National Autistic Society accreditation
Our CYPF Berkshire Eating Disorders Service (BEDS) has received accreditation with the National Autistic Society, for their work on the PEACE service (Pathyway for Eating Disorders and Autism developed from Clinical Experience) with the CAMHS Eeating Disorders service in Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire (BOB).
The Autism Accreditation Programme is the UK’s only autism-specific quality assurance programme of support and development for all those providing services to autistic people. Achieving accreditation proves that an organisation is committed to understanding autism and setting the standard for autism practice. It is a way for organisations to show they offer excellent support to autistic children and adults.
The BOB PEACE team works directly with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) professionals to promote awareness and tailored support for autistic and possibly autistic young people with eating disorders, as well as working directly with a small number of children and young people and families. BOB PEACE is delivered in partnership between us and Oxford Health and was launched as a three-year project covering Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire.
Accreditation has been awarded in recognition of our good practice in supporting autistic young people and we are thrilled to share this across the Trust. A huge thank you goes to our CAMHS Eating Disorder colleagues for their support.
The report states: “Staff have a working knowledge of evidence-informed approaches associated with good autism practice. Case studies illustrate how these specialist approaches are adapted so that support is person-centred and tailored to the individual. Feedback given by young people and their families described the positive impact the service has on their lives… The committee concluded that the provision should be given an Accredited award as recognition of good practice in supporting autistic young people."
Clare Moran, Head of Service and Consultant Clinical Psychologist for CYPF Eating Disorders Service said: “This accreditation is a fantastic achievement and testament to the hard work of the whole team, but in particular our clinicians, Kim Hoffman and Ellicia Stone who led on the new PEACE pathway.
“PEACE is a relatively new pathway in BEDS which provides training, guidance, and specialist clinical input to staff and service user families who have children with both autism and an eating disorder. Both staff and service users have been forthcoming about the positive impact PEACE is having on the care we offer.”