"Setting the Scene" aimed to find out information about the levels of need and unmet need in each local authority area. Audit Scotland gathers and publishes local authority indicators on numbers of people assessed for a service, waiting for an assessment as well as numbers of people receiving a service but this is only for adults. No such indicators are measured for children and young people. This creates a huge gap in trying to establish whether or not the level of current service provision is meeting demand and need.

We wanted to establish how many professionals - in relevant local authority departments and in health boards - actually work with disabled children and young people, what qualifications they hold and/or what training they receive to assist them in their roles. We attempted to find this information through published sources and through surveying Councils but this did not provide the level of feedback we had hoped for.

We wanted to know how many disabled children and young people are in receipt of services including short breaks in their local authority area but we found this information difficult to access.

We are also aware that we may not have found all the plans and strategies for each of the local authorities. What is referred to within this resource is those which were accessible via websites. If we have missed something please tell us!