Neurodiversity in education (Prev autism in schools)

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Previously known as Autism in Schools, this project has been renamed in GM to make it more inclusive and to include all neurodiversity so a wider number of children and young people will benefit. It is a National Project, funded by the NHS, that aims to improve the support for children and young people in mainstream schools. All 10 authorities in Greater Manchester are now signed up, and in Salford, this is our second successful year. 

For 2024/25, this project will be delivered to two of our secondary schools.

A key element to this project is partnership working. In Salford,  the partnership includes, Salford Parent Carer Forum, Salford City Council (including Learning Support Service and Educational Psychology Team), CAMHs, and the schools we get to work in.

Salford Parent Carer Forum play a vital in role in setting up parent groups within schools.  We get to meet parent carers, hear their views and experiences, share our knowledge and help some up with solutions to any identified concerns. We aim to support parent carers, and build networks and relationships within schools.

The five module training has been written by a task group that included Autistic adults, specialist teachers, Educational Psychologists and parent carers. The training will be delivered by the partnership to school staff through the year. Parent Carers will also have the opportunity to access the same training.

Our Learning Support Service are meeting with children and young people and hearing their experiences of school and finding out what is important to them. 

Schools will have access to mental health support via CAMHs. How this is used can be individual to each setting but the aim is to benefit the whole school rather than seeing young people on a 1:1 basis. 

 St Lukes, Weaste  volunteered to be part of Salford's initial cohort in phase one and successfully completed the project in 23/24. Huge thank you to all the staff and parents in the school community for all their time, hard work and continued support.

This year we are working with two Primary schools (St Gilberts and St Paul's Crompton St) and one secondary (St Ambrose Barlow)

Training in all three schools is underway and parent carer drop-ins have started. If you want to know more, keep a look out for the flyer from school.

In Phase 3 we will be working with two secondary school and hope to share more details of this with you soon.

The Department for Education (DfE), Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England have an exciting opportunity for integrated care boards (ICBs) to work with in partnership with schools and parent carer forums on a new programme: Partnership for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS).

The DfE have secured funding for the programme which will be offered to ICBs, through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between ICBs and DfE facilitated through NHS England. This will enable a partnership approach working with local authorities and parent carer forums to develop innovative ways to support the education and health needs of neurodiverse children in schools and to help them to fulfil their potential.

Based on the learning from the successful model of the Autism in Schools programme this is designed to enable approaches for earlier support for neurodiverse children in school that will help prevent distress and challenge which may require further intensive intervention across health, education and care.

(taken from NHS England)

In this new project, we see a range of services, including Salford Parent Carer Forum, working closely with four of Salford's Primary Schools. 

More details of which schools, and the work we will undertake will be shared soon.