Wiltshire Autism Strategy 2022 to 2027

Vision and purpose

Wiltshire Council's vision is to create strong communities where people can fulfil their potential, be actively involved and included in their communities, make informed decisions, have control over their lives, and be valued and included within society. In Wiltshire, we start from the strengths, talents and assets that each person has - this means looking beyond their diagnosis or needs, however important these may be. This vision reflects what people in Wiltshire have told us they want to live well.

This strategy highlights how we want to work together to make Wiltshire an inclusive, vibrant, well-connected place for autistic people to live in. It is underpinned by prevention and early intervention, tackling inequalities, understanding our communities, and promoting independence. It responds to national government guidance and legislation and sets out our local priorities.

Reflecting the Bath & North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire (BSW) Partnership (see section: Local and national context), this is a joint strategy across health, social care and education. We recognise the need to work together to develop a seamless response, as autistic people need support which works in an integrated way to enable them to live a good quality of life. Whilst this strategy addresses priorities in Wiltshire specifically, it fits alongside the BSW Learning Disabilities and Autism (LDA) programme, which is overseen by the BSW LDA Programme Board. The Board will include an over-arching BSW autism strategy in its work plan.

The programme is guided by a roadmap whose areas of focus include:

improving diagnostic pathways and reducing waiting times
developing better post-diagnosis support
developing autism-friendly environments, including in inpatient settings
developing a workforce strategy and training plan to upskill the workforce
improving uptake of annual health checks
enabling people with the most complex needs to live in the community wherever possible
developing a BSW Learning from Lives and Deaths. People with a Learning Disability and autistic people (LeDeR) strategy to prevent people with a learning disability and autistic people from early deaths

It is also an all-age strategy, which means it will seek to meet the needs and wishes of children, young people and adults. Autistic people of all ages should receive the support they need, at the earliest opportunity, to live independently and safely within their community. Wiltshire has started to transform its diagnostic pathways so that children and young people get a timely diagnosis, and this strategy will push that work further.

The purpose of this strategy is to:

make Wiltshire an inclusive place for autistic people to live, learn and work
improve outcomes and opportunities for autistic people in Wiltshire
help younger autistic people feel ready and confident about adult life
listen to autistic people and their parents/carers/allies, and ensure their views and aspirations are at the heart of our priorities and plans
improve the range and quality of services which help autistic people live independently
improve pathways, so people can access a timely diagnosis and follow-on support
ensure that autistic people and their parents/carers/allies can access
create clear, simple information to support informed choices
learn from other areas
tackle health, housing and care inequalities for autistic people

To achieve this, we will all need to work together in a different way. This will require changing our culture and improving our practice. We cannot do this through top-down rules and guidance - we need to work across our communities to ensure that autism is understood that autistic people's strengths are valued, and that difference is celebrated. We also need to highlight the individual person - their strengths, talents and aspirations - and not simply their diagnosis.

This all-age strategy brings together national and local priorities and puts the voice of autistic people and their families, carers, friends and allies at the forefront of our plans. Whilst we are making progress in supporting autistic people and their families, we recognise we have a long way to go to turn the vision of this strategy into reality. We want to support autistic children, young people and adults as they move through the various transitions in life - from early years to school, from primary to secondary school, from adolescence to adulthood etc. That is why this is a five-year strategy, with annual review points to assess how well we are doing.

The strategy does not stand in isolation but should be seen alongside other key plans, including: