mASCot works closely with the Local Authority, Services and Schools to raise awareness, standards and understanding of autism and the difficulties families face every day.
Families come to us with many situations they have experienced and many worries about how their children's needs are not always being met.
We also hear stories of good practice and we are striving for this to become the norm in Brighton & Hove and that families become empowered to push and insist things change for the better.
For us at mASCot to be able to feedback to the many meetings and boards we attend we need to build up data of all the current, continuing and new issues that families are experiencing. We need to get feedback on what families are dealing with whether it's good or bad so we can build up a clear picture of awareness in Brighton & Hove.
If you have any feedback, however small it sounds, whether it's positive or negative, please fill in our Feedback form giving us as many details as possible by clicking the button below.
Boards and Panels where mASCot have a voice
Autism
Board
Attending: SPFT – ICB –B&H LA – SSV - mASCot – PaCC – Amaze - ASSERT
History: Set up to pull together all city wide autism work. Board set up Spring 2022 comprising of Health (ICS/SPFT), LA Education Senior Leads; Parent groups, mASCot, AMAZE, PACC, Assert reps.
Purpose: A main aspect of this group is to write the long awaited Adult Autism Strategy and dove tail it with the Children’s SEND Strategy and work from the ASC working group.
Co-Production
Group
Attending: SPFT – mASCot – PaCC – ESPCF - WSPCF - guests
History: New ND Lead, brought in to standardise diagnostic services (Health) across East, West Sussex and B&H to lead on working with parent groups in service design and updating existing information.
Purpose: All things ND pan Sussex, working on policies, new website and improving communications and how SPFT can become more parent/family friendly and user friendly.
ASC Working
Group
Attending: mASCot - Multi Statutory Agencies – Councillors - PaCC
History: mASCot requested this group be re-established after a break in meeting up. Reps from Health, Local Authority Education, parent groups, City Councillors sit on this group to discuss improvements in provision.
Purpose: To discuss any autism issues and ground level problems,to delegate issues across to the relevant autism boards and ensure all recommendations are fulfilled.
Neurodevelopmental Pathway Group B&H
Attending: SPFT – ICB –LA – BHISS – CAMHS – SSV - mASCot – PaCC - Amaze
History: Resulting from our initial CAMHS complaint and the 2014 B&H Autism Scrutiny B&H set up a review of diagnostic pathway. Reps from all sections of services attend to help co produce the new pathway.
Purpose: To work collaboratively to design a new diagnostic pathway for ND Children & Young People. Discussions re services needing to look at the child as a whole.
mASCot & PaCC
Team meetings
Attending: Directors of mASCot - mASCot Rep - PaCC Rep - Chair of PaCC
History: mASCot have always sat on the PaCC Steering Group since PaCC was established in B&H. We have a mASCot PaCC Rep who links up the work happening in both organisations.
Purpose: For mASCot and PaCC to check re actions, views and planning for all things parent led in the city. These meets are to discuss how we can support each other and our members.
Support For Families Team Meetings
Attending: BHISS - SSV –
FISS - mASCot – PaCC - Amaze
History: BHISS & SSV specialist nurse teams met regularly to share information on what support is provided to families, mASCot were invited to share updates on mASCot support.
Purpose: All services attending inform and update each other in what all services and sectors are doing to support families. Discuss what is available for families.
B&H
City Council
Attending: Councillors - Local Services - CVS - Parent reps
History: There are many council meetings, the main ones are the children's & Young people and health boards & panels. We meet with Councillors regularly to update on things discussed.
Purpose: All things around children & families are discussed at these meetings. Local Councillors feedback to better inform when issues come to Council.
The mASCot
Action Group
Attending: mASCot Directors - Active members - guests-
History: We started this group in 2020 to bring together a really active group of mASCot members to help build a stronger voice and to discuss current issues arising on the forum and plan.
Purpose: This group is to pull together all issues and concerns discussed by mASCot families on the forum and bring them to the table, to productively work to improve services.