Autism West Midlands Professionals Update – November 2022

There is a lot of change in the air this autumn for the AWM Shropshire team – and it has little to do with the weather or trees losing their leaves!

We have some staff changes in the offing.

Hilary McGlynn will leave AWM at the end of November (and will be much-missed) – a message from Hilary:
“After 13 years at Autism West Midlands I am moving on to a new job. For those of you that haven’t known me for all those years I started as a worker in our Shropshire service and most recently have been Operations Manager with a West Midlands wide brief. I am pleased to be returning to Shropshire to work for NHS Shropshire and Telford on their Learning Disability and Autism Programme, so you may well still see me around.”

Autism Advisor Vacancy

We currently have a (rare) vacancy for a Specialist Autism Advisor open because Wendy Cowton will be retiring for some well-deserved downtime at the end of January 2023. To find out more about the opportunity follow this link… Closing date 30th November
https://autismwestmidlands.org.uk/jobs/autism-specialist-advisor-shropshire-and-telford-childrens-and-families/

NEW Parent and Carer Wellbeing Walks

We will shortly be advertising term-time opportunities for parents/carers to get together and join us out and about in the beautiful Shropshire countryside – meet, chat with others, get some fresh air and head space. Keep an eye on our events page to find out more…
https://autismwestmidlands.org.uk/events/

**Reminder** No diagnosis is needed to access the AWM Shropshire service and there is no formal referral route – parents/carers can self-refer by booking an advice appointment or contacting us directly. Details for both below…

WEEKLY Teams Advice slots – every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday

For those would like some online advice we are offering this virtually via video appointments. Teams works well on mobile phones. To book a 45 min advice appointment with a specialist autism advisor please book via our shop. If the dates/timings of our online advice appointments are not convenient for you, please contact us to make alternative arrangements – scroll down for details
https://shop.autismwestmidlands.org.uk/collections/events/products/online-autism-advice-and-consultation-sessions-shropshire-county
IMPORTANT – WE EMAIL YOUR TEAMS LINK TO YOU THE WEEK BEFORE YOUR SLOT, MAKE SURE YOU CHECK YOUR INBOX INCLUDING SPAM/JUNK TO GET YOUR LINK

Virtual Support Group for Parents - Wednesday Mornings 10am-11am & Wednesday Evenings 8pm-9pm – 1st and 3rd Weds of each month (term time)

Our online support groups meet twice a month via Zoom. This is an opportunity to talk with other parents, share ideas, and offer support. We recommend that you have attended an online advice appointment with a member of the team before joining group sessions (link above).
If you would like to join either of the support groups, please email the team here shropshire@autismwestmidlands.org.uk

Dad’s Group – Monthly on a Thursday 7pm-8pm

This is an opportunity for dads to meet online, share ideas, celebrate their children’s achievement’s and offer support to each other with a member of Autism West Midlands present. For more information and booking details see link below
https://autismwestmidlands.org.uk/events/virtual-dads-support-group-west-midlands-mar31/

Advice and support

We also offer advice and support over the phone and via email. Parents/carers and professionals can contact our small team directly to arrange an appointment including face-to-face if preferable.

Shropshire office - 01952 454156
Mon, Wed, Fri - Wendy Cowton 07900784186
Weds, Thu, Fri - Emma Hegenbarth 07881109480
Tue, Wed, Thu - Dawn Lewis 07706309382
Email shropshire@autismwestmidlands.org.uk
Helpline 0121 450 7575

Feel free to share with families and colleagues – if you would like to be added to our professionals mailing list, please email your details to emmah@autismwestmidlands.org.uk