Interesting exchange in the Lords the other day. It seems to be a perennial problem in the world of ‘learning disability’ and especially autism, that those charged with implementing a policy or providing a service are never exactly sure how many people they are ‘dealing with’! So even with the passing of the Children and Families Act 2014 and the Care Act 2014, the concept of ‘joint registers’ shared by health care, social care, and special education providers remains a non starter.
Lord Beecham (Labour)
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, in the light of the Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years, they plan to extend the duty for the National Health Service, local authorities and education providers to hold joint registers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Lord Nash (Conservative)
There is no duty on the National Health Service, local authorities and education providers to hold joint registers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). Following consultation by the Department of Health as part of a review of social care data, local authorities now return data on adults’ primary need for social care support and any health conditions a person may have, including autism. Local authorities are required to keep a register of disabled children under Schedule 2 of the Children Act 1989 and the School Census collects data on children’s type of special educational need, including ASD, which is published annually by the Department, by local authority area. ‘The Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0 – 25 years’ advises local authorities and health commissioning bodies to use available data such as these when carrying out their duty under the Children and Families Act 2014 to commission jointly services for children with special educational needs and those with disabilities, including children with ASDs.