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Outcomes
Services for people with autism spectrum disorder should be based on the principles of:
- Dignity: people should be given the care and support they need in a way which promotes their independence, emotional well-being and respects their dignity
- Privacy: people should be supported to have choice and control over their lives
- Choice: care should be based on identified needs and wishes of the individual
- Safety: people should be supported to feel safe and secure without being over-protected
- Realising potential: People should have the opportunity to achieve all they can and to make full use of available resources
- Equality and diversity: People should have equal access to information assessment and services. Health and social care agencies should work to redress inequalities and challenge discrimination
The new concordat between national government and local government heralds a new outcome-focused era for public services in Scotland. It sets out the overarching strategic objectives, 15 national outcomes and 45 national indicators. Local Government is in the process of agreeing a set of local indicators to fit with this framework, and local outcomes will also be developed in each of the 32 local authority areas.
Recently a broad community of people who use community care services, their carers, and agencies from all sectors across Scotland drew up 16 initial measures to determine how local partnerships (and indirectly national government and other bodies) are improving outcomes for people who use community care services. The measures are based on extensive research into the experience and aspirations of people who use services, and their carers.
The suite of 16 community care measures will be promoted as the recommended set of performance management indicators that partnerships can use to evidence achievement of the single community care outcome.
Whilst the national outcomes and community care measures are not generally focussed on particular client groups, all are applicable to people with autism spectrum disorder, and people on the autism spectrum should be included in the measurement and reporting of partnerships progress in improving performance across all measures.
The following illustrates how developing outcomes may be evidenced for people with learning disability.
Outcome 1:
People with ASD and parents/carers access information about available services.
Information is publicly available, in a range of formats that allows people to identify routes to assessment and services.
There is an clear point of contact for individuals enquiring about services.
Outcome 2:
People with ASD are satisfied with their involvement in the design of their support or care package.
Individuals who want them have access to self-directed support and receive support to manage their own care package.
People with ASD have support to communicate in the way most appropriate to them.
People with ASD have access to trained and experienced advocacy support.
People with ASD participating in consultations about the development of autism services.
Outcome 3:
People with ASD are assessed by appropriately trained staff following a diagnosis or becoming known to services.
Specialist assessments are carried out where ASD is first identified in single shared assessment.
Specialist assessment is done by a person trained in ASD.
Assessment addresses social, physical, language and emotional needs.
Local training strategies include awareness-raising for all staff, further training for some staff and a third tier of specialist training as required.
Outcome 4:
People with ASD and parents/carers receive services that address their specific needs.
A multi agency approach is provided to young people with ASD from school to adulthood.
People with ASD are fully involved in the development of their own services using a person centred planning approach.
All services commissioned are accredited to the standards detailed in Annex C.
There are a range of low level, preventative services such as social groups, relationship counselling and befriending to avoid people getting into crisis.
Parents and carers are involved in the initial assessment of needs and are regularly involved in the review of the services received and planned outcomes.
People with ASD gain self-understanding.
Parents/carers are offered training to increase understanding and knowledge of ASD and tools to increase confidence and family capacity.
Parents/carers are offered a Carers Assessment, and have access to information i.e. benefits and support services.
Services build on an individuals assets to develop communication, behaviour support, skills acquisition, skills maintenance and growth in the ability to function independently.
Service design incorporates lifelong learning approaches that seek to continue personal progress and achievement for each individual, not just containment.
Outcome 5:
People with ASD are satisfied with opportunities for social interaction.
Individuals with ASD are encouraged and supported to maximise their potential and have purposeful lifestyles by learning life skills to enable them to participate in further education and employment/ occupational activities.
Community capacity building supports people with ASD to participate in the local community.
Individuals are given the opportunity to look at self employment as an option.
Individuals are linked into work experience with employers.
People with ASD who are at risk of offending should be identified and preventative supports should be commissioned to minimise the risk.
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