HAPB

These web pages of the Hampshire Autism Partnership Board are hosted on this site on behalf of all Board members.

The Hampshire Autism Partnership Board (HAPB) was set up to be a decision making body which shares information and develops a strategy to improve services for autistic people in Hampshire. The Board also has good links with leads in autism from Southampton, Isle of Wight and Portsmouth. Working closely with each other means the strategy enhances a countywide approach to the needs of autism.


The Board has representatives from health and social care (across learning disabilities and mental health), voluntary and statutory services, specialist and mainstream, service users and families (Hampshire Autism Voice), to improve access to better local services for all autistic adults and young people and their families. It also ensures consistency and equality in services. 



Hampshire all-age autism strategy 2023

The Hampshire Autism Partnership Board has been working to create an all-age autism strategy focusing on six priority areas


The government published a new national autism strategy in July 2021. The Hampshire Autism Partnership Board has updated the current Hampshire autism strategies for both adults and children to become an all-age strategy.


The new Strategy can be found on the Hampshire Autism Partnership Board's new web pages.


Please note: for the time being, access to other HAPB information will remain on this website, hosted by Hampshire Autism Voice.


Updating the strategies 2022–23

The government published a new National Autism Strategy in July 2021. The Hampshire Autism Partnership Board decided to update the previous Hampshire Autism Strategy for Adults and The Hampshire Autism Strategy for Children into one all-age Hampshire Autism Strategy. 


To achieve this, six Task and Finish Groups were created to develop the necessary content. Each group reflected one of the six key priority areas in the National Strategy:

  1. improving understanding and acceptance of autism within society
  2. improving autistic children and young people’s access to education, and supporting positive transitions into adulthood
  3. supporting more autistic people into employment
  4. tackling health and care inequalities for autistic people
  5. building the right support in the community and supporting people in inpatient care
  6. improving support within the criminal and youth justice systems


The groups met regularly during 2022–23. They comprised a diverse range of attendees, including representation from relevant professional bodies, Hampshire Autism Voice, local autism charities, experts by experience, service users, parents and carers.


Public engagement surveys



During the autumn 2022, a public engagement survey was circulated to autistic people, their families and professionals who work with them, to gain views on the above topics. Additional smaller, more targeted surveys were also circulated. Links to the results of these surveys can be found below.

 

Please note: these surveys were self-selecting, so the findings are an indication how people feel within Hampshire, based on the views of those that responded. Within some elements of these surveys there were low response base sizes, so please bear these in mind when viewing findings; any low base rates are documented within the relevant document.



This information received was used to inform the new strategy.


Hampshire’s previous Autism Strategies

The Hampshire Autism Strategy for Adults 2012–2015 was launched on 5 November 2012. The Hampshire Autism Strategy for Adults was the first of a two part 'across the lifespan' autism strategy. The second part, the Autism Strategy for Children and Young People in Hampshire 2014–2017 was published in March 2015.





If you require a hard copy of these strategies, contact autismboard.admin@hants.gov.uk.



Development of the initial strategies

The Hampshire Autism Partnership Board developed the adult strategy through two consultations (2011 and 2012) with autistic people, parents and carers, and staff who work with autistic people within voluntary, independent and public sector organisations.


The adult strategy also responded to the central government guidance and legislation and to other priorities that had been agreed locally. The original national strategy, Fulfilling and Rewarding Lives, represents a shared approach towards a common goal; a society that not only accepts and understands autism, but also provides real opportunities for autistic adults to live fulfilling and rewarding lives. Its update, Think Autism, published in April 2014, reaffirmed the importance of the 5 areas for action identified in the strategy aimed at improving the lives of autistic adults.


Following a 12 week public consultation, the completed Children and Young People’s Autism Strategy consultation report was presented to Senior local authority managers, the Joint Child Health Commissioning Board and the Hampshire Autism Partnership Board who agreed the strategy, which was then published in March 2015.


For more information about how Hampshire has responded to the new national autism strategy and the development of the new Hampshire Autism Strategy, please contact Jason Norum, Autism Strategy Lead for Adult Services, Hampshire County Council or the Autism Partnership Project Coordinator at autismboard.admin@hants.gov.uk.


Hampshire County Council autism information webpage

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