Charge Nurse Alison Hall has recently taken up a new role as Autism Project Manager to help people newly diagnosed with autism within secondary care feel better informed and to know what support and services are available. The one year post, funded from the Primary Care Transformation Fund, also aims to increase staff knowledge about autism and will include online training through LearnPro and a staff survey to assess need.
Although information on autism is widely available, the consultation process for the Falkirk and Stirling and Clackmannanshire autism strategies revealed a gap in post- diagnosis support. The project has several objectives including improved post-diagnostic support within secondary care, including signposting to third sector partners and a model for staff education.
Information packs will be developed to give to people when they receive a diagnosis together with an education programme to help family and carers.
The one year programme is linked to national and local strategies which aim to ensure ‘that those on the autistic spectrum are respected, accepted and valued by their communities and have confidence in services to treat them fairly so they are to have meaningful and satisfying lives.’
It is hoped that by the end of the project the pathway for assessment will be clearer and that people newly diagnosed will feel better informed about their condition.
