1. A report about the support services that adults with autism and their carers in England get. John Greensill

2. What is the Report about? Done by National Audit Office – spend public money in the right way. Looked at what support services give like going to college and university, benefits and getting a job. They asked lots of people what they thought. They found good and bad things happening.

3. What They Found? People in charge of support services do not always have the right information to do their job well. Support is not always there. More people are given the money to choice the support they want. Staff do not know about autism and what people with autism need. People with autism who have jobs do very well but may people with autism do not have a job.

4. What They Found? People with autism who go to college or university do really well with support. But some people with autism do not always get the support they need. People with types of autism called high- functioning autism and Asperger syndrome do not always get the right support. This is because there are not always the support services available. People in charge do not always understand what people with autism need.

5. What needs to happen? People in charge of support services need to get better information together and use this information to make sure people with autism get the support and benefits they need. Staff need training in things like what autism is, how to communicate with someone with autism and how to tell if someone may have autism. The Government needs to provide special support for people with high-functioning autism and Asperger Syndrome. This would help give the support people need.

6. What is Walsall Doing? Scoping Report in January 09 (Liz Staples) which outlined some need for assessing: How many people? How many young people at school coming through? Links with Children Services – what does the National Strategy ask us to do? So Commissioned a Project Lead who will produce a final report in August 09 but some recommendations are already clear: We need an Advisory Group Services for Autism should not be LD lead but a variety of services should be involved (almost another Partnership Board)

7. What Should The Board Do? Ask that a strategy for Walsall is agreed. Say when it is needed. Ask Commissioners to make sure there is funding to do something.