Anna Freud to lead peer support programme for families and carers of autistic people
Commissioned by NHS England, Autism Central builds knowledge and understanding of autism, including family wellbeing and neurodevelopmental differences.
Anna Freud to deliver Autism Central
Today, Anna Freud is leading the delivery of Autism Central, on behalf of the NHS, a co-produced and co-delivered peer support programme for families of autistic people of all ages and those working with them.
Commissioned by NHS England, the programme is designed to deliver accessible, psychologically informed education, including to families and carers of autistic people across all ages, helping to build understanding of autism. It offers support, such as resources, one-to one sessions and events, which are co-produced with autistic people and others with lived experience, empowering families to improve the wellbeing of the whole family, prevent crisis and support the reduction of unnecessary hospital admissions.
For over 70 years, Anna Freud has sought to understand the challenges facing children, young people and families, including those in vulnerable situations, to improve access to mental health support and outcomes. The charity’s model is rooted in lived experience and strengthened by research, working in partnership with UCL’s Group for Research in Relationships And NeuroDiversity (GRRAND).
Autistic people are at significantly increased risk of experiencing mental health issues than neurotypical people, with around eight in ten affected in their lifetime.1,2 Neurodivergent adolescents experience twice the emotional burden at school compared to their neurotypical peers.3,4
Research also indicates that parents supporting autistic children with mental health difficulties face significant challenges. They often report being left to manage their child’s mental health needs without sufficient professional support, with many experiencing a profound emotional and physical toll, including stress, exhaustion, and isolation, while siblings of autistic people may face emotional challenges, such as jealousy, guilt, stress, and feelings of being ignored, due to increased parental attention and responsibility5. This underscores the need for timely, neurodiversity-informed, and experience-sensitive support, not only for autistic people, but also for their families.
What Autism Central offers
Launched in 2023, Autism Central has supported over 30,000 parents and carers to date. It was developed by a partnership of eight organisations and delivered by seven regional delivery partners led by the National Autistic Society. Anna Freud will continue to provide a unified, accessible and supportive learning environment for families, carers and other professionals. This will be delivered through:
A single national learning platform: learning and development materials will be available in one place, offering high-quality resources, training, and education in different formats to meet a diverse range of needs.
Accessible online training: remote courses designed to increase the capability, confidence, and wellbeing of families, carers, and their support networks.
Timely peer expert support: telephone and online-based coaching to ensure families can access guidance, training, and learning resources when they need them.
Regional peer educator programmes: peer educators – who are people with lived experience trained to provide support to parents and carers – will be trained locally to strengthen community expertise and enhance capacity in different regions.
Inclusive community connections: engagement and peer support fostered through face-to-face regional coffee mornings and virtual drop-in sessions.
Co-produced and co-delivered content: along with autism, materials will support those also experiencing ADHD, learning disabilities, deafness, blindness and other health conditions.
Dr Georgia Pavlopoulou, Associate Professor at Anna Freud and UCL, said:
“Our vision is to build a nation where all autistic people and those who support them are empowered, connected and thriving. With lived experience and rigorous research at its core, Autism Central has a key role to play, helping families navigate lives with their autistic loved ones more confidently, who we’ll collaborate with every step of the way.
“We’re very much looking forward to continuing the delivery of this high-quality service and are incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported the programme so far. We’re eager to learn from partners and people with lived experience to transform the lives of many more families.”
Anna Freud’s approach has been put into practice through multiple initiatives, including the National Autism Trainer Programme (NATP), also commissioned by NHS England, and delivered in partnership with AT-Autism.
Dr Venessa Swaby, Coordinator of Peer Education and Group Coaching Programs at Autism Central, said:
“This programme has the potential to build trust and agency, amplify parent voices, and connect families with each other. I’m excited about the quality and diversity of services such as reflective sessions, drop-ins, expert conversations, learning groups, and practical training-offered free to families and those working alongside them, with a deep commitment to different intersections.”
Further information
If you have any questions about the programme, email autismcentral@annafreud.org or visit the website. For regular updates, sign up to the Autism Central newsletter.
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