Learning disability in adults

Learning disability is defined as the presence of a significantly reduced ability to understand new or complex information, impaired intelligence, impaired social functioning, and has a lasting effect on development. It is difficult to provide an exact figure for learning disabilities for various reasons. The most significant of these are that the social construction of underlying concepts has changed over time, there is a wide spectrum of disorder, definitions are not standardised, and service utilisation research methodologies are common and so limit the population studied to those in touch with services.

People with a learning disability tend to have poorer health and often die younger than those who do not. This is a health inequality, since people with a learning disability should not have worse health than other people. 

Key findings for Lancashire-14

The following estimates are for 2020 and are sourced from the Projecting Adult Needs and Service Information (PANSI) website and the Projecting Older People Population Information (POPPI) website.  These websites use data sourced from the Institute of Public Care (IPC) and the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Further breakdowns by age are available in the data section at the bottom of the page:

Baseline estimates of the number of people with learning disabilities

• In Lancashire-12, 22,725 people (18+ years) are estimated to have a learning disability; for Blackburn with Darwen the figure is 2,625 and for Blackpool it is 2,574.
• By 2035 these estimates are expected to rise to 24,420 (Lancashire-12), 2,717 (Blackburn with Darwen) and  2,618 in Blackpool.

Estimates of people with moderate or severe learning disabilities

These are people who are likely to need some form of service provision.

Lancashire-12

• Of the above 2020 baseline estimates, 3,949 people aged 18 to 64, and 722 people aged 65+ are estimated to have a moderate or severe learning disability in the Lancashire-12 area (a total of 4,671 people aged 18+).
• By 2035, in the Lancashire-12 area, the number of people with a moderate or severe learning disability aged 18 to 64 is expected to increase to 4,004 people. The number of people aged 65+ is expected to increase to 920 persons. Therefore the total number of people aged 18+ with a moderate or severe learning disability is expected to rise to 4,924 people in the Lancashire-12 area by 2035.

Blackburn with Darwen

• In Blackburn with Darwen, in 2020, 495 people aged 18 to 64, and 63 people aged 65+ are estimated to have a moderate or severe learning disability (558 people in total aged 18+).
• By 2035, the number of people aged 18 to 64 with a moderate or severe learning disability is estimated to fall to 494 persons, whilst the number aged 65+ is estimated to increase to 77 people. This results in n estimated increase to 552 persons aged 18+ by 2035.   

Blackpool

• In Blackpool, 448 people aged 18 to 64, and 80 people aged 65+ are estimated to have a moderate or severe learning disability in 2020 (528 people in total aged 18+).
• By 2035, the number of people aged 18 to 64 with a moderate or severe learning disability is estimated to reduce to 431 people, whilst the number aged 65+ is estimated to increase to 98 persons. The outcome is a slight estimated increase to 529 people aged 18+ by 2035. 

Estimates of people with Down's syndrome

• Approximately 455 people (18+) in Lancashire-12, 56 people in Blackburn with Darwen and 52 people in Blackpool are estimated to have Down's syndrome.
• By 2035 these estimates are expected to rise slightly to 456 in Lancashire-12, remain the same with 56 in Blackburn with Darwen and decrease to 49 in Blackpool.

Estimates of people with an autistic spectrum disorder

• 9,522 people (18+ years) are estimated to have an autistic spectrum disorder in Lancashire-12. For Blackburn with Darwen the figure is 1,108 and 1,089 for Blackpool.
• By 2035 these estimates are expected to rise to 10,270 (Lancashire-12), 1,142 (Blackburn with Darwen) and 1,115 (Blackpool).

Priorities from the JSNA report for learning disabilities in adults

Our 2012 analysis of learning disabilities in adults in Lancashire-14 and their health needs provided strong evidence that there continues to be a poor health experience and early mortality of people with learning disabilities and autism. The key points were as follows.

• Nearly half of people experiencing a learning disability live in the most deprived areas of Lancashire-14.
• People with learning disabilities are much less likely to be in paid employment.
• People with learning disabilities are over-represented in prison populations.
• The changes to benefit allocation will also affect people with learning disabilities disproportionately.
• Housing needs of people with learning disabilities are considerable and will increase.
• People with learning disabilities experience much poorer health outcomes across a range of conditions.
• Prevalence and need is increasing whilst available budgets have been decreasing and are likely to continue to decrease.
• This has major implications for how services are delivered and will require a different approach to commissioning and developing co-produced services.

There is also a technical document to support this thematic JSNA, containing all the detailed analysis. If you require a copy of either document, please email businessintelligence.jsna@lancashire.gov.uk

Further data Learning disabilities in Lancashire-14 2020 to 2035 (XLSX 66 KB)

Page updated November 2020