Myfanwy calls for a dialogue with County Officers on meeting the needs of autistic adults and planning new services

Dr. Myfanwy Davies, Plaid’s parliamentary candidate for Llanelli, has called on her colleague Helen Mary Jones, Llanelli’s Plaid AM, to ensure that Carmarthenshire looks after its autistic adults and understands the needs of autistic children in order to plan services. In April last year Wales became the first country in the world to introduce a national strategic action plan to help the estimated 30,000 people in Wales directly or indirectly affected by autism.

The Welsh Assembly Government’s Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Strategic Action Plan aims to ensure that county council education, housing and social service departments work together to improve the lives of people with autism. The plan was funded in the first year (2008/09) through 1.8 million pounds to be shared between our 22 Councils.

During the first years, County Councils are expected to assess the need for autism services in their areas and to give a full account of all the services available to people with autism from childhood through to adulthood. Responding to the National Autistic Society’s campaign to raise awareness of the mapping and needs assessment, Myfanwy has called on Helen Mary to meet with council officials to discuss the exercise in the County.

Speaking from her campaign office in Llanelli, Myfanwy said:

“I’m delighted that Helen has agreed to call meetings with the council’s representatives so that they can report on progress in mapping existing services and assessing the need for new services. Families need to know what progress has been made and how they can contribute to these processes which will be so important for planning future services”.

“Parents have particular concerns about funding services for autistic adults. There are excellent projects in the county that enable adults with autism to live independent and full lives. For example intensive supportive housing schemes combine a high level of care but still allow adults to keep their benefits so they can maintain independence through paying rent and contributing to carers’ pay”.

“However alongside these examples there is a sense of disappointment among the families of autistic children that young people with autism who are too old to use children’s social services are not routinely provided with the same support services”.

Helen Mary has requested to meet with Bruce McLernon, Director of Social Care and Housing in Carmarthenshire.