Graeme Jackson,
Head of Investment and Development
Advance Housing and Support
Despite analysis by the Local Government Association showing that investing £1.6 billion in supported housing would reap savings of over £3.4 billion to the public purse, not to mention the human and social benefits of a successfully funded care sector, no additional support or investment in supported living provision has so far been outlined by the new government.
Advance supports more than 3,500 individuals with disabilities and mental health conditions through a range of services. We’re one of the most robust support providers in the sector, with over 50 years of experience. But just last year, one in three providers of supported housing were forced to close schemes, and even established providers aren’t immune to the effects of an increasingly difficult financial landscape.
Potential care providers who could help plug gaps in the demand for housing and support are being deterred from pushing forward with new schemes and services due to the lack of a long-term plan for supporting this vital sector.
Unsuitable settings
If individuals needing support can’t access quality services, they’re more likely to end up in hospital settings. This results in people with mental health issues being left in units that worsen their condition, those with learning disabilities who find living with others difficult being stuck in shared accommodation, and autistic individuals finding themselves unable to cope in unsuitable surroundings.
We need to do more to get people back into their communities. But we also need to ensure that when people are moved out of those hospital settings, the holistic support they need is there. Currently, due to lack of investment and reluctance by providers to enter into new supported living projects, the chance of readmittance to hospitals is much higher – and the cycle begins again.
Independence is key
We know that supported housing can reduce the likelihood that residents will go to hospital or residential care, as well as reduce re-admissions. What we also know is that, to the people we support, independence is key. Coming from family homes or shared accommodation, customers want their own front door, but with support.
Our HOLD (Home Ownership for people with Long-term Disabilities) shared ownership scheme, which allows people to choose a home on the open market with Advance supporting with the process, has an increasingly large waiting list. The demand and desire for this type of supported living is clearly there. More funding for projects like this would not only provide more permanent, aspirational housing solutions, but protect the public purse by keeping people in their own homes and communities.
A long-sighted plan for supported living is needed. While costs to support our sector are substantial, we need the government to understand that the savings reaped by funding and investment in care services make it a sector that must be prioritised – in terms of both human and financial costs to the country. Preventing hospitalisation, emergency care, homelessness and strain on mental health services – supported living is critical to it all and will become more so as demand increases.
Looking ahead
Research from The Learning Disability and Autism Housing Network shows that without additional funding, England faces a shortfall of up to 17,000 homes for people with a learning disability and that investment of £3.9 billion is needed over the next 15 years. Increased funding is needed to tackle the shortfall in supply versus increasing demand, much of which will come from the high number of individuals currently living with family and friends – which is unsustainable as those carers age and are no longer able to provide that support.
There’s no denying huge investment is needed, but our hope is that the government will see past the initial figures and recognise the societal, human and financial benefits that we as a sector provide, not least saving the public purse £12,000 to £15,000 per person, per year.
Collaboration is also key. We need the government to work with housing and support agencies to identify opportunities for land suitable for new schemes, near to local amenities and embedded in communities. More support for homeownership and attracting registered providers to that market would also be hugely welcome – providing more choice and opportunity for people with learning disabilities to own their own home.
Social care needs to be funded in a way that is affordable and consistent. We need long-term funding and understanding of our contributions. Our hope for customers and society is that the government will have a well-funded outline for the next housing programme as part of the spring spending review, if not before.
