Disclosure Log
Autism Partnership Board & effective multi-agency partnership arrangements for autism (FOI/7924)
Message from Nottinghamshire County Council - 28 May 2026
Dear *********,
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 – REQUEST FOR INFORMATION REFERENCE FOI/7924
Thank you for your request for information relating to Autism Partnership Board & effective multi-agency partnership arrangements for autism.
We are now able to provide the following information below and attached:
1. Please confirm whether the authority currently has:
A. an Autism Partnership Board; or
NO We do have an All Age Approach to Autism group which consists of NCC and ICB colleagues.
B) an equivalent multi-agency partnership arrangement intended to meet these expectations.
YES
2. If the authority does not have a dedicated Autism Partnership Board, please provide:
A. a description of how the authority maintains effective multi-agency partnership arrangements for autism. Delivery is undertaken through multi-agency partnership arrangements across the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care System (ICS). These include:
* The Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Learning Disability and Autism Executive Board, which provides strategic oversight of autism and learning disability work across the system
* Delivery structures linked to the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire All-Age Autism Strategy (2022-2025)
See links - Autism (2025) - Nottinghamshire Insight
Autism (2025) - Nottinghamshire Insight
icsallageautismstrategy.pdf
These arrangements bring together partners from:
* Nottinghamshire County Council
* Nottingham City Council
* Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board (ICB)
* NHS provider organisations
* Voluntary and community sector organisations
Accordingly, NCC operates a multi-agency partnership model fulfilling the function of an Autism Partnership Board.
B. an outline of how those arrangements have changed since 2015
Since 2015, partnership arrangements have evolved as follows: Earlier arrangements were based on local authority-led autism strategy groups and partnership boards (often at city or county level).
There has been a transition to:
* All-age autism strategies
* Greater co-production with people with lived experience
* Integration of health and social care governance through the ICS model
Current arrangements reflect a fully integrated, system-wide partnership model, with shared governance across organisations and alignment with national policy requirements
3. For any Autism Partnership Board or equivalent arrangement, please provide:
A. Contact details
Responsibility for autism strategy is shared across ICS partners.
B) Terms of Reference
See link - NNN_terms_of_reference-_01.25.pdf
C) Membership, including how autistic people and/or family representatives are included
Membership of system-wide autism partnership arrangements typically includes:
* Local authority representatives
* Integrated Care Board commissioners
* NHS providers (e.g. community services, CAMHS, primary care)
* Voluntary and community sector organisations
* Academic partners
D) Copies of agendas and minutes for meetings in the last 24 months (or links where publicly available)
See links Autism (2025) - Nottinghamshire Insight
4. Please provide the specification for any work currently commissioned or provided by the local authority and/or local ICB that offers low-level support for autistic adults without requiring a Care Act assessment/eligibility.
Low level support could include, for example, short-term coaching, peer support, drop-in sessions or group learning, and may aim to:
* prevent or delay the need for longer term or more intensive support
* improve wellbeing and independence
* support autistic adults to develop skills and confidence in areas such as accessing the community, social/support groups, relationships, managing household routines, managing bills/paperwork, taking part in volunteering/employment etc.
Low-level support is provided through a combination of local authority services, NHS provision, and voluntary/community sector organisations. These services aim to:
* Prevent escalation of need
* Promote independence and wellbeing
* Support community engagement
Examples of support available
Information, advice and early support
* NCC Autism information page
* Minds of All Kinds" online resource providing information and support across the system
* NHS Neurodevelopmental Specialist Service "waiting well" information providing signposting to community services
Community and voluntary sector services
Examples include:
* Autistic Nottingham
* Social activities
* Advice and advocacy
* Accessible without a diagnosis for some services
* Nottingham Autism Support Service
* Support for families and adults
* Autism East Midlands
NHS / integrated preventative services
* Intensive Community Assessment and Treatment Team (ICATT)
* Short-term support aimed at preventing crisis or hospital admission
If any part of this request is held jointly with other organisations (e.g. Integrated Care Boards), please provide the information held by the authority and indicate where responsibility is shared.
Summary
1. NCC does not publish a dedicated Autism Partnership Board but operates equivalent ICS-wide multi-agency arrangements
Strategic oversight is provided through the Learning Disability and Autism Executive Board and related governance structures
2. Partnership arrangements have evolved since 2015 to a fully integrated ICS model
3. Low-level autism support is delivered through a range of council, NHS and voluntary sector services, many accessible without Care Act eligibility
4. Responsibility for autism services is shared across local authority and NHS partners
We trust this now satisfies your request and that you find this information to be helpful, however if you are unhappy with the way in which your request has been handled, then please email us at [email protected] quoting the reference FOI/7924 and we will be happy to review your request
For future reference, Nottinghamshire County Council regularly publishes previous FOI requests and answers on its website, under Disclosure logs, that may provide details relating to your query. (see link) Your privacy: we use your personal information such as name and address so that we can comply with our legal obligations to respond to FOI requests. For further details about the use of information about you, please see the information handling privacy notice on our website at https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/media/4323566/informationgovernanceandinformationrightsprivacynotice.pdf
If you are dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have the right to ask for an internal review. Requests should be submitted within 40 working days of the date of receipt of the response to your original request and should be addressed to: Complaints and Information Team, Nottinghamshire County Council, County Hall, Loughborough Road, West Bridgford, NOTTINGHAM, NG2 7QP or [email protected].
Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.
If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, WILMSLOW, SK9 5AF or Yours sincerely
Alison Fletcher
Complaints and Information Team
Chief Executives Department
Nottinghamshire County Council
The Council is committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring all personal information is kept confidential and safe. For more details see our general and service specific privacy notices at: https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/global-content/privacy
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