Guidance & Signposting for the Autistic Community
Support and advice for the Autistic community of all ages.
Support For Autistic people of all ages
Guidance and Signposting for the Autistic Community of all age groups and abilities, inclusive of signposting for transactions relating to special educational needs for children and young people, along with transitional advice and signposting from young person to adult.
Transitions planning must be initiated around year 9 for children/young people with an EHC plan which is a statutory requirement. However, this can transition to an adult Health Adjustment Passport or Carers Passport.
The Health Adjustment Passport can be found on GOV.UK website or from your local Job Centre, which can be filled in with support.
- PAACT Support
- General Health and Wellbeing
- Transitions and Preparing for Adulthood
- Moving on and preparing for Adulthood
- The Transitions Pathway
- Young People’s Learning Provision (YPLP)
- Support for people seeking employment
- Finished At School Guide
- Other Groups Offering Specific Support
- Health Adjustment Passport
- Carers Passport
Local Support Groups
PAACT (Parents and Autistic Children Together)
PAACT is a Lincoln-based support group for families with Autistic children and young people. We are a friendly, informal, non-judgemental group. We aim to help family and friends to access advice, support and activities in the local area.
What we offer parents:
- Support meetings in Gainsborough and Lincoln
- A closed Facebook and email group for support and advice
- Playroom for hire (by hr, max 2 families)
- Games Console Room for hire (by hr, max 2 people)
- Sensory Room for hire (by hr, max 2 families)
- Subsidised activities throughout the school holidays for members
- Parent and Professional workshops
Chair of PAACT – Gordon Forsyth
Secretary – Charlotte Owen
GAIN
Grantham Autistic Information Network (GAIN) supports families with children on the autistic spectrum in Grantham and beyond.
Telephone: 01476 600 074
Postal Address: GAIN Grantham, c/o 9 Eskdale Road, Grantham, Lincolnshire, England, NG31 8EP.
General Health and Wellbeing
Health & Wellbeing
Sometimes you will visit a healthcare professional and be asked a lot of questions about how you are coping and how your general health and wellbeing is. This can be a bit daunting at times, so the Council for Disabled Children’s website have created a checklist to help you.
Leaving Education
For families of young people who are leaving education and who require informationand advice on services and support in Lincolnshire.
Transitions and Preparing for Adulthood
Preparing For Adulthood
Transitions planning must be initiated in year 9 for children/young people with an EHC plan as a statutory requirement. The “transitions pathway will link to the EHC plan for those who have one, building on EHC plan outcomes, with the focus on preparation for adulthood. We recommend that the transitions pathway is used as a best practice tool; regardless of whether the child/young person has an EHC plan or not. However, only EHC plan related pathways will be subject to Local Authority scrutiny and review.
The pathway has been designed to move away from an educational focus, using a person centred approach, to enable children and young people to have better life outcomes including good health and wellbeing, meaningful employment, independent living and housing, friends, relationships and community inclusion.
Moving On and Preparing for adulthood
Moving On and Preparing for adulthood
Leaving full time education can be worrying for most young people, but for young people who have special educational needs and/or disabilities it can be a very difficult time. Parents and carers can also find this to be a difficult time.
There are many uncertainties about where to go for support and information in order to make informed decisions to help secure a bright and happy future.
To download the Moving On and Preparing for adulthood guide for parents, please click the download PDF button.
Moving On and Preparing for adulthood guide for parents
Essential Information for parents/carers of young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) when moving into adulthood
Leaving full time education can be worrying for most young people but for young people who have special educational needs and or disabilities and their parents/carers it can be a very difficult time, filled with uncertainties about the future, wondering what opportunities will be available and where to go for information and support to make the right decisions for a good future life.
Raising aspirations and planning for the future needs to start at an early age in order to help young people reach their goals. Often young people with SEND experience barriers to aiming high, taking risks and achieving what they want in life. This could be through lack of opportunities, too much focus on care and support needs, a lack of self confidence or maybe because the young person’s dreams have always been thought of as ‘wishful thinking’ rather than something to really aim for.
The information in this guide will help the parents/carers of young people with SEND to support them in planning for the future, making decisions about where to live, what to do in the day, how to spend leisure time, to sort out money matters, and will signpost to further information and support services.
The Transitions Pathway
The Transitions Pathway
The transitions pathway was designed and co-produced with children and young people in accordance with the SEND Reforms. It focusses on young people ages 14-25; at a time when they start preparing themselves for making important choices beyond school, for the future.
The transitions pathway will link to the EHC Plan for those who have one, building on existing EHCP outcomes, with the focus on preparation for adulthood.
The pathway is designed to move away from an educational focus with a person centred approach to enable children and young people to have better life outcomes including:
- good health and wellbeing
- meaningful employment
- friends
- independent living and housing
- relationships
- community inclusion
Young People’s Learning Provision (YPLP)
Young People’s Learning Provision (YPLP)
The Young People’s Learning Provision (YPLP) provides Education courses across Lincolnshire, and it was originally based in Grantham and has been operating from the Earlesfield youth centre since 2003, recently it has expanded and now includes the former ‘Promoting Employment Team’.
“We can offer a bespoke learning programme in a small, safe and friendly environment which is learner centred and designed to meet your individual needs and support you towards your long-term goals.”
YPLP Boston – Focus 1, Mill Road, Boston PE21 0HF
YPLP Grantham – Earlesfield Youth Centre, Trent Road, Grantham NG31 7XQ
YPLP Lincoln – Mary Knox Centre, Smith Street, Lincoln, LN5 8HY
YPLP Louth – Louth Youth Centre, Park Avenue, Louth, LN11 8BX
YPLP Ruskington – Ruskington Youth Centre, High Street, Ruskington, NG34 9DW
YPLP Skegness – The Pavillion, Wainfleet Road, Skegness PE25 2EL
YPLP Spalding – 67A Albion Street, Spalding, PE11 2AU
Telephone – 01476 592169
E-mail – yplp@lincolnshire.gov.uk
Support for people seeking employment
Job Centre Plus:
Access to work schemes
Tel 0845 604 3719
Address: City Hall, Orchard St, Lincoln, LN1 1YZ
Disability Employment Advisors
Access to work schemes.
Tel: 0345 604 3719
Address: City Hall, Orchard Street, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, LN1 1YZ
DWP
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for welfare, pensions and child maintenance policy.
Supported Employment Services
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for welfare, pensions and child maintenance policy.
Citizens Advice
Access to work schemes.
Tel: 0808 278 7904
Address: City Hall, Orchard Street, Lincoln Lincolnshire LN1 1YZ
Shaw Trust also works out of most of the Job Centres in Lincolnshire to provide employment support for those with disabilities or health conditions from age 18. They are known to the Disability Employment Advisers who act as the statutory referee.
Finished At School Guide
Finished At School Guide
This guide is designed to identify and exemplify the factors which support effective transition for young people with autism when they leave school. It has a particular focus on what general colleges of further education can do to increase the number of young people with autism making a successful transition into their provision.
The guide draws on the lessons learned from the Finished at School Programme (FaS Programme), a two year Department for Education funded project led by Ambitious about Autism in partnership with the Association of Colleges and the National Association for Special Educational Needs (nasen), operating from April 2013 until March 2015.
Other groups offering specific support
Circles of Support
A Circle of Support is a committed and informal group of people who meet regularly, aided by a network to help someone achieve their personal goals in life. The “Circle” acts as a natural support network around that person, and this “focus person” is in control in deciding who to invite to join the “Circle” and where to direct the “Circle’s” energy.
Circls of Support is a free service available to children, young people and adults with a diagnosis of Autism or Learning Disabilities. They will also work with Schools. The project is open to all and they have gone into schools to work collectively with staff and children and young people where they are planning something specific. They do not have age or time constraints and will visit and work with children, young people and families for as long as it is required.
Virtual Autism Hub
We offer non-clinical community support for autistic people of all ages and their parents/carers. We have provide information, guidance advice and practical input, including signposting to local and national autism support groups and services as well as to a range of more generic guidance (such as DLA and PIP). Support is provided via email and over the phone. We can also provide some face-to-face support , for example attending first meetings with families, if required. We operate an open door policy – no referral is necessary and you can step in and out of our service as you need it. You DO NOT need a diagnosis to access our service.
We are open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.
Further details of our service can be found on our website: Virtual Autism Hub :: Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Trust (lpft.nhs.uk)
Our phone number is: 01522 458588
Our email is lpft.virtualautismhublincs@nhs.net
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LATEST NEWS
Held annually in the autumn for parents/guardians, carers and those who work with children on the autism spectrum.
Supporting neurodivergent children and families with Empower Hours, Life Skills, Parenting Support, Soft Play & a bookable Sensory Room.
Welcome to the brand new Lincolnshire Autistic Society website for 2024, brought to you by our friends at in2pcs Online Development.
