This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'Essex Social Services and Children with Aspergers'.




 
Essex County Council 
 
PO Box 11, County Hall 
abc
Chelmsford 
Essex CM1 1LX 
 
 
Ms xxxxxxxxx 
Our Ref:    
ECC-019431-12
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx  
Date:         
12 April 2012
 
Dear Ms Smith 
 
Your Freedom of Information Request: 
 
I am pleased to enclose the following information in respect of your recent 
Freedom of Information request.  You requested: 
 
 
I have heard on good authority that Essex County Council Social Services 
teams are not allowed to help / support children with Aspergers, and that 
they have to apply rigid criteria to each child in order to exclude them from 
any help. Please could you provide details of the structure of Essex Social 
Services. Who / which teams should in theory help children with autism / 
Aspergers? Please would you supply ANY related documents / records / 
reports / policies / procedures / protocols / minutes etc. held / stored, in 
any form, that would reflect what appears to be a blanket gate keeping 
policy??? 

 
Unfortunately you have been misinformed, as Essex County Council recognises 
children on the autistic spectrum, including those with Asperger Syndrome as 
disabled children and, therefore, as Children in Need under s17 of the Children 
Act 1989. As such, children with this diagnosis are entitled to an assessment of 
their needs and may, depending on the outcome of that assessment, be entitled 
to the provision of service. 
 
Two of the three documents, enclosed, form the County Council’s guidance to 
staff on the threshold of need and intervention; Most children with disabilities are 
provided with social work services via the Children With Disabilities social work 
teams, but those without a severe learning disability, which would apply to most 
children with Asperger Syndrome are likely to receive a service from one of the 
other social work teams. The types of service that can be provided are set out in 
one of the appendices and relate to the level of need. Some of these services are 
provided directly, some commissioned and some provided by other agencies, 
including other parts of the Schools Children and Families Directorate.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
Contd/… 
 
 
 
 

Page 2 
 
The third is the Essex Short Breaks Statement; information within this includes 
short breaks that are considered as the Local Offer. These short breaks are 
those that children, young people with disabilities and their families can access 
directly without the requirements for additional assessments or referral from 
statutory agencies. The Provider List for Essex Short Breaks is the fourth 
attachment.  
 
You may reuse all or part of this information free of charge in any format or 
medium. You must reuse it accurately and not in a misleading context. 
 
Please contact me if you would like further advice or assistance about your 
request or your right to access information held by Essex County Council. 
 
If you are not satisfied with my response to your request, please let me know. If I 
am unable to resolve the issue immediately, I will explain our complaints 
procedure. If, after following our complaints procedure, you are still not satisfied, 
you are entitled to ask the Information Commissioner to review our decision. You 
can contact him at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, 
telephone 01625 545700. 
 
Yours sincerely 
 
 
Lauri Almond  
 
 
Information Governance Officer 
Schools, Children and Families 
 
 
Essex County Council 
 
 
Telephone: 08457 430430  
 
 
Email: xxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx.xx