Issue details

The County Council spends around £70 million on specific supported living arrangements across the County. The model is based on several people living in rental accommodation, sharing 24 hour formal paid support. This has been a popular model for over 30 years, with up to 1,830 people supported in around 700 schemes, these range from single tenancies to larger flat let schemes. Support is provided countywide by 49 domiciliary providers. This involves a significant workforce.

The County Council developed a specific Learning Disability Preferred Provider Scheme in 2007, which was revised in 2010 but cannot be extended beyond June 2015. There is ongoing transformation work to ensure citizens currently living in supported living schemes can have a personal budget, a personalised support plan and more choice of housing and support options.

A review of the current scheme commenced in October 2013, which has included formal consultation with existing providers of supported living, self-advocates, family members and a range of other stakeholders, with a focus on what has worked well in the existing scheme, what has not worked well and what needs to change going forward.

The engagement and feedback has had a significant impact on the option appraisal and final recommendations for ensuring the effective commissioning and procurement of good quality and affordable domiciliary care for people with a learning disability in Lancashire from June 2015.

The procurement and implementation is challenging and complex and will take time to implement safely and effectively. This will require the commitment of additional interim capacity to manage the safe and efficient transition from the existing to the new configuration of Learning Disability Supported Living (Domiciliary care) services.

This is deemed to be a Key Decision and the provisions of Standing Order No 25 have been complied with.