Agenda item

Members of the public may ask questions or make statements at this meeting if they have given notice to Will Baines of Democratic and Scrutiny Services and supplied the text (contact details below) by midday on Thursday 1 February 2024, three working days before the day of the meeting.  Each speaker should limit themselves to 3 minutes on any item.  Members of the public who have given notice will be invited to speak:

·         at this point in the meeting if their questions/statements relate to matters which are not otherwise on the Agenda (subject to an overall time limit of 30 minutes);

·         when the relevant Agenda item is being considered if they wish to speak on a matter which is on the Agenda for this meeting.

If you are exercising your right to speak at this meeting, but do not wish to be recorded, please inform the Leader who will instruct anyone who may be taking a recording to cease while you speak.

A total of eight public questions and statements had been received.

There were two public questions and statements submitted relating to Agenda Item 6 – Selby District Local Plan – Revised Regulation 19 draft plan for public consultation, which the Chair agreed to consider as part of that agenda item.

There were five public questions and statements submitted relating to Agenda Item 7 – Maltkiln New Settlement – Submission of the New Settlement DPD, which the Chair agreed to consider as part of that agenda item.

A further public submission received from Mr Roger Tuckett was taken under this item:

‘My supposition really is that the consultation process for the All-Ages Autism Strategy is faulty, because it’s liable to be a process of group-think rather than true engagement. Overall, it will fail to deliver the outcome and outputs. It has been carried out with zeal and enthusiasm by officers, but my conclusion is that it is not fit for purpose. There are perhaps four main reasons for this: first of all, it needs to be preceded by a comprehensively updated needs assessment for autism, but the Council’s last needs assessment for autism was dated back in 2013, some 11 years ago. Secondly, there is a need for a successful co-production to engage not only with those who are autistic but also those experts within the autistic community and unfortunately this hasn’t really happened, opportunities have been missed. I’ve suggested the idea of focus groups to help do this. Third, there is a complete absence of third sector services for adult autism in North Yorkshire, and I believe that needs to be addressed and unlike other parts of the country where it does exist, that it be put in place. Finally, there is a cultural separation between health and social care across the country, but certainly here in North Yorkshire, and efforts need to be made to bridge that gap between the Health and Wellbeing Board and the ICB, from local authorities and the NHS and above all, leadership is required.

YaaaG the organisation is ready to engage with such leadership to find solutions.

Key messages are that:

·       Health (NHS) and Social Care (Local Authority) thinking must be combined.

·       New strategies must be preceded by thorough evaluation of existing services and unmet need.

·       True co-production with lived experience is essential, combined with proactive steps to understand hard-to-reach voices through focus groups.

·       Create and incubate new Third Sector providers across North Yorkshire & York.

·       Adopt person-centred thinking. Embrace individuality

·       Consider Autism, ADHD and Neurodiversity together

·       Welcome and adopt a transformational approach to change

Whereas, taking account of the not-fit-for-purpose process of the consultation on the

Council’s draft Autism Strategy, and noting the failure of the North Yorkshire & York Integrated Care Place Boards to make any progress on the issues associated with significantly oversubscribed diagnostic services with waiting lists for adults with suspected Autism and ADHD, please will elected NY Council Members through its Executive Committee establish an open and transparent Leadership Group of Elected Members, supported by Officers and in partnership with the ICB and with individual and organisational lived experience expertise, which will specifically address the prioritisation of Autism and Neurodiversity support in North Yorkshire, in liaison and cooperation with similar organisations and public bodies in York, and specifically, will it address allocation of much-needed resources from all sources including central Government, and work towards full compliance with all statutory requirements and mandatory national policy guidance?’

In response, Councillor Michael Harrison thanked Mr Tuckett for his statement and question. He disagreed with the view that the consultation is not fit for purpose, noting the high level of engagement to date, with 82 people attending the consultation events, in addition to 84 survey responses received and a further 6 public events still to be delivered.

The key messages highlighted in the public statement are welcome, indeed it will be included as a response to the consultation, as they are exactly the type of views we want to hear. The draft strategy has been developed by a multi-agency and officer steering group, which includes carer and lived experience representation, and so he didn’t feel that it is necessary to form a separate leadership group, and so didn’t intend asking the Executive to establish one.

He finished by welcoming and encouraging participation in the public consultation, which is live until 15th March.

As a supplementary question, Mr Tuckett asked the portfolio holder to meet with him to discuss the points he had raised, as well as exploring the potential for an autism and neurodiverse Member Champion role to give it an appropriate focus. Councillor Michael Harrison responded that he was happy to meet with Mr Tuckett, but reiterated that he had full confidence in the consultation and the work going on in this important area.