Scottish Autism Annual Report 2011

Scottish AutismAnnual Report 2011

A world class organisation dedicated to enriching…

Scottish Autism Annual Report 2011

“ I have been an Honorary Life Member of Scottish Autism since 2008. The tremendous work that the organisation undertakes not only enriches and empowers the people and communities of Scotland, but encourages the awareness and understanding of autism throughout the world. Scottish Autism’s work is of vital importance and we can all be proud of the role it plays.”

The Rt Hon Alex Salmond, First Minister of Scotland.

…the lives of those living with autism.

02/03

03 contents

04 who we are

06 chairman’s report

07 chief executive’s report

08 our senior management team

09 our board members

10 our communication

12 timeline

14 our ethos

18 sustained growth

20 contacts

23 we need your help


who we are…Scottish Autism exists to help those diagnosed with autism to lead full and enriched lives and become valuable members of their communities. We seek to maximise the individual potential of all those on the autistic spectrum and we’re dedicated to helping people understand autism, whether on a personal or professional level. Scottish Autism is a charity, a social enterprise and a private limited company. We endeavour to ensure that anyone whose life is touched by autism gets the support they need. It is these factors that we believe make us a relevant and important body both within Scotland and in an international context.

why we changedIn 2010 the Board and senior management team took the decision to simplify the name of the organisation, modernise our identity and enhance our visibility. Competition for funds, the need for increased awareness and the overriding requirement for clarity in our communications necessitated this change, although we are still committed to our long standing values and beliefs. The vision of Scottish Autism remains “Enabling people living with autism in Scotland through the whole life journey.”

04/05

we’ve changed our name not our principles.

chairman’s report

Two years have now passed since I took over the Chair and in that time the organisation has seen significant reforms.

The Board appointed a new Chief Executive, Alan Somerville, with a remit to modernise the charity, develop a new business strategy and restructure the organisation accordingly. In 2010 we commissioned a major review of all of our governance systems and practices under the aegis of Professor John Taylor of the University of Oxford. The outcomes of this review have all now been implemented, including some that required constitutional change and permission from the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR), as well as a special resolution from our membership at the AGM. These changes included the creation of additional classes of membership, the abolition of the Members Council and several revisions required by the Companies Act 2006.

Building on our strong financial performance in 2009/10 and with the aforementioned reforms in place, we also re-branded to become Scottish Autism. Whilst continuing to achieve excellent inspection scores from the HMIE and the Care Commission and with renewed confidence, the organisation expanded its activities in the public domain, influenced government strategy, commissioned valuable research and expanded its charitable effort.

I commend this review of an achievement-packed year to all of our membership and each of our stakeholders.


Paul Prescott, Chairman

chief executive’s report

06/07

Alan Somerville, Chief Executive Officer

2010/11 has seen a substantial amount of positive change and development within our organisation. This, however, is set against a background of extremely challenging trading conditions.

This year Scottish Autism took the decision not to ask our customers, the local authorities, for an inflationary rise in prices. We did this because of the severe financial pressures they continue to face. During the year we restructured Autism Services, flattening our management structure and reducing cost. This enabled us to absorb inflationary increases, as well as mandatory rises in employer’s National Insurance and pension contributions. Clearly not passing on direct costs is a one-off measure that cannot be repeated. In a difficult market we continued to grow slowly and managed to achieve our financial targets. This was a significant achievement. The economic outlook is bleak however and inevitably the business environment will be very challenging in the coming years.

Turning to the world of autism itself, this was a year of significance in Scotland. Former MSP Hugh O’Donnell put forward a Scottish Autism Strategy (Scotland) Bill, prompted by the passage of similar legislation in England. This would have required the Scottish Government to prepare and publish such a strategy, however the Bill fell at the first stage, leaving the way clear for the Government’s preferred option to cut straight to developing a strategy without legislation. Whilst some were disappointed that the Bill failed to make it onto the statute books,

Scottish Autism was amongst those who argued that this was unnecessary. Not supporting the Bill was a significant landmark, but the development of a strategy which will evolve over time has advantages which we believe will ultimately deliver greater benefits for people with autism in Scotland.

Scottish Autism has therefore been at the heart of the development of the Autism Strategy for Scotland, which contains a series of overarching goals set within two, five and ten year horizons. We have also been championing the principle of improving the quality of life for people living with autism, as opposed to just offering basic support for their physical needs. Ultimately, the strategy being developed in Scotland will see a culture of progressive change becoming established, with greater relevance and increased longevity.

Summing up, it appears we have an administration in Holyrood committed to investing a useful amount of money to make a difference which completes, what I believe, is a very positive story.

our senior management team

Alan Somerville Chief Executive Officer

Jim Taylor Director of Education

Gordon Laidlaw Director of Finance and IT

Sharon Stewart Director of Human Resources

Jackie Tufft Director of Autism Services

Charlene Tait Director of Development


08/09

our senior management team our board members

Andrew LesterAndrew is an architect who has a long association with Scottish Autism, having previously served as Chair. Andrew also designed New Struan, and is the parent of a young adult with autism.

Paul PrescottPaul has had a lifelong career in Passenger Railways, culminating in a UK Board level appointment with Railtrack. He is the current Chair of Scottish Autism and a parent of a young adult with autism.

Alison LeaskAlison is a Regional Tutor for the University of Birmingham web autism course and holds a formal qualification in autism. She has over 25 years clinical nursing experience, and is a founding member and Chair of Autism Argyll.

David ClarkDavid is a retired Company Director from the Food and Beverage Sector in Scotland. Currently Chair of the Marketing Planning Committee and the Vice Chair of the main Board.

Ian McPhailIan is a retired Assistant Director from the Scottish Banking Sector and is currently self-employed as a Business Consultant. He has a personal interest in autism and is keen to be more community involved since his retirement.

Fiona GreigFiona is the Finance Manager for the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration. She is the Honorary Treasurer for Scottish Autism and chairs the Finance Committee.

Susan ChambersSusan is Specialist Curator at the National Museums of Edinburgh. She is a parent of a young adult with autism and has been involved with Scottish Autism for more than 20 years.

Colette RobertsonColette is a parent of a young adult with autism and has been involved with Scottish Autism for over 20 years.

Cathy ScottCathy is a retired teacher. She has personal experience of living with autism as the parent of a young adult with autism and is also active in the Fife Action for Autism group.


our communicationourmessageAutism affects 1 in 100 people in Scotland and Scottish Autism is committed to enabling those with autism to lead happy and fulfilled lives through specialist training, respite care, education and practical living support. Where others might see problems, we see potential and with more than 800 members of staff dedicated to providing a ‘gold standard’ service we are unquestionably Scotland’s leading autism experts.

Our stated intent is to enable people living with autism through the whole life journey and the key concepts underpinning this declaration are inclusion, potential, citizenship, individualism, progression, responsibility and leadership. Our message is that we can achieve ambitious targets of mass social awareness, acceptance and inclusion if we firmly set our minds to it. We have the experience, expertise and track record of success to be justly known as a sector leading organisation.

10/11

ourwebsiteWe want our website to be informative, educative and most importantly, a practical resource for those who have questions and are looking for advice, guidance, reassurance and help. One of the most pleasing things that we hear from the many people who deal with Scottish Autism’s services is how much easier our new website is to navigate than its predecessor.

Although there are many features and facets to our services we hope that we have covered each one and that these are carefully explained when visitors are looking for more information.

Naturally we are delighted to listen to suggestions for improvement, particularly if there is a lack of clarity in our communication. Please email us if you would like to pass comment on the site. Our contact details can be found online at www.scottishautism.org

ourfundraisingWhilst Scottish Autism derives the majority of income from fees paid, mainly by Local Authorities, there are vitally important requirements where fundraising is needed. For instance, to fund our team of Autism Advisors who provide families and professionals with vital advice and information on a range of issues. The team also provides emotional and practical support to families and individuals on the spectrum at times of crisis and distress.

By helping us raise money in this way you are helping increase the awareness and understanding of autism and ensuring the lives of those with autism are made demonstrably better. If you would like to know more about what types of fundraising have proved effective in the past, please visit our website for more information.


2010/1120

10

May

Sharon Stewart appointed HR Director

National Conference Hilton Hotel, Glasgow

Restructuring of Autism Services

July

Governance Review

October

Relaunch of Celtic Nations Autism Partnership and website

September

VAT Review

Building on a strong financial year in 2009/2010, we’ve seen our organisation change and develop in a positive way that will prepare us for future growth and commitment whilst continuing to raise our public profile.

12/13

2011 January

Charlene Tait appointed Director of Development

David Harkins appointed Quality and Risk Manager

Autism Bill fails in Holyrood

February

Quality of Life Conference

March

Renamed as Scottish Autism

New website launched

December

HMIE scores New Struan School as “sector leading”

Property Committee established


our ethosinclusionScottish Autism recognises that inclusion and inclusive lifestyles can embrace a wide range of experiences. Our aim is to understand inclusion on an individual and personal level and enable people to have a broad range of opportunities that are suitable for them.

We recognise that meaningful and active participation is fundamental to inclusion and that this involves a highly personalised approach. For this reason we approach service design and delivery in a way that takes account of the specific needs of individuals.

Matthew had never been involved in community groups or opportunities, he is now attending a number of groups in the local community and is greatly enjoying the experiences offered including woodwork lessons, dance classes and art workshops.

14/15

potentialUnderstanding how people think, learn, process information and engage with their environment is fundamental to enabling people to achieve their full potential. Identifying and building on strengths, while supporting people to develop skills and strategies that will support individual’s needs, underpins our approach. A capacity rather than deficit perspective is core to our approach.

citizenshipIt is our view that people with autism are learners, employees, partners, friends and neighbours. In other words, we enable people to engage in home, community and occupational activities, to make a contribution and to be aware of their responsibilities.

When Gary first came into our service his parents reported he had never really had any friends or built relationships with peers. Attending the Day Centre two days a week gave him the opportunity to develop relationships. In fact, Gary has got to the stage where he has led the Advocacy Meeting with his peers.

Anne had been struggling to hold down a voluntary work placement in a local shop. Anne’s staff team were keen to support her to keep the placement. An Autism Advisor liaised with the manager to identify minor changes that could be made to the environment, work and support Anne received. This resulted in her placement being sustained and the manager being more open to offering placements to others on the spectrum.


progressionEnabling people through the whole life journey requires us to take a developmental approach to the support we provide. In order to ensure that individual outcomes are achieved and maintained, we engage in a constant cycle of assessment, planning, anticipating and reviewing. Fundamental to this is the commitment to involve individuals in the decision making and review process.

individualismWe recognise that to meet an individual’s needs we have to develop a deep understanding of the person. This includes identifying how they learn, what motivates them to learn and participate, and how approaches can be personalised to make educational, life and occupational experiences more likely to have positive and sustained outcomes. We also have high expectations for, and of, the individuals we support.

Grace is partially deaf and non verbal. The staff communicate with her by using Makaton sign language. All staff supporting Grace are trained in this mode of communication to ensure that she is able to communicate in her own unique way and that her service is personalised to meet her needs.

Tom lives only a short distance from his day service placement. In the past he has had to rely on Scottish Autism providing transport or staff supporting him on public transport to get to work. We assessed the journey and it was felt that with the correct support Tom could travel independently. We taught him how to use a mobile phone for backup and he now travels independently. Tom is very proud of this and refuses a lift even if the weather is bad.

16/17

responsibilityWe enable our pupils and service users to be responsible members of their communities and to be involved in decisions that directly affect them. Issues and approaches are highly personalised and are determined by what is achievable by the individual.

As an organisation we feel the responsibility to ensure that we support and represent the broader autism community. We have given priority to increasing and nurturing our membership.

leadershipScottish Autism delivers services that are recognised as sector leading and of exceptional quality. We also play a key role in national strategic activity that will lead on autism policy for years to come. We enter into partnerships with like minded organisations who share our aims and philosophy, examples being the Celtic Nations Autistic Partnership (CNAP) and Autism Alliance UK.

Mark now takes responsibility for the completion of his household chores independently. He completes paperwork in relation to health and safety checks within his own flat and audits his own finances.

We are implementing The Public Service Improvement Framework (PSIF) within Scottish Autism. We are one of a very small number of voluntary sector organisations in Scotland to have done so.


sustained growth

900

800

700

600

500

400

300

200

£20M

£16M

£12M

£8M

£4M

£0M

2000

/200

1

2001

/200

2

2002

/200

3

2003

/200

4

2004

/200

5

2005

/200

6

2006

/200

7

2007

/200

8

2008

/200

9

2009

/201

0

2010

/201

1

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

staff growth

ten year growth income

18/19

500

475

450

425

400

500

400

300

200

100

0

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

April 06– March 07 April 07– March 08 April 08– March 09 April 09– March 10 April 10– March 11

service provision monthly return

number of enquiries made to autism advisors


contactsregional offices:Although headquartered in Alloa, Scottish Autism

have a number of regional offices that look after the

interests of our organisation at a more local level.

For specific advice about services and amenities near

you, please contact these offices in the first instance.

New Struan School 100 Smithfield Loan,

Alloa FK10 1NP

Tel: 01259 222000

Email: [email protected]

Clannalba Respite and Transitional Assessment Service Clannalba Respite and Transitional Assessment Centre,

Edinburgh Road,

Lamington,

Biggar,

Lanarkshire ML12 6HP

Tel: 0845 300 9272

Email: [email protected]

New Ridgepark Transitional Assessment Service New Ridgepark House, Mousebank Road, Lanark ML11 7RA Tel: 0845 300 9275 Email: [email protected]

Central Scotland Area Services Central Scotland Area Services, Hilton House, Alloa Business Park, Whins Road, Alloa FK10 3SA Tel: 0845 300 9271 Email: [email protected]

Fife and Tayside Area Services Fife and Tayside Area Services, Unit 1, Pitreavie Drive, Blue Central Business Park, Dunfermline, Fife KY11 8US Tel: 0845 300 9273 Email: [email protected]

20/21

contacts

Lothian and Borders Area Services Lothian and Borders Area Services, 17d North High Street, Musselburgh EH21 6JA Tel: 0845 300 9274 Email: [email protected]

South West Scotland Area Services South West Scotland Area Services, 99 High Street, Lanark ML11 7LN Tel: 0845 300 9276 Email: [email protected]

West of Scotland Area Services West of Scotland Area Services, 279 Abercromby Street, Bridgeton, Glasgow G40 2DD Tel: 0845 300 9277 Email: [email protected]

The Fundraising Team If you have any enquiries about any aspect of Fundraising or Membership, please contact: Carolyne Nurse (Fundraising Manager) Alex Drinkell (Fundraiser, Central Scotland) Heather McArthur (Fundraiser, Glasgow) Kerry McFarlane (Trusts) Eleanor MacLeod (Membership) Tel: 01259 720044 Email: [email protected]

People assumed my bad behaviour was me being naughty and blamed mum. Then I came here. At last someone understood. Sean, Pupil at New Struan School.

What would happen if we weren’t here? That’s why we need your help. By donating you’ll be helping us to positively change a person’s life. Forever.

To donate, visit scottishautism.org/donate

we need your help

Scottish Autism has significantly increased engagement with national and international strategic developments.

As a membership organisation, we want to ensure that we are representing the views and concerns of the wider autism community in Scotland.

By joining Scottish Autism, you will be adding your voice to our message; increasing the quality of life for those on the autistic spectrum is key to enabling them to live meaningful and fulfilled lives.

To find out more about the Scottish Autism Membership programme please visit www.scottishautism.org

22/23

we are scottishautism.orgScottish Autism Hilton House Alloa Business Park Whins Road Alloa FK10 3SA

Company Limited by GuaranteeRegistered in Scotland No. 81123Registered Office: Hilton House, Alloa Business Park, Whins Road, Alloa FK10 3SAScottish Autism is a charity registered in Scotland, No. SC 009068

Documents

Scottish Autism Annual Report 2011