Our service is for adults who may be autistic

(criteria by area: Warrington 17+, Halton, St Helens, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton 18+)

Find out more on the website: Autism Spectrum Conditions :: Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust

What to expect if you are referred to Mersey Care for an autism assessment.

We also deliver Autism awareness and reasonable adjustments training. This can be booked via Learning and Development team. Dates of the training can be found on the Trust intranet in Section 4 of the Learning and Development Prospectus.

Increase your understanding of autism and neurodiversity
Provide information/tools on how you can understand, assess and provide effective interventions for adults with autism and mental health difficulties
Reflect on and identify realistic and potential reasonable adjustments you can make in your own work
Suggest what models and approaches can assist you in your work
Show you why we think in the way we do and understand why we can struggle with difference.

We also offer bespoke training to teams and a specialist ASC consultation service to support staff in their work with people on the spectrum.

The training is also available to external professionals.

Feedback

"I have done numerous ASC / neurodiversity training as both ASC champion and as a mum with ASC children and wanted to say that was probably one of the best training I have been on. Quite powerful and quite in tune with how professionals feel about working with individuals with ASC."

The Autism and Mental Health Support Team (AMHST) is a staff facing consultative service offering:

Consultation to Mersey Care staff and social care colleagues who are working with autistic adults or clients who are on the waiting list for an autism assessment. We offer support around considering the person’s autism in addition to their mental health needs.

We offer case consultation, advice on reasonable adjustments, consideration of sensory needs, adaptations to therapeutic approaches and signposting.
We also deliver Autism awareness and reasonable adjustments training. This can be booked via Learning and Development team. Dates of the training can be found on the Trust intranet in Section 4 of the Learning and Development Prospectus.

Download a referral form here

You can request our support by submitting the referral form to: amhstconsultation.referrals@merseycare.nhs.uk

We support the Dynamic Support Database.

This is a database which monitors risk of admission to mental health wards for patients who have a confirmed diagnosis of ASC and / or learning disability.

This is risk rated by RED, AMBER, GREEN, (RAG) rating.

Outcomes will be prompted based on level of risk.

Intensive Support Team (IST) provides direct support for people who:

Have a diagnosis of autism without a learning disability
have a GP registered in St Helen’s, Knowsley, Warrington, Halton, Liverpool or Sefton.
are aged 18 and over (17 years and over in Warrington)
referred by another NHS Mental Health service or via the Dynamic Support Register
Open to secondary Mental Health Services
Require specialist clinical support to address health and wellbeing support needs that are potentially caused by their ASC and who are:

at imminent risk of placement breakdown or admission to a mental health inpatient setting, as identified through the Dynamic Support Register (DSR) or through another avenue (for example referral from A&E, AMHP’s or mental health teams).
Due to be discharged from inpatient services and require additional clinical support to deliver a successful discharge and/or reduce the risk of readmission.

Referral: Criteria and downloadable referral form

You can request our support by submitting the referral form to: autismintensive.supportteam@merseycare.nhs.uk

Examples of adjustments for inpatient, community mental health, and primary care settings

Autism awareness and reasonable adjustments training dates and booking links

Learning and Development Prospectus - Course (merseycare.nhs.uk)

Links to Open University autism courses

https://www.open.edu/openlearn/science-maths-technology/understanding-autism/content-section-overview?active-tab=description-tab

https://www.open.edu/openlearn/health-sports-psychology/understanding-adhd/content-section-0?active-tab=description-tab

Neurodivergent Champions Network: information, how to join, meeting schedule

Neurodivergent Champions and Learning Disability Champions :: YourSpace Mersey Care

Guidance and policies: NICE, local policies, NHS England autism guidance, Autism Act

Autism Act 2009