HCRG Care Group awarded contract to support autistic people
Autistic children, young people and adults will receive vital support from a new service launched in Essex in May.
HCRG Care Group will provide the Southend, Essex and Thurrock All Age Autism Outreach Service on behalf of Mid and South Essex ICB, The North East Essex Alliance, the West Essex alliance, Essex County Council, Southend on Sea City Council and Thurrock Council.
Pat Birchall, Managing Director at HCRG Care Group, said: “We are delighted to have this opportunity to expand on the work we have done over the past seven years to make a positive difference to the lives of families across Essex, and look forward to building relationships with our partner organisations to further improve health and wellbeing outcomes in the community.”
The £4.8m contract will run for at least four years and will offer specialist support for autistic children, young people and adults and those on a neurodevelopmental pathway awaiting an autism assessment. This includes intensive support for those children and young people most at risk of admission to hospital.
The service will be run in conjunction with HCRG Care Group’s SET (Southend, Essex and Thurrock) Keyworker Service, which provides designated keyworkers to the most vulnerable young people with learning disabilities and/or those who are autistic with the most complex needs, in line with the NHS Long Term Plan.
George Martin, Learning Disabilities & Autism Health Equalities Commissioner working on behalf of the ICBs and Local Authorities of Southend, Essex and Thurrock, said: ‘We look forward to working with HCRG Care Group on the delivery of this contract, providing much needed support to autistic people and their families, who played a vital role in the design and procurement of the service. Key to the success of this service will be ongoing commitment that lived experience is kept at the heart of the service, as well as effective joint working with colleagues from health, education and social care.”
HCRG Care Group has been running the Essex Child and Family Wellbeing Service, in partnership with Barnardo’s since 2017. Rated ‘good’ by the Care Quality Commission, the service ensures that families have free and easy access to local health services in the community.
