Count Me In 2009

The National Mental Health and Learning Disability Ethnicity Census

Welcome

Count Me In is a unique census – the only one in the UK that includes all in-patients in mental health services. It is also the only time that all in-patients in learning disability health services are recorded. Because every in-patient is included, it allows comparisons to the population to be made and so provides unique information.

Why we carry out the census

Count Me In started in 2005 and will continue each year until 2010. By analysing results year-on-year we are able to:

highlight inequalities in access and outcomes that may affect in-patients from Black and minority ethnic communities, or their carers.
study how people’s hospital stays are managed. For example whether those from Black and minority ethnic communities are more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act, or be subject to seclusion or restraint.
provide evidence for national debates about mental health and learning disability service provision to different communities
provide information that supports positive action and change at local level

All providers, all in-patients

The census is extremely well supported by health professionals. In 2008, 100% of the 312 eligible hospitals and providers returned high quality data giving details of 35,127 patients and their care.

Delivering Race Equality (Department of Health 2005)

The census provides ‘better information’ to be ‘more intelligently used’ – a building block of Delivering Race Equality, the government’s 5-year plan to tackle discrimination in mental health services and within services as a whole. For more information see http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4100773