Prison population: social care needs

Learning Difficulties and Disabilities (LDD)

One respondent talked extensively about the current programme of work being taken forward in Scottish prisons on Learning Difficulties and Disabilities (henceforth "LDD"), which is a broader category for intervention than only addressing Learning Disabilities (henceforth "LD"). This broader definition would include dyslexia and dyspraxia, which are typically defined as learning difficulties rather than learning disabilities.

A significant programme of assessment has been trialled and the results of this trial suggested that around 40% of people screened had some form of LDD. During a second trial, care pathways were considered. These would sometimes be NHS-led in the case of significant mental health issues and sometimes be addressed by education providers, either working in small groups or working one-to-one.

Full coverage of LDD goes beyond the scope of this work, partly because it is likely to go beyond the level of support provided outside of prisons and partly because some of the solution relates to education rather than social care.