Service users’ experiences of understanding autism North West

East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group provided a grant to Understanding Autism North West to provide six free sessions of counselling to people with autism or with autism in their family. In turn, Understanding Autism North West were required to provide evidence on the impact of these sessions to East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group; in particular, in respect of the health and wellbeing of those who undertook the above programme. Healthwatch Lancashire were asked, in its capacity as the public voice for health and social care, to gather the views of the service users. For Healthwatch Lancashire, this project enabled the organisation to speak with parents about their general experiences of health and social care services in Lancashire whilst also asking their experiences of receiving counselling from Understanding Autism North West.

Under the social prescribing grant, approximately 48 service users received counselling with Understanding Autism North West. In total 13 people responded to the consent form and were interviewed by Healthwatch Lancashire. Healthwatch Lancashire asked service users questions either individually or with a family member. Some service users were interviewed over the phone but most were interviewed in person. The questions were split into two themes: Identifying how accessible the counselling sessions were. The impact that attending the sessions had on the services users’ health and wellbeing.

The findings in the report are in relation to the themes around accessibility, and the impact on Health and Wellbeing.