Autism

BSL Support

The Autism Resident Advisory Group (ARAG) members are residents aged 18+ living in Newham who have been diagnosed with Autism or on the waiting list to be diagnosed or have not been diagnosed but self-identify as being autistic. The ARAG is jointly chaired by the Newham Autism Lead and a Resident Co-Chair. Members meet quarterly to:

• Share ideas and give views on the issues affecting autistic people
• Advise the Autism team and take part in shaping future actions
• Share information about services, activities and events
• Take part in consultation exercises
• Participate in the co-design of services and products
• Support the design and delivery of Autism Strategy and Action Plan

How to get involved in the ARAG:

Register for membership:

To be eligible to join this group you will need to be a resident aged 18+ living in Newham who have been diagnosed with Autism or on the waiting list to be diagnosed or have not been diagnosed but self-identify as being autistic. To register for the group, please sign up using this link: Newham Autism Strategy - Resident Advisory Group Signup

If you require support to complete the registration, please email Autism.Commissioning@newham.gov.uk to arrange a time for a phone registration.

No prior experience or qualifications are necessary to become an ARAG member. We welcome diversity and support residents from all backgrounds to contribute. Members do not have to attend every meeting. Members can work with the ARAG Co-chair and group to agree topics for the agenda. 

ARAG Co-Chair role:

The current ARAG Co-chair is Serena Elstub. 

Applications for a new ARAG Co-chair is now open. The deadline for submissions is 30 June 2024.

As a member of the ARAG, you can become a Co-Chair if you are aged 18+ years and have an Autism Diagnosis. This is a paid role for up to 6 hours per quarter for a maximum of 12 months.

You do not need any previous experience of chairing a group or any qualifications. We will support you in the role. To find out more about how to apply and the eligibility criteria, please click the link on the right hand side of the page.

If you need support or would like to discuss the role in more detail, please email Autism.Commissioning@newham.gov.uk to arrange a time for a phone discussion.

Co-Chair applicants will need to evidence their Autism diagnosis and that data will be shared with the Newham Diagnostic Service.

ARAG Meeting dates: 

We look forward to meeting ARAG members at one of the future ARAG meetings. We appreciate you have indicated your preferred location, days and times in the sign-up form which may not be reflected below. We have tried to accommodate peoples preferences as best as possible. This will be reviewed again annually.