Group for adults with autism handed funding reprieve ‘will continue to fight’ for support

Members of the Asperger's Syndrome Self-Advocacy group

A group for adults on the autism spectrum living in coastal West Sussex, which feared support funding could be axed but has been handed a reprieve, says it will ‘continue fighting’.

Asperger’s Syndrome Self Advocacy (ASSA) is based in Littlehampton but also covers Worthing, Adur, Chichester, Bognor Regis, Midhurst and Petworth.

It gives adults on the autism spectrum a voice so that their rights are upheld and ensures they are involved in decision making, with examples being participation in focus groups, taking part in quality checks and providing advice when the council wants feedback.

Group meetings also provide an opportunity to socialise, develop friendships, provide peer-to-peer support, discuss issues that affect them and raise awareness of these.

ASSA is one of six self advocacy groups across the county for people with learning disabilities and autistic adults supported by Impact Initiatives and funded by a contract from West Sussex County Council.

This contract, due to end in June, is being reviewed and there were fears it could be axed.

However the county council has this week confirmed a 12-month extension has been agreed up to June 2020.

Extension ‘extra time to prove our case’

Victoria Littlejohn, 27, who lives in Selsey and is a committee member at ASSA, said: “It [the extension] will give us extra time to prove our case that our services save money, by enabling WSCC to fulfil their legal obligations to autistic people at a very low cost, and by providing advocacy to disabled people facing crises that would otherwise be very costly for the council.

“We are so relieved that we have a better chance to save our groups, and will continue to fight to keep them long-term.”

She described how the group ‘stops us being isolated and enables us to make friends’. Meanwhile the help from Impact Initiatives is ‘essential’ and without it the group would likely fold.

Victoria explained: “We would try and struggle along for a few months but it would just dwindle and end.”

‘Overwhelmed by support’

A spokesman for Impact Initiatives said: “We at Impact Initiatives are delighted to have received this contract extension. This will allow us to continue to support people to make their voices heard through our issue based advocacy and self-advocacy support services until June 2020 and importantly will also allow for service users to be involved in the review process when it takes place.