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We are all aware of the patchwork quilt of provision that affects services. There is no guarantee that a child with autism in one area will get the same quality of service as a child with autism 10 miles down the road. Better information can help to ensure an even geographical
spread of services. Parents giving feedback to TreeHouse shared fears that children with autism would fall through the net because of a lack of co-ordination among services, the inadequacy of transitional arrangements between children’s and adult autism services, and a lack of education and employment opportunities. That is why there is a clear case to be made for local authorities and patient care trusts to work together to secure the best interests of children.
The Autism Education Trust was launched in November 2007 with funding from the Department for Children, Schools and Families. Its role is to raise awareness of the importance of appropriate educational provision for children with autism, to bring organisations in the autism education sector together and to include children and young people, together with their families, in the planning of improvements in autism education. That fantastic remit is capable of delivering fantastic results. The Autism Education Trust held its first national conference yesterday, which I understand was well received, and it will have my full support in the years ahead.
Although education dominates much of the discussion about how to support those with autism and improve their life chances, there are people of all ages on the autistic spectrum. Finding employment is often difficult. It is estimated that there are about 332,600 people of working age in the UK with an autism spectrum disorder. Of that number, just under half are of average or above average intelligence. Despite that, research by the National Autistic Society has shown that only 6 per cent. of all people with an ASD have full-time paid employment and that only 12 per cent. of those with high functioning autism or Asperger’s syndrome have full-time jobs.
The problems with social interaction can prove a barrier to people searching for a job. The National Autistic Society suggests that the best way to recruit is not always by through an interview, but through a work trial. Not enough is known about the help that is available to employers who take on a person with a disability. The DWP access-to-work programme aims to meet the additional employment costs arising from disability, and there are other schemes out there to help. However, we need to let potential employers know about it. We also have to burst the myths about autism to secure fairer access to the workplace.
There are many myths about autism. One quarter of people think that it is mostly children who are affected, yet we know that in an average constituency, around 3,000 people will have autism. Many people think that autism sufferers have special abilities in English or maths, but this is normally untrue. Only two in five people know that there is no cure for autism.
As I mentioned earlier, last year the National Autistic Society launched the “I Exist” campaign, which highlighted the lack of information available for adults and the misconceptions about autism, which can lead to poor treatment in society. The aim of the campaign was to make people think differently about autism. It involved adverts, campaigning and sending information to local and national Government. But how long will it take for people to begin to think differently about people with autism.
Given the low numbers of adults with autism in employment, TreeHouse estimates that the annual cost of autism to the UK is £27.5 billion, as the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham, who is not in her
place now, said. It is unacceptable—not just for our society and our economy, but for the thousands of lives that are not being fulfilled—that those who can work are unable to do so because of societal ignorance. Given all the recognised problems that we face, the focus that the Bill places on the shortfall in service provision for people with autism is as timely as it is welcome.
The Bill introduces a requirement for the collection of data on people with autism by local authorities. Data on children will be registered annually by each local authority, and shared with the relevant partners, as set out in the Children Act 2004. This will allow for local flexibility. The Bill also places on the Secretary of State a duty to advance the provision of services by local authorities and the NHS, and requires local authorities to work for a smooth transition from child to adult autism services, allowing for data collection by children’s services to be used for adults.
The Bill also covers the provision of staff to deal with child autism, and provides for diagnostic services for adults, work force training requirements and sharing good practice at regional and national levels. Only two local authorities currently have a system in place to collect the relevant information, and the NHS and local authorities must, as far as possible, work to promote independent living for people with autism. All this is needed. As I have already said, I hope that the requirements to collect data will be fulfilled in a way that makes constructive use of the Special Educational Needs (Information) Act 2008, which will mean that data collected in our schools do not simply fall into a void once children leave school.
The impetus that the Government are placing on co-operation between local authorities and primary care trusts will help to ensure appropriate data sharing. This stage of transition is crucial in ensuring that the benefits of identification and support are not lost, which is why an extra £200,000 is being found for more research into the subject, to ensure a good transition between these groups. With improvements in teaching and many of the obligations set out in the child health strategy, there will also be a growing focus on earlier identification and intervention.
Wider measures, including child and adult mental health services, services for children with speech, language and communication difficulties, and the £770 million invested in the Aiming Higher for Disabled Children programme, will all help to improve the status quo. At this point, I would like to commend the sterling work done by the hon. Member for Buckingham (John Bercow) on the Bercow review.
Further improvements must come through a greater understanding of what achieves the best results. This is a problem that needs to be tackled, and it involves engaging with local communities, voluntary sector experts and carers to work out strategies that can overcome the existing difficulties with local information collection. Joint strategic needs assessments will be critical in providing better services for people with autism, and I hope that the Government can offer an assurance that autism, as well as other high-incidence special educational needs, can and will be included in such assessments.
I understand that Ministers have undertaken to look at issuing guidance that will address concerns about the commissioning of appropriate services and consultation across the full autism spectrum. I know that one of the
bones of contention over the Bill concerns the teeth of the national strategy for autism. That is why I am pleased that the National Autistic Society will now be so closely involved with the development of such a strategy.
Following the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Bill, the Department for Children, Schools and Families will offer consultation on new regulations and statutory guidance for children and young people’s plans. This will ensure that the needs of all disabled children are properly addressed. The Bill deals not only with autism, but with other special educational needs. I know that the National Autistic Society has been keen to confirm that there will be specific mention of autism in such guidance, and my understanding—which perhaps the Minister could confirm, if he has heard me—is that there will be. I am more than happy to take him at his word on this one.
The Government have made a far-reaching and thorough series of commitments, which could not have happened without the groundswell of support led by the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham and driven by the National Autistic Society. I know that thousands of people have lobbied their MPs on this matter, and I congratulate everyone involved. This is a great achievement, and the measures that the Government have set out make it clear that they have listened to what is needed.
The Government aim to drive improvements on local services. There is not one aim of this Bill of which I do not approve, and I am delighted that the National Autistic Society and TreeHouse are so pleased with what this process has secured. Of course, one or two things need ironing out of the commitments that we have been given. The situation relating to section 7 guidance under the Local Authorities Social Services Act 1970 is unclear, and we will need to give greater clarity on how it should be interpreted. I share the hope—and, in fact, fully believe—that the national autism strategy will be comprehensive and that it will deliver the opportunities of the 21st century to those with autism. It should contain references to the fact that all children on the autism spectrum, including those with Asperger’s, need to be on the register for children with disabilities.
In the light of the Government’s proposed measures, I wonder whether the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham, along with the Minister, might like to consider one or two questions, whose answers could set a precedent and carry ramifications for any future Government. It is right for the Bill to prioritise needs, but is it right to prioritise them with a Bill that deals with a single impairment, when we could help many more people by tackling the barriers to learning and life that people with a wide range of disabilities and special educational needs need to overcome? Much has already been achieved by the Bill and Second Reading is not yet complete; and I do not think that so much success has been won at such an early stage before.
I am delighted that the need to address weaknesses in services for people with autism has been highlighted. It is gratifying to see that the need for better information has been emphasised yet again and I cannot stress enough the urgency with which those responsible for implementing change must ensure that information held locally is used locally in order to deliver improvements nationally.
Once again, I congratulate the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham on her choice of Bill and on what she has achieved for those with autism. I also congratulate Ministers on their willingness to accept that more can be done, and on setting out to get it done as soon as possible. I know from my own experience last year how much work goes into such a process, and all involved deserve a big “well done”. We must remember, however, that the real winners from today and from the process of the last few weeks and the weeks to come will be the hundreds of thousands of people with autism, for whom the 21st century should now seem a whole lot brighter.
1.26 pm
The Minister of State, Department of Health (Phil Hope): First, I congratulate the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs. Gillan) on securing this Second Reading for her Bill. As many Members have already remarked, her efforts have built on those of the hon. Member for Tiverton and Honiton (Angela Browning), who introduced a similar ten-minute Bill previously.
On behalf of every Member, I want to say that we have had a very meaningful debate this morning. Every Member with an interest in these matters wants to thank the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham for raising the profile of this important issue. I also want to thank the Under-Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, my hon. Friend the Member for Portsmouth, North (Sarah McCarthy-Fry), who could not attend today. I have worked closely with her to develop the Government’s proposals in this area. Between us and across our respective Departments, the Government certainly need no persuading of the need for action on autism.
Let me thank Members of all parties who have spoken—some have only been able to intervene—with passion and commitment. What they said has sometimes been based on their personal experiences, sometimes on the views of their constituents who have autism and their families and carers. Quite rightly, Members have called for more to be done in their constituencies. I particularly congratulate Members who have been, or are involved in or have chaired, the all-party group on autism: my hon. Friend the Member for Burton (Mrs. Dean), my hon. Friend the Member for South Thanet (Dr. Ladyman), a former Minister, and my hon. Friend the Member for Erewash (Liz Blackman).
It is invidious to name specific MPs in a debate, and the quality and calibre of this morning’s debate has, I think, been quite outstanding. Just as MPs here today have shown themselves to be steadfast champions of a very just cause, I hope that every MP will follow their lead in pressing for change at every level. I certainly want to take the opportunity, like others this morning, to record my thanks to the third sector organisations that provide services, advise on policy and campaign for change. I particularly thank the National Autistic Society, with which both the Department of Health and the Department for Children, Schools and Families have worked in close partnership to develop the new policies that we have the opportunity to debate today.
I start by agreeing with the hon. Member for Chesham and Amersham and many other Members who have spoken on a great many of the points raised in contributions.
I want to respond to the specific points that the hon. Lady and others have mentioned, but more than that, I want to take the opportunity to give the cast-iron reassurances about the Government’s intentions that Members have requested from me. I shall do that by describing our autism strategy in detail. I want to put on record what that strategy will contain, what it will achieve and how we will ensure that it delivers on its promise. I am not sure which Member said “We are all practical politicians and we want to establish the best way to proceed in order to do what works”, but that is absolutely right. We need to ask what action we can take following today’s debate to assure individuals with autism, their families and their carers that we are taking action swiftly and effectively to address the concerns before us.
Mrs. Jacqui Lait (Beckenham) (Con): It may reassure the Minister to learn that boroughs such as Bromley, which are not necessarily known for supporting central Government diktat, support this Bill and want it to become law so that they will be made responsible for registering those who suffer from autism, thus ensuring that people on the autistic spectrum and their carers receive the help that they need.
Phil Hope: I am glad that some authorities want statutory pressures to be put on them to meet their obligations, and, as I shall explain shortly, we will be doing precisely that by providing statutory guidance. I hope that all authorities are as welcoming as Bromley.
Mr. Bellingham: Will the Minister give way?
Phil Hope: I shall be dealing with these points in detail, but I am happy to give way to the hon. Gentleman.
Mr. Bellingham: In the letter that he sent me on 19 February, for which I am grateful, the Minister wrote:
“Legislation could make delivery of change more difficult for children”,
and went on to suggest that steps could possibly be taken without recourse to such legislation. However, he has just told my hon. Friend the Member for Beckenham (Mrs. Lait) that he felt that a statutory framework would be a good thing. Will he elaborate on that?
Phil Hope: That is exactly what I intend to elaborate on, by explaining how the statutory guidance that we wish to provide, which will flow from the national strategy for adults with autism, will address key issues at local level without creating the risk of rigidity, inflexibility and inability to deliver change that might be unintended consequences of other measures.
Mrs. Humble: Will the Minister explain how the statutory guidance will lead to the development of more services? Last Monday I visited an excellent day facility run by Autism Initiatives in Blackpool, but there are very few such services specifically for adults with autism. How will the overall strategy and the detailed commissioning strategy lead to more good services of that kind?
Phil Hope:
My hon. Friend was eloquent earlier in describing excellent practice not just around the country generally, but in her constituency in particular. We want that excellent practice to be replicated throughout the
country, so that pockets of excellence become the mainstream norm in meeting the needs of adults with autism. The new strategy that we will launch in April will be subject to a major consultation in which many such questions and issues can be addressed. Once the strategy has been developed, we will be able to issue statutory guidance based on it, enabling every local authority to understand its obligations and the work that it must do to assess need, provide services, involve people in the development of their local strategies, and improve their work forces.
Mr. John Leech (Manchester, Withington) (LD) rose—
Phil Hope: I intend to cover these points in detail when I am able to do so, but I will give way to the hon. Gentleman.
Mr. Leech: Does the Minister not accept that it is far easier to ensure that local authorities do not misunderstand or misinterpret guidance—as they often do—if it is put in a Bill that will subsequently become an Act?
Phil Hope: The hon. Gentleman is right. I shall say a great deal more about the guidance that we will publish, but the key question is whether it is statutory. I shall be describing the range of measures that we will introduce to ensure that best practice is replicated so that individuals with autism, and their carers and families, receive the services that they need. Those measures will include not just statutory guidance but back-up in the form of leadership, delivery mechanisms and relentless pressure across all regions to ensure that what we talk about happens in practice.
Andrew Miller: I rise to seek clarification from the Minister. There has been a lot of confusion in contributions on this matter. Irrespective of whether we have this Bill, there will have to be guidance in order for the Minister to fulfil his promises. With the Bill, it would be guidance issued under clause 5, under which the Secretary of State must set out regulations. Without the Bill, regulations will still have to be made. Either way, it is vital that it is statutory guidance.
Phil Hope: My hon. Friend is absolutely right. We can argue about which primary legislation the regulations sit under, but the fact is that we wish to introduce that statutory guidance, and I will address the detail of which Act we wish to use for that statutory guidance when I reach that point in my remarks. I should, perhaps, add that this is only in regard to adults. In addition to that statutory guidance, my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families intends that the Bill on apprenticeships, children, schools and learners will also be the Bill from which will flow statutory guidance on children with autism. In that case, there will be statutory guidance on children and young people’s plans—not the adult side, but the children side—that will flow from different legislation. That statutory guidance will spell out what is expected from local authorities in respect of children with autism when they draw up their children and young people’s plans.
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