Autism Partnership Board
Case reference FOI2026/01174
Received 18 May 2026
Published 12 June 2026
Request
I am writing to request information regarding the authority’s arrangements for meeting expectations set out in statutory guidance issued under the Autism Act 2009.
The statutory guidance for local authorities and NHS bodies (2015) sets an expectation that areas establish and maintain effective multi-agency partnership arrangements for autism, commonly operationalised through an Autism Partnership Board. The national autism strategy (2021–2026) further reinforces the expectation that local areas have active partnership arrangements of this kind.
In this context, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please provide the following information:
1. Please confirm whether the authority currently has:
a) an Autism Partnership Board; or
b) an equivalent multi-agency partnership arrangement intended to meet these expectations.
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
b) an outline of how those arrangements have changed since 2015
3. For any Autism Partnership Board or equivalent arrangement, please provide:
a) Contact details
b) Terms of Reference
c) Membership, including how autistic people and/or family representatives are included
d) Copies of agendas and minutes for meetings in the last 24 months (or links where publicly available)
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.
Response
I am writing to request information regarding the authority’s arrangements for meeting expectations set out in statutory guidance issued under the Autism Act 2009.
The statutory guidance for local authorities and NHS bodies (2015) sets an expectation that areas establish and maintain effective multi-agency partnership arrangements for autism, commonly operationalised through an Autism Partnership Board. The national autism strategy (2021–2026) further reinforces the expectation that local areas have active partnership arrangements of this kind.
In this context, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please provide the following information:
1. Please confirm whether the authority currently has:
a) an Autism Partnership Board; or
Answer: Yes.
b) an equivalent multi-agency partnership arrangement intended to meet these expectations.
Answer: N/A
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
Answer: N/A
b) an outline of how those arrangements have changed since 2015
Answer: N/A
3. For any Autism Partnership Board or equivalent arrangement, please provide:
a) Contact details
b) Terms of Reference
c) Membership, including how autistic people and/or family representatives are included
d) Copies of agendas and minutes for meetings in the last 24 months (or links where publicly available)
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.
Answer: For questions 3 and 4, this information is publically available on our council website and can be viewed via the following link:
https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/autism-partnership
This link includes links to the services that are available and previous minutes and relevant documents.
Adult Social Care themselves would only be providing direct support to meet the persons eligible needs.
As such we consider this information to be exempt under Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 because it is reasonably accessible to you via other means. Please take this letter as a refusal notice under S17 of the Act.
Documents
This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
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