A study of housing for adults with learning disabilities
The need for community: A study of housing for adults with learning disabilities has been published by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ)
This report focuses on the problems of accommodation facing people with severe learning disabilities within the wider context of concerns regarding this part of the care system.
A major issue that faces all people in such a situation is the sort of care available to them, such as supported living and residential care.
The CSJ’s view is that both supported living and residential care have an extremely important place in the spectrum of provision. They do not take a position that one model is inherently preferable over the other, and contend that people with learning disabilities have a wide variety of needs as well as different wants and preferences.
However, during the course of their research, the CSJ found that there has been an ongoing shift from residential care to supported living which does not reflect a demand for it.
The report identifies four core factors which puts a balanced care portfolio at risk:
- A commissioning culture which favours supported living over residential care;
- A systemic funding bias which favours supported living over residential care;
- Widespread budgetary pressures;
- Ideological considerations.
You can download this report by clicking here.