Parents demand no change for autism club

Parents who use a holiday club in Bristol for autistic children say they are worried about the future of the service if the council outsource it to a private contractor.

An online petition calling on the council not to change the way the Bristol Autistic Project (BAP) is run has received more than 1200 signatures.

186 families in Bristol use Knowle-based BAP. The scheme, which has been running for the past 10 years, offers families of autistic children a range of activities throughout the school holidays, which the whole family can do together.

The group runs activities such as trampoline sessions, cinema outing to autism-friendly screenings and boat trips which families can do with the support of specialised staff.

Louisa Bell, whose a 9-year-old daughter Ciara has autism, started the petition.

She said she was surprised that it has had so much support so quickly, but that it showed how much concern there is “from people who know how hard it is to have a normal family life when you have an autistic child”.

“I am completely dependent on BAP for sanity during the school holidays and we have actually been able to go out as a whole family for four years now.

“It has made such a difference to our lives – the predictability of the activities is a big one, but BAP take care to think about the needs of our children.”

She added that families who use BAP received a letter this week from Bristol City Council confirming the project will finish at the end of June.

In the letter the council say they are committed to providing short breaks to autistic children, but Louisa said “they seem to have missed the point that while respite is great, we want to be able to continue to access activities as a family.”

“They give no indication of what the service intended to replace BAP will look like, and we won’t know for some time, I suspect.”

‘No plans to reduce funding’

A spokesman for Bristol City Council said they are not planning to close the service: “There are no plans to reduce the funding for this service but we are looking at the service being delivered in a different way.

“We are inviting bids for the delivery of the service and hope to be able to provide more information in the next month or so.” 

However, Henry Barnes, policy and participation officer for the National Autistic Service, said they had real concerns: “It’s an incredible lifeline that is invaluable to families.

“The argument really is why does it need to change?

“What we think is happening is a competitive tender process so it would not be a Bristol City Coucil scheme any more. I think that is a real worry as there is the uncertainty of outsourcing which is inevitable really.

“It’s a huge service and it’s an amazing service. We are just worried and unsure why they would want to outsource it when it’s going so well and is so loved by so many people.”

‘Huge concern’

It is this change and uncertainly that families say their children would not be able to deal with.

Michelle Batten , whose 11-year-old son Cameron is autistic, said: “Though we don’t yet know what plans are for the group, we know there will be changes. The whole prospect of change for families who live with strong routines to help our children cope in their day to day lives is a huge concern.

“We value the consistency and familiarity that BAP offers, the security it provides our children.

“As a parent who has been forced out of mainstream play centres, I particularly love the feeling of belonging BAP brings. The fact it allows us as a family to do the ‘normal’ things families do. We can go out and not be judged, my children wont be stared at – we can just be a family taking our children out swimming or bowling but with the added security of knowing help is there if we need it.”

Catherine Rippington has two autistic sons. Elliot, who is 15-years-old is severely autistic and seven-year-old Matthew is autistic with sensory processing disorder.

She said before BAP started she spent “two years trapped in our house and we felt like prisoners – there was nowhere we could go because of his autism”.

“His sensory overload meant we couldn’t go to soft play centres or playgrounds. Once BAP opened it meant as a family we could go out together with the support of staff who over the years have got to know my children and it is just a lifeline really.”

For more information on autism and support groups in Bristol: www.nasbristolbranch.webeden.co.uk

NAS website (www.autism.org.uk) Helpline number (0808 800 4104 – lines are open 10am-4pm, Monday to Friday)