Residential Care vs Supported Living?

Residential Care   vs  Supported Living: created by parents

This link on the Residential Forum highlights the debate starting on the createdbyparents website about what is better. The Residential Forum learning disability posts

As we see more risks of the loss of real lives in the community with the rise and rise of blocks of flats in the name of ‘supported living’, this debate is important. Is this so-called supported living really under the control of the tenant as we would all expect in our own home or is it actually controlled by the commissioner and/or provider? Is it unregistered care?

In their piece on residential or supported living, createdbyparents.com look at what poor care can be in either setting and wonder if in the drive by commissioners to get more people living in their own tenancies the motivation is now become financial rather than for the person’s best. They see people being forced out of their residential care into supported living and wonder whether there’s not a better life and protection for people with more complex needs in good residential care.

This is a debate which needs to run – and we need to influence commissioners about best practice and real personalised care whatever the setting. What’s happened to learning from our experience and commissioners once again properly partnering with providers as well as families to together get it more right?

In our adult social care conference in Manchester which took place on 14th November, Belinda Schwehr looked at some of the legal issues raised about whether some supported housing is actually care and housing controlled by a care provider or the commissioner of care services now, and hence should be registered. We’ll be reporting on this conference in our Spring issue…