County Council cuts to Oxfordshire Autism Support

Eric Blair

Eric Blair

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1,159
I originally posted this on the top six thread. @Malc suggested I start a new thread on it as it will get lost otherwise. Cheers Malc. Sorry to those who have read it twice.

As many of you may know my son is autistic. We got the diagnosis when he was aged five after a long two year wait for an NHS referral. We were one of the lucky ones. The older the child the longer you have to wait for a diagnosis as CAMHS is overwhelmed and my son was young enough to be seen by a pediatrician. The NHS are good but just don’t have the resources to deal with it.

Anyway, the charity that stood by us and helped us when my son was frustrated and punching through windows at the age of 7 was Autism Family Support, Oxfordshire. They are the only means of anyone with an autistic family member to get one to one support in Oxfordshire. The only means. It is shocking.

This week Oxfordshire Country Council cut their funding so they can no longer deliver that vital service - a service that stopped us for getting to crisis point.

As this is Oxfordshire and as this is a popular thread I hope you don’t mind me plugging a petition to sign (and to share with your networks) to get the decision over turned.

The petition is here: https://www.change.org/p/halt-the-r...n=share_for_starters_page&utm_medium=copylink


More details here:
www.oxfordmail.co.uk
Cuts to 'lifeline' autism service leave parents devastated
Cuts to youth group and family services run by Autism Family Support Oxfordshire in Abingdon have left some parents devastated.
www.oxfordmail.co.uk www.oxfordmail.co.uk
Quote Reply Report •••
 
Eric Blair said:
I originally posted this on the top six thread. @Malc suggested I start a new thread on it as it will get lost otherwise. Cheers Malc. Sorry to those who have read it twice.

As many of you may know my son is autistic. We got the diagnosis when he was aged five after a long two year wait for an NHS referral. We were one of the lucky ones. The older the child the longer you have to wait for a diagnosis as CAMHS is overwhelmed and my son was young enough to be seen by a pediatrician. The NHS are good but just don’t have the resources to deal with it.

Anyway, the charity that stood by us and helped us when my son was frustrated and punching through windows at the age of 7 was Autism Family Support, Oxfordshire. They are the only means of anyone with an autistic family member to get one to one support in Oxfordshire. The only means. It is shocking.

This week Oxfordshire Country Council cut their funding so they can no longer deliver that vital service - a service that stopped us for getting to crisis point.

As this is Oxfordshire and as this is a popular thread I hope you don’t mind me plugging a petition to sign (and to share with your networks) to get the decision over turned.

The petition is here: https://www.change.org/p/halt-the-r...n=share_for_starters_page&utm_medium=copylink


More details here:
www.oxfordmail.co.uk
Cuts to 'lifeline' autism service leave parents devastated
Cuts to youth group and family services run by Autism Family Support Oxfordshire in Abingdon have left some parents devastated.
www.oxfordmail.co.uk www.oxfordmail.co.uk
Quote Reply Report •••
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That link seems to be for a withdrawn or deleted petition? Can you update?
 
Malc said:
Done
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Cheers Malc. And for the suggestion of putting it on here. I was chatting to the lady who heads up the charity today as they run an autistic youth club that my son attends every Saturday. She has been overwhelmed with the support. Every signature counts!
 
I have signed the petition having two children with autism I fully appreciate where you are coming from.. my son was under Camhs but was finally diagnosed when the owl centre got involved my other son is still under the hospital we are awaiting a formal diagnosis but have been told to treat him as a child with autism.
 
oufc1991 said:
I have signed the petition having two children with autism I fully appreciate where you are coming from.. my son was under Camhs but was finally diagnosed when the owl centre got involved my other son is still under the hospital we are awaiting a formal diagnosis but have been told to treat him as a child with autism.
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Yes, we had to rely on the Owl centre too. I don’t know what the waiting list is like for CAMHS now but it was two and a half years when we started out. Thanks for signing and good luck. If you ever go down the EHCP route and want a chat you can drop me a DM.
 
Petition signed
My Grandson has Autism aswell my daughter is in a battle to get him the apprate schooling at the moment seems to be a lot of cut backs all round at the moment.
 
Chrisox said:
Petition signed
My Grandson has Autism aswell my daughter is in a battle to get him the apprate schooling at the moment seems to be a lot of cut backs all round at the moment.
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Chris - I was in the same boat. My son was out of school for 18 months. The local authority tried to send him to a school specialising in helping dyslexic kids (he’s not dyslexic) or a SEN school in Rugby (three hour daily round trip). In the end we went to tribunal and got a local SEN school. The system is nuts and so hard to get support. That’s why charities like AFSO are so important.

Thank you for signing and I wish your daughter all the best.
 
I signed. Social services aren't for people anymore.

Labour won't change that, Tory won't change that. 2 sides of the same coin.

If voting could change anything......
 
Manorlounger said:
When you say "social services" I really hope you mean the funding for them, not the staff who work themselves into the ground.
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That’s definitely my experience. I have no quarrel with the people who work in local
authority SEN provision. In fact, it’s the opposite. People who work hard despite zero resources and zero support. It’s soul
destroying for them and for the user. I don’t want to get political on this thread but I know who I blame.
 
And just to say I am genuinely overwhelmed with the support from people on the forum. You are a great bunch and it’s appreciated
 
Petition signed , my grandson has benefited greatly from being diagnosed , my daughter had to fight so hard even going to court to get a place in the right school. ( council had no evidence so withdrew with 10 minutes to go to the hearing) he now has a placement in a brilliant school & it is really beneficial to see him thriving in the right environment.
 
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