr Ben Coleman, H&F Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care.

“It was great to see such a big turnout at the workshop. But we still have a long way to go in how we work with children, young people and adults with autism and their families to ensure they get the support they need.”

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Beverley Tarka, Director of Social Care and Health at Haringey Council

One result of the workshop was to create a resident-led group of ‘Autism Champions’ to drive forward improvements with the council and its partners.

At the workshop, Kathryn Mangold, Lead Nurse for Learning Disabilities and Transition at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, described how residents with autism have been supported into employment by working with partners such as Queensmill School for pupils with autism and West Middlesex Hospital.

Beverley Tarka, Director of Social Care and Health from Haringey Council spoke about how Haringey is working to overcome the many challenges of enabling its residents with autism to live ordinary lives.

The autism workshop was one of the many steps that H&F Council is taking to implement the ground-breaking findings of its resident-led, independent Disabled People's Commission. Their report, which councillors have adopted in full, recommended adopting the UN social model of disability and working in true co-production with disabled people on the policies and services that affect them.

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Kathryn Mangold, Lead Nurse for Learning Disabilities and Transition at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital

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