Hertfordshire County Council has officially reversed the decision to restrict funding for Autism Family Support Workers. We have received confirmation that these roles will remain eligible for support from the DSPL budget. I am now transitioning to monitoring the budget implementation to guarantee these funds reach the designated staff.
October 9, 2017
Final supporters
UPDATE:
MORE INFO ABOUT THE HERTS DSPL AUTISM FAMILY SUPPORT WORKERS:
Hertfordshire County Council gives each DSPL area a ‘pot of money’, and the management of each DSPL (Delivering Special Provision Locally) decide how that is best spent in their area for children with high end needs. Three of the Hertfordshire DSPL areas (3, 4 and 7) had used some of this money to contract Autism FSWs. (The March 2018 end date mentioned in the petition relates to my area, DSPL7.) It is believed that other DSPL areas were considering contracting Autism FSW too.
However, HCC’s key decision affecting Autism FSWs is not about reducing funding. What HCC has specifically stated is that Autism FSWs do not fit with strategic criteria, so DSPL areas should not allocate funding to them. How on earth has HCC reached this conclusion?
We feel that our three HF ASD children have been more supported in the past six months by our Autism FSW, than in the six years prior, since my oldest was diagnosed. (I am not counting the support for our children by a number of committed school teachers/TAs, or through several very helpful SEND charities. The very fact that these charities now exist in such numbers shows how big a gap there is between what is needed and what is being provided by those who should be providing it.)
I think the reason an Autism FSW is so well-suited to helping to meet the needs of high end children on the Autism Spectrum, is because the help they can offer, or to which they can facilitate access, can cover all areas of need in relation to the well-being of the child; it is not limited to solely home, health, etc.
Perhaps the first question we should be asking HCC Children’s Services, is what exactly are their strategic criteria for meeting the needs of high end needs children, for most of whom the primary difficulty arises from ASD. And the second question is: how exactly are Autism FSWs not a strategic use of DSPL funds?
Please sign if you haven’t already…. This service should not be removed. Instead, it should be allowed to be rolled out further, to each DSPL area which decides it is a worthwhile use of their funds.
Thank you!
ORIGINAL PETITION TEXT:
Hertfordshire Local Authority has decided that it will not fund Autism Family Support Workers from March 2018. This is a huge blow to families of children with autism. In existence for less than a year, Autism Family Support is already a hugely successful service, with long waiting lists (over 30 families in my DSPL area alone) and valued highly by families it has supported.
The support Autism FSWs can offer spans both home and school life. In my experience, it is manned by caring people who appreciate what life can be like for children with autism and their families, and want to make a real difference. They understand the difficulties, and they can help in multiple ways.
It is not just families who are impacted. Autism FSWs also help to lighten the workload of the professional services to which they link their supported families. Furthermore, families not under the service can still access help and advice through fortnightly Autism Family Support coffee mornings – but these will also stop when the Autism FSWs go. They have been encouraged to look for new jobs; a number have already left.
Hertfordshire LA, we respectfully request that you do not withdraw funding for Autism Family Support Workers.
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
July 24, 2017
July 24, 2017
I have requested a formal meeting with the council leads to challenge the stated strategic criteria. We are now drafting a detailed briefing note that outlines the measurable impact these workers have had on families. Expect a report on their response once the correspondence is finalized.
Reached 100 supporters
July 24, 2017
113 Comments
Hertfordshire is already lacking support for families with autism. I've been on the waiting list for Family Support Worker since May and this service will be crucial to us as we are all really struggling. I would have thought we need more funding for this service not less.
We're just on the waiting list for this service. All other services keep telling me a family support worker is what we need - a crossover between home and school. Where should the paediatrician, or the school, or mental health services refer us to if Family Support Workers are no longer there?
In the past year this service has literally saved lives in my family. Without them I dread to think how things may have turned out. I consider them to be a safeguarding service, and that withdrawing them is a safeguarding failure.
Having a child with Autism can be incredibly tough, having support can make all the difference between making it through a day, or not. Cutting services like this will just increase the money that will be spend on mental health in the long run. Don't be short sighted.
As a grandparent to a child who is autistic, I see the strain my daughter is under, coping with everyday problems.. The support service is so very good, If it goes, many people will suffer.
Be sad to lose this service. Families need support.
Living with an autistic child is inceedibly hard, theses families need one-on-one support.
Share Petition
Don't stop at signing, share the petition link with friends to multiply our impact
Copy link or share directly
Hertfordshire County Council has officially reversed the decision to restrict funding for Autism Family Support Workers. We have received confirmation that these roles will remain eligible for support from the DSPL budget. I am now transitioning to monitoring the budget implementation to guarantee these funds reach the designated staff.
October 9, 2017
Final supporters
UPDATE:
MORE INFO ABOUT THE HERTS DSPL AUTISM FAMILY SUPPORT WORKERS:
Hertfordshire County Council gives each DSPL area a ‘pot of money’, and the management of each DSPL (Delivering Special Provision Locally) decide how that is best spent in their area for children with high end needs. Three of the Hertfordshire DSPL areas (3, 4 and 7) had used some of this money to contract Autism FSWs. (The March 2018 end date mentioned in the petition relates to my area, DSPL7.) It is believed that other DSPL areas were considering contracting Autism FSW too.
However, HCC’s key decision affecting Autism FSWs is not about reducing funding. What HCC has specifically stated is that Autism FSWs do not fit with strategic criteria, so DSPL areas should not allocate funding to them. How on earth has HCC reached this conclusion?
We feel that our three HF ASD children have been more supported in the past six months by our Autism FSW, than in the six years prior, since my oldest was diagnosed. (I am not counting the support for our children by a number of committed school teachers/TAs, or through several very helpful SEND charities. The very fact that these charities now exist in such numbers shows how big a gap there is between what is needed and what is being provided by those who should be providing it.)
I think the reason an Autism FSW is so well-suited to helping to meet the needs of high end children on the Autism Spectrum, is because the help they can offer, or to which they can facilitate access, can cover all areas of need in relation to the well-being of the child; it is not limited to solely home, health, etc.
Perhaps the first question we should be asking HCC Children’s Services, is what exactly are their strategic criteria for meeting the needs of high end needs children, for most of whom the primary difficulty arises from ASD. And the second question is: how exactly are Autism FSWs not a strategic use of DSPL funds?
Please sign if you haven’t already…. This service should not be removed. Instead, it should be allowed to be rolled out further, to each DSPL area which decides it is a worthwhile use of their funds.
Thank you!
ORIGINAL PETITION TEXT:
Hertfordshire Local Authority has decided that it will not fund Autism Family Support Workers from March 2018. This is a huge blow to families of children with autism. In existence for less than a year, Autism Family Support is already a hugely successful service, with long waiting lists (over 30 families in my DSPL area alone) and valued highly by families it has supported.
The support Autism FSWs can offer spans both home and school life. In my experience, it is manned by caring people who appreciate what life can be like for children with autism and their families, and want to make a real difference. They understand the difficulties, and they can help in multiple ways.
It is not just families who are impacted. Autism FSWs also help to lighten the workload of the professional services to which they link their supported families. Furthermore, families not under the service can still access help and advice through fortnightly Autism Family Support coffee mornings – but these will also stop when the Autism FSWs go. They have been encouraged to look for new jobs; a number have already left.
Hertfordshire LA, we respectfully request that you do not withdraw funding for Autism Family Support Workers.
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
July 24, 2017
July 24, 2017
I have requested a formal meeting with the council leads to challenge the stated strategic criteria. We are now drafting a detailed briefing note that outlines the measurable impact these workers have had on families. Expect a report on their response once the correspondence is finalized.
Reached 100 supporters
July 24, 2017
113 Comments
The code of prectice details the importance of early identification and support. Without this much needed service families will not receive the right support at such a critical time in a child's life.
Hertfordshire is already lacking support for families with autism. I've been on the waiting list for Family Support Worker since May and this service will be crucial to us as we are all really struggling. I would have thought we need more funding for this service not less.
We're just on the waiting list for this service. All other services keep telling me a family support worker is what we need - a crossover between home and school. Where should the paediatrician, or the school, or mental health services refer us to if Family Support Workers are no longer there?
In the past year this service has literally saved lives in my family. Without them I dread to think how things may have turned out. I consider them to be a safeguarding service, and that withdrawing them is a safeguarding failure.
Having a child with Autism can be incredibly tough, having support can make all the difference between making it through a day, or not. Cutting services like this will just increase the money that will be spend on mental health in the long run. Don't be short sighted.
As a grandparent to a child who is autistic, I see the strain my daughter is under, coping with everyday problems.. The support service is so very good, If it goes, many people will suffer.
Be sad to lose this service. Families need support.
Living with an autistic child is inceedibly hard, theses families need one-on-one support.
Share Petition
Don't stop at signing, share the petition link with friends to multiply our impact
Petitions like this
Other petitions you might want to support
Scan to share
Anyone who scans this can sign the petition.
The code of prectice details the importance of early identification and support. Without this much needed service families will not receive the right support at such a critical time in a child's life.