The Partnership Trust, a Multi-Academy Trust based in Radstock near Bath, and neighbouring Fosse Way School, a Special School, are delighted to have retained the contract to deliver the critical Specialist Autism Support Service (SASS) for Bath & North East Somerset (B&NES) council for a further four years from September 2025.
The Specialist Autism Support Service provides education-based support to autistic children and young adults up to the age of 25, alongside helping families, professionals and the wider B&NES community, and has been operated by the Trust since its inception in the 1990s.
Key elements include:
- Providing support for parents and professionals.
- Access to key resources and signposting for autistic children and young people, and their families.
- Support to implement reasonable adjustments, and consistency, across all educational settings.
- A thriving Autism Champions network, consisting of a wide range of professionals who advocate for autism within their settings. They meet three times per year to engage in networking opportunities, training, best practice sharing and regular support from SASS.
- Direct work with children and young people, particularly with regards to understanding diagnosis, supporting sensory needs, and preventing breakdown in their places of education.
Emily Massey, the CEO of The Partnership Trust, said, “We are thrilled to have retained the SASS contract once more by Bath & North East Somerset council. It is testimony to the extensive experience and commitment of our specialist staff that the local authority has awarded us the running of this critical service. We look forward to delivering it for the rest of the decade.”
Over the next year, SASS is aiming to further develop understanding and acceptance of autism across B&NES, including continuing to share the vision and values of the Autism Education Trust (AET) and support the implementation of reasonable adjustments for autistic students in close alignment with the SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disability) and Alternative Provision (AP) Advice Service.
Rebecca Tranter, Lead for Specialist Autism Support Service (SASS), based at Fosse Way School, said, “The support provided by SASS is invaluable and we receive regular positive feedback from autistic individuals, their families and professionals supporting them, noting the difference that SASS support has made not only to their everyday lives but also to developing an inclusive community with access to a wide range of advice and support.”
