Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities (Hansard, 16 July 2003)

§ Lord Warner

Information specifically related to adults with profound and multiple learning disabilities in the United Kingdom is not available centrally.

The learning disability White Paper Valuing People estimated that in England there are about 210,000 people with severe and profound learning disabilities. Of these, around 65,000 are children and young people, 120,000 are adults of working age and 25,000 are older people. The definition used was those people with learning disabilities whe need significant help with daily living.

Information on the number of adults and older people with learning disabilities receiving services from social services in England at any time in 2001–02 is given in the following table, along with the numbers of these clients in council and independent sector residential care and the numbers receiving day care and home care services (the figures will include those people with mild/moderate learning disabilities). The number of day centres providing services is not recorded centrally.

Clients receiving services following assessment¹
England 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002
	Number of adults aged 18 and over	Percentage of England adult population aged 18 and over
England population²	38,046,000	100
Total CSSR³ clients	1,632,000	4.3
Total Learning disability clients	115,000	0.3
of which:
Learning disability clients in
CSSR residential care	6,300
Learning disability clients in
Independent Sector residential
care	27,000
Learning disability clients
receiving Day care services⁴	57,000
Learning disability clients
receiving Home care services⁴	22,000
Source:
Department of Health, RAP forms P1 and P2f
Notes:
¹ Services provided to clients who have had a community care assessment.
² Mid-2001 estimate from 2001 census for population aged 18 and over.
³ Councils with social services responsibilities.
⁴ Clients receiving day care and home care are counted in both groups.

135WA

The information relating to Northern Ireland for persons with learning disabilities is as follows:

Northern Ireland—Persons with Learning Disability
	Number of Persons	Percentage of Northern Ireland population aged 16 +
Population aged 16 +¹	1,283,000	100.0
Total adults in contact with social services²	161,000	12.5
Learning disabled adults in contact with social services²	7,400	0.6
Occupied residential care places for learning disabled persons (statutory sector)^3,4	260
Available residential care places for learning disabled persons (independent sector)³	880
Learning disabled persons registered at statutory day care facilities^4,5,7	4,300
Learning disabled persons in receipt of home care^4,6,7	1,300
Source:
Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety,
Northern Ireland: Central Returns.
Notes:
¹ Mid-year estimated civilian population at June 2001.
² Persons aged 16+ in contact over the year 1 April 2001– 31 March 2002.
³ Refers to care in residential homes only and excludes nursing homes. Information on number of occupied places is available only for the statutory sector; information on the independent sector is only collected in respect of available places. Figures refer to the average number of places over the year 1 April 2001–31 March 2002.
⁴ Some children (aged under 16) may be included in the figures where they cannot be separately distinguished.
⁵ Information is available for the statutory sector only. Day care facilities include adult training centres, social education/resource centres, workshops, day centres and social centres. Figures are in respect of the position at 31 March 2002.
⁶ Refers to persons receiving domestic help and personal care and includes those receiving care as part of a care managed package. Figures are in respect of the position at 31 March 2002.
⁷ Persons who receive both day care and home care are counted in both groups.

Information relating to Scotland and Wales are matters for the devolved administrations.