Last month saw the publication of Feeling Settled – A guide to changing services from residential care to supported living for people with learning disabilities. The aim of the report was to produce best practice guidance for organisations wanting to convert care homes into supported living services for people with learning disabilities.
Key messages from the report include:
- The reduction in numbers of people living in residential care is calling into question the long term economic viability of the residential care service model
- The process of change is complex and demanding
- Making the funding, both capital and revenue, stack up can be a barrier to change
- Converting some buildings to a satisfactory standard can be difficult
- Ensuring the separation of housing and support functions is important in promoting choice and control
Whilst converting an existing service can be a useful strategy to help people with learning disabilities to continue to live in a home they’re accustomed to, transformation is clearly not an option in some circumstances. Prohibitive conversions costs, buildings in difficult locations, finding suitable housing partners to work with and generating sufficient revenue are all major obstacles. In these circumstances relocation to more suitable self contained accommodation may be a solution worthy of consideration.
Buy to Help can be used by care and support providers who want to relocate their business and provide self contained homes for life for their customers. Capital invested in new homes covers costs and produces a decent rate of return and disabled people get the best security of tenure on offer.
A copy of the Feeling Settled report can be downloaded here »
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