Official documentation relating to the data collection can be accessed on the SCCI Assuring Transformation website.

The collection uses a live data entry system with a cut of data taken at regular intervals. Data is published by NHS Digital on a monthly and quarterly basis, and published data can be accessed here: Assuring Transformation publications.

This Clinical Audit Platform is a live data collection system and commissioners are expected to keep data up to date for all patients they commission. For reporting purposes, a cut of the data will be taken at midnight on the last day of every month (this is not dependant on working days), this data will be used by NHS Digital to produce monthly and quarterly reports available on this website Assuring Transformation publications. An additional cut is taken at midnight every Sunday; this data is used to produce weekly management information dashboards which are shared with NHS England and the regions.

There is no deadline for the submission of data for this collection. Commissioners are required to update records as soon as they are informed of changes to the patient's care plan.

The Department of Health published 'Transforming Care: A national response to Winterbourne View Hospital and the Concordat: Programme of Action' in December 2012. The review of services received indicated that failings were widespread within the operating organisation, but importantly, also evident across the wider care system. The Concordat and 63 actions detailed within the review seek to address poor and inappropriate care and achieve the best outcomes for people with a learning disability or autism, who may also have mental health needs or behaviour that challenges.

The purpose of this data collection is to ensure that the public awareness of the NHS commitments in the Winterbourne View Concordat is transparent and robust. It will also be used to triangulate with the Learning Disability Census, completed by providers on 30 September 2015. This process is important for informing and influencing The Winterbourne View Joint Improvement Programme.

The Assuring Transformation collection followed the Learning Disability Census. 

The collection will consider in-patients receiving treatment or care in a facility registered by the Care Quality Commission as a hospital operated by either an NHS or independent sector provider. The facility will provide mental or behavioural healthcare. Record level returns will reflect only in-patients or individuals on leave with a bed held vacant for them.

This should include patients of:

• any age
• any level of security (general/low/medium/high)
• any status under the Mental Health Act (informal or detained)

People not included:

• patients in accommodation not registered with the CQC as hospital beds
• patients in beds for physical health care
• patients who do not have either learning disabilities or autism

The guidance from NHS England's National Clinical Director for Learning Disability, regarding whether a patient should be included if they have a 'primary diagnosis of Learning Disability' only, is as follows:

'For our purpose whether or not a person is recorded as having a primary diagnosis of LD is not relevant, and should not be used as a criterion for inclusion in this data collection. If a person is in specialist hospital bed (either MH or LD) and that person has a Learning Disability or Autism, then that person should be included in the Assuring Transformation data return.'

For further information please email: ATdata@nhs.net

The guidance documents below are currently under review due to incoming changes to the Assuring Transformation collection. When the new guidance is available it will be clearly labelled.

Post-April 2021 guidance

AT summary guidance
AT definitions for hospital bed types
AT definitions for restrictive interventions
AT data specification with guidance
AT FAQs
AT glossary
AT template

Pre-April 2021 guidance

AT instructions and guidance notes
AT operational guidance November 2016
AT summary guidance 
AT FAQs
AT template
AT registration form
Provider collaborative lists 
Current patient export instructions
TCP mapping file 
Assuring transformation CTR guidance 

NHS England - learning disabilities relevant material including links to the key cross-system work and CTRs.
LD Census publications.

The Learning Disability Census has collected data three times;

• 30 September 2015
• 30 September 2014
• 30 September 2013

Data is collected through the NHS Digital Clinical Audit Platform (CAP). Providers submit data to reflect the position on census day. Providers have a set period of time to submit their data for analysis before the platform closes.

More information on the background is available within our archive page.   

For all collections, data was released in two stages. This allowed NHS digital to produce an initial output as timely as possible and then follow with more detailed analysis.

Learning Disability Census 2015

Initial report 2015 - England level data for all measures including linking to 2013 and 2014 data and the Assuring Transformation collection

Further analysis from 2015 report - Local Office split of key measures (we are experiencing difficulties with the website. Access the files. 

Learning Disability Census 2014

Initial report 2014 - England level data for all measures including linking to 2013 data

Further analysis from 2014 report - Area Team split of key measures

Learning Disability Census 2013

Initial report 2013 - Demographics, ward type, distance from home and length of stay

Further analysis from 2013 report - Geographical split by key measures plus use of medication and number of incidents

Guidance document for each Learning Disability census collection

The documents linked here provide guidance on the questions validations for each Learning Disability Census collection.

Question guidance for 2015.