The writing is on the wall for residential care

Sarah Maguire, Choice Support’s Director of Quality, says that the writing is on the wall for residential care.

Speaking at the Supported Living UK conference held in London on 10 June 2010, Sarah, Choice Support’s Director of Quality, cited seven reasons why the residential model of service provision is now obsolete, and is being replaced by supported living:

• In a consumer society where everyone expects to have real choices, young people with learning disabilities and their parents have higher expectations than in the past.
• Supported living offers people more rights and more disposable income.
• Public Service Agreement 16 aims to increase the number of socially excluded people in 'settled accommodation.'
• National Indicator 130 measures local authorities performance in offering personalised services to 'social care clients.'
• Once the NHS Campus re-provision programme is complete the focus will shift to re-providing for out of county residential placements that are perceived as expensive and of mediocre quality.
• Economic realities - supported living is perceived to be a less expensive option.
• The personalisation agenda.

Sarah went on to assess the recent history of alternatives to residential care, and some exciting new developments. You can see Sarah’s presentation here.