Autism social group 16/18 + help

[Supersensitive]

I am thinking of setting up a social group for young adults with autism. I have a son who’s autistic and he attends one that has made the world of difference to him just to be able to socialise with others. I would like input from parents for this group - that’s the purpose of the post.

i have a social club that are willing to give me the room for a minimal cost ( they have said no cost but i would like to give something ) they said they will either sell teas , coffee etc or I can provide the things and use their facilities. There is a bar too - it wont be open in the function room, but the bar next door will be- in case parents want to have a glass of something as I know it can be hard for parents to socialise too. This wouldn’t be encouraged but it’s there.

My thought is just the space with some board games , card games etc. just a safe space to chill with no pressure to do group activities etc.

I am toying between 16+ or 18+ . My son attended a group that was 13+ and as a 16,17 year old he did get on with the younger ones and I always felt a bit on edge about them exchanging numbers etc , always spoke to other parents but this is my only small concern - would you say as all would be 16+ this is ok or should I do it 18+ ?

what would I need to do , legally? The club has public liability etc so would I be covered for that as I am renting a room from them?

Safeguarding - I am a DSL in my job ( I also work with young adults with autism so I have experience ) I know my DSL role there would be in no way connected to my work place - if I make a policy just stating that I assign myself as DSL and how I would report safeguarding but also in that policy state that I am acting independently and in no way covered by any policies relating to a place of work ? A big thing to add here is- parents / carers are expected to stay , I am providing no care.

I would give out a safeguarding policy to all, take details of all attending - would this have to be on an online form that parents access through a link , for example Microsoft forms - I’m thinking GDPR here.

I have a DBS on the update service so I can state I have this but there is no way for parents to view - is this ok as I will not be caring for the young people?

Am I able to offer support - I’m thinking things like handing out forms and info for bus passes , CEA cards , signposting to other groups etc - just things people might not know about - but I am not a support service.

Lastly, costs - I’m thinking £5 per person per week. This will cover the hall hire and things like tea , coffee ( if I offer it free ) ,
small games / crafts but also to save it up a bit and do things like a pizza night, purchase a console maybe- am I legally allowed to do this ? I won’t be at the point to register as a charity it’s going to be a voluntary group and I will log all incomes and outgoings and likely keep it as cash unless we grow and it seems appropriate to put it in a bank - at which point I can look at setting up something where we could apply for grants etc.

Does all this sound ok and what would you think as a parent ? Anything I’m missing , anything I could add etc ?

Edited to add : the reason I’m setting one up even though my son attends one is because there is nothing local , we travel far for it.

You would need to check if the venue’s public liability insurance. It wouldn’t always.

You would need a risk assessment.

DBS wouldn’t be essential.

I think either 16 or 18+ can work.

Would you allow 18+ to attend on their own if they didn’t need a parent/carer?

It wouldn’t have to be an online form. You can still comply with GDPR rules without it being online.

I think you would need a constitution/governing document, but I’m not certain about that. Unincorporated organisations do, but if it is only you, you wouldn’t be an unincorporated association. If you were a formal group, you could apply for grants, etc.

You can charge for community groups. Some banks have special accounts for small community groups.

Such a group wouldn’t be for my DC, but I know they work for some. You could look at having some sensory equipment.

My question would be - there is a wide range of presentation of autism.
Who would this be aimed at (given that you want parents to stay are you thinking this is for kids not in mainstream education for example?)?

Yes, this would be for any needs - probably more so those that are not in mainstream education as they may have much more limited opportunities to socialise. This is the reason I want parents to stay too so that I do not take responsibility- eg some may be fine to go and chill in the garden safely, others may not and require support at all times - this way it is the parents responsibility.

This is helpful thank you .

Can I ask why this wouldn’t be right for your DC and what would make it accessible for them? It helps me to hear all these different angles .

I have 3 teen DSs with additional needs. Two of whom have autism. Autism (or wider SEN) sessions don’t work for them for various reasons. For example, DS3 (autistic and a range of other needs) and DS1 (not autistic but other complex needs) can’t cope with the sensory overwhelm of group sessions or the unpredictable nature of others.