Buckinghamshire Autism Strategy 2023 to 2027 consultation

Overview

We want to hear your views on our draft strategy to better support autistic people.

If you are a young person, or know a young person who would like to tell us their views on the strategy, see our young people’s survey at Youth Voice Bucks.

Around 1.1% of people in the UK aged 5 years and over is autistic. In Buckinghamshire this is about 5,400 children, young people and adults.

Autistic people in Buckinghamshire have told us that they want to:

• live as independently as possible
• have the same opportunities and experiences as everyone else
• use the services they need when they need them
• work with us to change our policies, approach and services

This is our vision too.

Draft Buckinghamshire Autism Strategy 2023 to 2027

Our autism strategy sets out what we need to do to make this vision happen. It includes 5 equally important priorities:

• improving awareness and understanding of autism
• tackling health and care inequalities
• developing a needs-based approach – so that autistic children and young people get the best start in life
• developing better support for employment and meaningful activities
• ensuring more autistic adults maintain their independence

These priorities come from what autistic people have told us. They also cover national and local strategies.

Each priority has some areas of focus. These are what we need to do to make the priority, and the strategy vision, happen.

Tell us what you think of the areas of focus and if there’s anything else we should be focusing on.

We want to hear from:

• autistic people, their families, friends, work colleagues, employers
• anyone whose professional work involves the care, support or education of autistic people

Related documents

Before you respond to this consultation, please have a look at the following documents:

• Draft Buckinghamshire Autism Strategy 2023 to 2027 (PDF 0.50MB)
• Easy Read draft Buckinghamshire Autism Strategy 2023 to 2027 (PDF 10.7MB)
• Talkback Community Feedback Report August 2022 (PDF 0.53MB)

Online events to find out more

We are running online events for you to ask questions about our new autism strategy. The events are the same, join the one that starts at the best time for you.

They are all open to anyone and there is no need to book. You just need to join at the time the event starts using one of the links below:

If you need any reasonable adjustments to take part, or if you would prefer a 1:1 meeting, please email us at autismstrategy@buckinghamshire.gov.uk.

How to have your say

You can tell us your views in one of the following ways:

• complete the online survey using the link at the end of the page
• complete, and return, a printed version of the survey (PDF 0.27MB)
• complete, and return, an Easy Read version of the survey (PDF 10.7MB)
• email us at autismstrategy@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
• write to us at Tom Beaven, All Age Disability Team, Buckinghamshire Council, Walton Street Offices, Aylesbury, HP20 1UA

If you would like this consultation in another format or language, or if you have any questions, please:

• email us at autismstrategy@buckinghamshire.gov.uk
• phone us on 07971 981992

Please tell us your views by midnight on Sunday 24 September 2023.

What happens next

Your views will help us check and update the draft Autism Strategy. We will tell you what we did because of your feedback.

Decision makers will then look at the strategy for approval. We aim to launch the Buckinghamshire Autism Strategy by the end of 2023.

A group of staff, organisations and autistic people will put together action plans and lead on making the strategy’s vision happen.

The strategy and action plans will change as the needs of autistic people change.

Privacy

We will use the information you provide here only for this activity. We will store the information securely in line with data protection laws and will not share or publish any personal details. For more information about data and privacy, please see our Privacy Policy.

If you have questions about data and privacy, please email us on dataprotection@buckinghamshire.gov.uk. Or write to our Data Protection Officer at Buckinghamshire Council, The Gateway, Gatehouse Road, Aylesbury, HP19 8FF.