Herefordshire Autism Partnership
Herefordshire Autism Partnership brings together people from public services, support organisations, those on the autistic spectrum and their family carers. It aims to promote better understanding of the spectrum in order to improve services for people, families and carers living with autism. It offers opportunities for you to get involved in developing those services and future strategy.
Herefordshire and Worcestershire Autism Strategy 2024-2029
Herefordshire and Worcestershire's Autism Partnership Boards have worked with autistic people, carers, professionals from social care, health, public health, police, support providers and advocacy services to co-produce a new All-Age Autism Strategy for the two counties.
The priorities in our strategy reflect the six priorities within the National Autism Strategy 2021-2026 with an additional local priority around keeping safe:
- Improving understanding and acceptance of autism within society.
- Improving autistic children and young people's access into education and support positive transitions into adulthood.
- Supporting more autistic people into employment.
- Tackling health and care inequalities for autistic people
- Building the right support in the community.
- Improving support in criminal and youth justice systems
- Keeping safe
Herefordshire and Worcestershire Autism Strategy 2024-2029
Herefordshire and Worcestershire Autism Strategy 2024-2029 survey response data
Herefordshire Autism Partnership Board
If you are interested in attending any of our meetings, or would like to find out more about our work, please email Paul Choppen, Partnership Board Assistant, Herefordshire Council at pchoppen@herefordshire.gov.uk
Dates of Herefordshire Autism Partnership meetings 2025
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Tuesday 21 January from 2pm to 4.30pm in the Fownhope Room, Plough Lane Offices, Herefordshire Council and via Microsoft Teams
Autistic adult diagnostic pathway
Herefordshire now has its own autistic adult diagnostic pathway for people seeking an autism diagnosis. The pathway is run by the Family Psychologists and commissioned by the Herefordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).
You can get a referral to the service through your local GP or through the Mental Health Team if you are already being seen by them. View the Autistic Adult Diagnostic Pathway press release for more details.
Children's diagnostic pathway for autism
Find out more about the diagnostic pathway for children (aged 0-17) with autism.
Post-diagnosis support services for people with an autism diagnosis in Herefordshire
Brightfire CIC
Brightfire CIC is a non-profit, autistic led community interest company, providing mental health and wellbeing support for autistic adults.
They offer private and group sessions such as the Being Autistic programme. This is an art therapy and psycho-education project for autistic adults developed by Brightfire CIC in collaboration with The Cartshed Charity at their woodland site in Herefordshire. Over 12 sessions participants have an opportunity to explore their autistic identity, connect with peers, develop strategies for improving mental health and wellbeing whilst connecting with the natural environment.
Autism West Midlands
In Herefordshire and Worcestershire, Autism West Midlands offer:
- Information, advice and support to autistic adults and/or parent carers of adults by phone, email or online meetings
- Structured support sessions for autistic adults who have been diagnosed in recent years. These are offered online or face to face in community venues (there may be a wait for face to face appointments)
- Autism confident programmes for autistic teenagers and adults
- A 1-1 support service for individuals with an autism diagnosis.
In 2023, Autism West Midlands will be developing support groups for autistic adults online or face to face in community venues.
Free autism and anxiety training for parent carers of children who have been accepted for assessment on the ASD diagnosis pathway or who have received a diagnosis of autism. The training programme is delivered by webinar. Check out their events pages for details.
During 2022-23, Autism West Midlands are delivering a pilot programme of post diagnosis support to 14-18 year olds who have recently been diagnosed. Contact Autism West Midlands for more details.
Autism Central Midlands
NHS England commissioned nine charities to provide high-quality and accessible autism information, education and coaching for families and carers, co-delivered by autistic people, families and carers.
In the Midlands, charities Contact and Ambitious about Autism run Autism Central's programmes.
You can find out more in the Autism Central Midlands flyer.
National Autistic Society (NAS)
The National Autistic Society help the 700,000 autistic people in the UK and their families. This includes running specialist schools, campaigning for improved rights or training companies on being more autism-friendly, we are dedicated to transforming lives and changing attitudes.
Local NAS branches
The National Autistic Society has volunteer-led branches across the UK. Volunteers at local branches run support, information and social activities for autistic adults, children and their families in their local area. They also organise and join in with fundraising and campaigning.
Update on NAS Herefordshire Branch - 27 November 2023
In response to your questions about the current status of the Herefordshire NAS local office, we reached out to NAS HQ to ask for an update on the local Herefordshire Branch. Here's what they told us:
"Herefordshire branch emails may take longer to be answered due to the limited capacity of the branch volunteers at present. Any member of the public who needs information can go to our website for assistance. We have a great autism services directory which holds lots of information. The branch is no longer operating out of the Fred Bulmer centre office and can only be contacted by email at herefordshire.branch@nas.org.uk We are recruiting more volunteers for the branch so hopefully we can offer more signposting. We will look into branch matters and how they are being corresponded to externally. Thank you for highlighting your concerns to us at NAS." 27 November 2023.
For more information on the Herefordshire Branch please see: