Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help improve autism (a) awareness and (b) understanding among the adult population.

The Government is committed to creating a more inclusive society where autistic people are supported to thrive.

The Department is taking action to increase awareness and understanding of autism within health and adult social care services. From 1 July 2022, service providers registered with the Care Quality Commission are required to ensure their staff receive learning disability and autism training appropriate to their role, as set out in the Health and Care Act 2022. To support this, we are rolling out the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training on Learning Disability and Autism. Over two million people have now completed the e-learning module, which is the first part of the training.

The Government has also committed to raising awareness of all forms of neurodiversity, including autism, in the workplace. An independent panel made of academics with expertise and experiences of neurodiversity, including autism, has been launched to advise the Government on fostering more inclusive workplaces. This will build on the recommendations outlined in the Buckland Review of Autism Employment, which related solely to autism.

The panel will advise employers and ministers on boosting neurodiversity awareness and inclusion at work, including for autistic people. The panel will consider mechanisms for change, making recommendations in the summer.