Perth and Kinross Council and NHS Tayside have donated £30,000 to Perth Autism Support after PAS suspended services last week due to funding.
Both authorities were in talks today and have agreed to provide further funding to the organisation. The Scottish Government also donated a further £30,000 yesterday following concerns of permanent closure.
A spokesperson for Perth and Kinross Council said: “Perth & Kinross Council and NHS Tayside have today confirmed that they are seeking a meeting with the Chair of Perth Autism Support to offer one-off funding of £30,000 (£15,000 from each organisation) to help the charity continue to deliver planned services to young people, and their families, in Perth and Kinross.
Senior officers within both Perth & Kinross Council and NHS Tayside first became aware at the end of last week that Perth Autism Support was suspending services. Since then the Council and NHS Tayside have been working together to determine what support it may be appropriate to provide to the organisation in the current circumstances.
Both the Council and NHS Tayside’s absolute priority is to ensure that appropriate and reliable services are provided to support young people and their families in Perth and Kinross. We recognise the role Perth Autism Support has played over the years in supporting local people and we welcome their announcement yesterday that planned services will re-start next week.”
John Swinney MSP said; “I am delighted that NHS Tayside and Perth and Kinross Council have agreed to provide an additional £30,000 of funding to Perth Autism Support. This money is vital to ensuring the short-term viability of PAS. I am certain that this important decision will be welcomed by service users and families across Perthshire.
“It is, however, important that a long-term funding solution is found as soon as possible. Along with Pete Wishart MP, I will continue to work with colleagues to help ensure that such a solution can be found. Perth Autism Support is such a crucial resource for hundreds of families in this area and it requires a stable future.”
Pete Wishart MP said; “I am pleased to see that Perth and Kinross Council and NHS Tayside have agreed to match the funding already committed by the Scottish Government, which will enable Perth Autism Support to continue to provide important services to families living with autism.
‘I have been contacted by a large number of constituents who had real concerns about what might have happened if Perth Autism Support had been forced to close the doors for good. It is now imperative that all stakeholders come together to work out a long-term sustainable solution so that Perth Autism Support can continue to operate well into the future. I will continue to correspond with all of those involved to ensure that these discussions can begin as soon as possible.”
