Have your say on the new autism strategy for Buckinghamshire
Press Release from Buckinghamshire Council – July 2023
Buckinghamshire Council is developing a strategy that will ensure that the needs and aspirations of autistic people and their carers in Buckinghamshire are well supported, and we want to hear the views of autistic people themselves, their families and friends, and professionals who care for, support, or teach them.
The Council held a series of community outreach events in 2022 to better understand the needs of autistic people and their carers to find out how services and facilities could be improved to enhance their quality of life. Through this engagement process, we have been able to develop a draft strategy for wider consultation. The strategy seeks to ensure that autistic people and their carers’ lives are enhanced through better access to services and good opportunities to learn, develop and work within Buckinghamshire.
The Council has just opened a consultation on the draft strategy and is asking people to read it and respond to a survey.
Buckinghamshire Council Cabinet Member for Education and Children’s Services Anita Cranmer said: “We’ve listened to those with autism, their families, and the professionals who work with them, and have produced an ambitious draft strategy that seeks to ensure that autistic people in Buckinghamshire get the best possible start in life. We’d now like to hear from people once again. Please give us your views, either through our online survey, our youth survey, or via our printable easy-read survey.”
Angela Macpherson, Buckinghamshire Council Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, said: “Our draft autism strategy is intended to improve things for adults as well as children. We want autistic adults in Buckinghamshire to be independent and have good employment opportunities, and to have access to the services they require in a way that respects individual needs. Please take a look at our draft strategy and let us know via our survey whether it fulfils these aims.”
Your Voice Bucks consultation: buckinghamshire.gov.uk/autism-strategy
Young people’s survey: buckinghamshire.gov.uk/youth-voice-autism
The survey closes at midnight on Sunday 24 September.