Figure 8 have completed a comprehensive learning disability (including autism) and physical disability (including sensory impairment and acquired brain injury) needs assessment project on behalf of West Lothian Community Health and Care Partnership, to inform the future planning of services for these populations.

The purpose of this project is to assist West Lothian CHCP in:

• Identifying and profiling service users with Learning Disabilities and/or Physical Disabilities in West Lothian;
• Assessing and describing the current strengths, gaps and inequities in such service provision;
• Identifying and describing the prevalence of people with learning and/or physical disabilities in West Lothian;
• Profiling current service delivery to people with a physical disability;
• Improving the number, quality, consistency, accessibility and integration of services appropriate for the needs of people with a learning disability and/or a physical disability;
• Promoting a broader understanding of their needs and their right to effective services;
• Promoting equitable care through the promotion of positive values and attitudes;
• Reducing the inequalities experienced by people with learning and/or physical disabilities.

• Develop detailed learning and physical disability strategies for West Lothian, consistent with the local plans for health and social care integration;
• Establish a process that will continue to identify existing and future needs of those learning and/or physical disabilities;
• Map services, assess local need for services and assess the way services are currently used – including identification of areas of good practice and whether services are meeting demand;
• Identify gaps and areas of unmet need in current provision, as well as any areas of over-provision;
• Analyse and enable the prioritisation of services; and therefore inform commissioning requirements – within current funding structures; and
• Establish a robust outcome framework to provide the benchmark for future procurement of services.

August 2015