Liverpool names first autism-friendly hotel

It comes as part of a broader effort by Autism Adventures and Autism Together to help Liverpool become the first autistic-friendly city in the UK.

Staff at the Signature Living-owned venue will attend training programmes to help the hotel adapt to those with autism and their families.

Employees will learn how to recognise that someone may have autism and to handle challenging behaviour.

It comes in the midst of National Autism Week, which kicked off on 2 April.

Christopher Shankly-Carline, director of the Shankly Hotel, said: “We want to make sure we are fit for purpose and welcoming to individuals with specific needs and the staff-training programme will help us achieve this.

“We really want to play our part in helping Liverpool achieve the Autism-friendly status.”

The Shankly Hotel opened in August last year​ as a tribute to Liverpool Football Club legend Bill Shankly.

It has joined fellow Autism champions Liverpool One, Merseytravel, Liverpool John Lennon Airport and Everton FC in a bid to make Liverpool a more accessible city for those with autism and their families.

It is estimated that around 700,000 people in the UK are autistic.