4.2 Who Takes the Lead?
In a report on the assessed needs of individuals with ASD, the Public Health Institute of Scotland ( PHIS) recommended multi-agency and multi-professional working from diagnosis onward throughout the life of the person with ASD. However, in regard to how this should be implemented, they noted that,
- "The model for multi-agency collaboration and identification of the lead agency may vary according to local circumstances and, indeed, may vary over time."
( PHIS, 2001, p. 37)
The report also recommends having 'agency and interagency guidelines and communication structures, defined care pathways and service standards' agreed upon by the agencies involved. Local Authorities may have guidelines for multi-disciplinary working, as might individual agencies, however these can be supplemented by agreements between individuals within a group who have been brought together by the needs of an individual.