cAsA is an organization dedicated to improving the delivery of health and social care services to adults with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in Cambridgeshire.
We aim to ensure there is proper representation of the needs and aspirations of people with ASD's by including autistic individuals and their carers on the committees and working groups that develop and implement policies.
We want to see that the intentions of central government, enshrined in documents like "Better Services for People with an Autistic Spectrum Disorder" are fully implemented at a local level. This is something that Cambridgeshire lags far behind in achieving, when compared to other local authorities like Liverpool and Nottinghamshire.
We want to see the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust become a beacon of excellence in the provision of services and care for people with an ASD, as befitting its status as a Cambridge University Teaching Trust.
The present state of affairs is a disgrace to the name of the University and its Autism Research Centre (ARC).
We call on the University and the ARC to support us in our aims.
We want to see a local working party formed with representatives from the University, social services, the health service, autistic adults themselves and their carers to look at the current situation in Cambridgeshire. We need to look at examples of best practice and see how these service models can be implemented in Cambridgeshire.
The current thinking that the mental health, and social care needs needs of adults with ASD's, can be met within the existing service framework, is clearly not working.
Contact us at cAsAcambs@gmail.com
15.5.2008
