Council to 'make up for lost time' as they form autism working group

A local council has moved to form a working group to help develop and implement a new Autism Action Plan across the Borough.

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council's Leisure and Development Committee unanimously endorsed the plans at a meeting on Tuesday night.

Five elected members – along with Council's Diversity Champion Cllr Cara McShane – will join the working group to work alongside officers in order to develop the action plan.

While all councillors welcomed the motion, a number raised concerns at the delay in the issue coming back before the chamber.

“It has been a long time coming,” said Cllr Margaret Anne McKillop, who proposed the original motion three years ago.

“I feel disappointed and frustrated with the slow progress in establishing the working group three years after myself and Cllr Mulholland proposed this motion.

“I feel it's not good enough and that we have a council have let the autism community down.

Cllr Margaret Anne McKillop

"Neighbouring councils have made huge progress when it comes to being autism-friendly, with many positive initiatives and policies put in place whilst we have lagged behind.

“It is important that we make up for lost time and push ahead with the working group so that we can get a strategy in place in the coming months.

“We need to listen to the views of our autism community and work with them to make sure our Borough caters for everyone,” she added.

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A motion was unanimously approved on Tuesday night.

Alderman George Duddy questioned the need for another working group, suggesting this may slow things further.

“We're almost out of this mandate and we're only now bringing this forward,” he said.

“Could this piece of work be absorbed into a working group that already exists within Leisure and Development?”

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Reference to the show resulted in a minor spat at Tuesday's meeting.

A Council official told Alderman Duddy that there was no over-arching working group that would encapsulate the issue.

“Fair enough, get it formed,” he said.

“It's important that we get this up and running as quickly as possible and try to catch up with some of our neighbouring councils as soon as we possibly can.”

The motion was unanimously approved and will go forward for ratification at the next full council meeting in December.