Services for Adults with Learning Disabilities and Sensory Impairments: Results of a National Survey of Local Authorities

A national survey of local authorities in England and Wales was conducted to examine various aspects of service provision for adults with learning disabilities and additional visual and/or auditory impairments. The 78 responses received suggested that, in general, local authorities: (1) lack a clear definition of this service user group, (2) under‐estimate the numbers of people in this service user group, (3) lack effective information‐gathering systems for gaining reliable prevalence estimates, (4) report few specific policies or designated officers aimed at this client group, (5) report little investment in specialised services, with the voluntary sector providing a significant proportion of the specialised services reported and (6) report a slight move towards greater specialisation in future service provision, with several reporting plans to provide new specialised assessment and residential services. Overall, the results reflect a general lack of clarity within local authorities regarding the most appropriate ways of defining, assessing need and planning, purchasing and providing services for people with learning disabilities and sensory impairments. 1995 Blackwell Publishing Ltd