What is the Project?
This is a new project funded by Stockport’s Health Improvement Partnership, with three main features:
- A home-based, hands on service bridging all services to ensure effective practice is identified and followed consistently for children with ASDs who are referred to the project.
- To promote inclusion and less challenging behaviour.
- Employing parents as co-trainers to increase the number of trained care workers who are aware of ASDs in Stockport.
What are the Project’s aims?
- To provide a service to families to ensure that effective practice is shared between school and home and thereby to try and reduce the stress on families and support the participation of the child with ASD in family life.
- To deliver multi-agency training on autism and increase the number of workers familiar with autism, thereby increase the opportunities for children with ASD to enjoy leisure and learning activities in the community.
What are the Project’s main objectives?
- To build bridges between school and home, by forming person–centred intervention plans incorporating appropriate behaviour management strategies used in schools, homes and other settings.
- To promote autism-friendly environments.
- To train support workers and develop a database of appropriately trained adults.
- To provide telephone support to parents.
- To set up training sessions for parents, professionals and support workers, which are co-presented by paid parent trainers.
With what problems or issues can the Project help?
Any problem relating to the child’s ASD which is causing stress, concern or difficulty to the child or other family members.
Who are the Project Team Members?
- A Person-Centred Intervention Co-ordinator.
- A Family Support Worker.
- An Administrative Assistant.
Who manages the Project?
The project is line-managed by the Stockport Council Psychology Service (in the first instance) and the Disability Partnership with consultation by a specialist Educational Psychologist.
The project staff reports to a multi–agency steering group consisting of representatives from local Health Services, the Children & Young People’s Directorate (Learning and Achievement, Social Care), and from voluntary agencies and parents.
Who can be Referred?
Children aged 5-15 who are resident in Stockport and who have been diagnosed with an ASD.
Priority will be given to children who have no similar involvement by other services and where other services involved agree that the involvement of the project may be beneficial.
Who can Refer?
The project operates an open referral system, with referrals from:
- Parents
- Schools
- Education, Social Care and Health professionals.
How are Referrals made?
Referrals to the ASD Partnership Project must be made on a CAF Form.
What will happen then?
The Project Co-ordinator will contact the child’s parents/carers to arrange a time to meet and discuss what the project can offer.
Assessment will enable the project team and parents/carers (and the child, where applicable) to agree an intervention. The assessment may include any, or all, of the following:
- A visit to home to find out about the child’s development, effective strategies, interests etc.
- A visit to school to find out what strategies have proved effective there.
- Contact in person or by telephone to find out about further effective strategies used with the child by other agencies.
The Project Co-ordinator and family support worker will work together to put a plan into effect and monitor progress with the family.
What happens at the end of the involvement of the Project Team?
Interventions will last up to six months. The project team will plan a smooth link to existing services following the intervention.
How can I contact the Project Team?
Cheryl Salt
Project Co-Ordinator
Children and Young People's Disability Partnership
ASD Partnership Project,
C/O 8th Floor Regent House,
Heaton Lane,
Stockport.
SK4 1BS
Tel. No. 0161 249 4474
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