Highland Council assistant chief-exec says ‘alternative ways’ to fund autism information service were offered in bid to prevent closure
Highland Council chiefs say “alternative ways to assist” were offered to secure the future of an award-winning “lifeline” Highland-wide autism information service – but were turned down – leading to the cessation of the service later this month.
The National Autistic Society Scotland (NAS) announced last week that its Highland Information Service (HIS) will close on April 24 after the charity and the local authority were unable to reach an agreement for future funding.
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The Highland branch of NAS said it was a “devastating development to close down an effective, meaningful service”, amid fears that families, many living in some of the most remote areas of the Highlands, could become “cut off” from services.
Amid rising costs and demands, Highland branch chair Carrie Watts said the funding from Highland Council had “stagnated”.
She said: “The service demand expanded and shifted and the organisations providing the services have always met that demand – but without ever receiving an increase in funding to reflect what is now being delivered.
“The burden of this service closure will be carried by the families and the other third sector services who support them.”
Addressing the local authority’s role in the service closure, Kate Lackie, Highland Council assistant chief executive (people), said the council “never at any point” planned to withdraw funding.
“The council funds NAS £18,050 per annum,” she explained. “For this, their service level agreement is to provide an information officer at 16 hours per week and to ‘assist the council with the development of the council’s library of information, held at its premises at The Pines, Inverness’.
“As part of the latter function, they also provided website support. From last year, it was agreed to reduce the officers’ time to 14 hours per week due to no increase in funding.
“We have never at any point said that this funding was being withdrawn, nor was there any plan to do so.”
Ms Lackie says NAS had asked Highland Council to increase its funding commitment in December last year, requesting an increase equating to 61 per cent, “for no change of terms”.
She added: “We said we could not provide that but we would look for alternative ways to assist them.
“We agreed that we would remove the requirement to support the website and this would be carried forward exclusively by another third sector organisation – Thriving Families – who were already largely performing this function.
“This would mean NAS would have the equivalent of £45,000 pro rata for a member of staff working a 14-hour week as before.
“We also worked with them on a funding bid that could have secured an additional £17,000 annually to broaden their offering but this would have required a degree of service redesign.
“Ultimately NAS decided they did not want to do this and so have decided to cease their service.
“I think it is important to note that the organisation is a national one, and the council has no statutory obligation to provide any funding.
“It has done so without fail for many years and would continue to do so.”
Rob Holland, Director of the National Autistic Society Scotland, said: “The National Autistic Society Scotland has operated the Highland Information Service for autistic children, young people and their families, providing much needed information, advice, guidance and support to more than 950 families over the past 12 years.
“During that time, we have received no uplift in funding.
“An uplift to funding was requested more than a year ago to allow us to meet our costs which, like all organisations, have risen over the years. This was rejected and we were forced to reduce staffing hours.
“However, it became clear very quickly that it was not possible to meet demand and provide the quality service we want to on the reduced hours.
“We engaged with the Council, again asking for the appropriate level of funding simply to meet our costs; but again, this was rejected.
“Rather, we were asked to wait and apply for the time limited Whole Family Wellbeing Fund. This was not a long-term sustainable solution, as it is a temporary fund and focused on service innovation.
“We rejected another offer to divert funds from another project which understandably we felt uncomfortable with.
“We are disappointed as we know what a positive difference the service has made over the years but will continue to offer support to families in Highland through our Growing Up and Empower Up programmes for families and young people respectively, as well as through our volunteer-led Highland and Moray branches.
“We hope to be able to work with the Council in the future should sustainable funding options become available.”
