I noted this exchange on 26th Sept 2014 in the House of Lords.
Baroness Uddin (Labour): “To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many and what proportion of people in assessment and treatment units are known to have autism spectrum disorder; and of those, how many are children.”
Earl Howe (Conservative): “The Learning Disabilities Census conducted by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) indicates that 3,250 learning disabilities services users were in hospital in England at midnight on 30 September 2013. This includes 1,087 (33.4%) with autistic spectrum disorder (including Asperger’s Syndrome). Autistic spectrum disorder (including Asperger’s Syndrome) was the main reason for the hospital admission of 321 (9.9%) learning disabilities service users. The HSCIC has also reported that the Learning Disabilities Census 2013 indicated that 185 of those in hospital (representing 5.7% of all learning disabilities service users) were under 18 years of age. Of these, 88 have autistic spectrum disorder (including Asperger’s Syndrome). Autistic spectrum disorder (including Asperger’s Syndrome) was the main reason for the hospital admission of 28 people under the age of 18 years.”
Interesting in itse
lf, in that the above gives us an idea of how many adults and children with learning disabilities are likely to be in hospital on any one day. But it led me to follow up on the ‘Learning Disability Census’ and the work of The Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC). Full information is on the ‘Census’ page of the HSCIC website. As I write, I realise that today (30th Sept 2014) is census day, so figures collected today will be informing policy statements and decisions in the near future, and hopefully indicating ‘progess’ (although I have heard anecdotal statements to the contrary).
To summarise, the Learning Disability Census meets a commitment made by the DoH in the post-Winterbourne View Concordat of December 2012, to address failings that were ‘widespread within the operating organisation but importantly also evident across the wider care system’.
“The Learning Disability Census is the mechanism employed to deliver action 17, which says that,
‘The Department of Health will commission an audit of current services for people with challenging behaviour to take a snapshot of provision, numbers of out or area placements and lengths of stay. The audit will be repeated one year on to enable the learning disability programme board to assess what is happening.’
The project has delivered the Learning Disability Census and is repeating this again in 2014 in order to demonstrate change. This process is important for informing The Winterbourne View Joint Improvement Programme.
It is an accepted principle that services should be local, care and treatment should be appropriate and there should be a substantial and sustained reduction in hospital placements for this group of people. Taking part in the census will help monitor progress towards these goals.”