Autism: Health Services
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that support for minimal to intensive assistance are tailored to each adult with autism.
Answered by Stephen Kinnock
It is the responsibility of integrated care boards to make available appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including support services for autistic people, in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.
The NICE quality standard for autism sets out that the needs of autistic people are varied, with some people needing complex levels of support from a range of professionals, and some people not wanting or needing any ongoing support. In line with this, the quality standard recommends that autistic people should have a personalised plan that is developed and implemented in a partnership between them, and their family and carers, if appropriate, and the autism team.
On 5 April 2023, NHS England published a national framework and operational guidance to deliver improved outcomes in all-age autism assessment pathways. The guidance sets out what support should be available before an assessment, and what support should follow a recent diagnosis of autism, based on the available evidence. This includes setting out specific considerations for developing post-diagnostic support for adults diagnosed as autistic.
In addition, under the Care Act 2014, it is the responsibility of local authorities to assess individuals’ care and support needs, including where it appears that an autistic adult may have care and support needs, and, where eligible, for meeting those needs.
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