Other Resources
These resources are a range of policy papers, toolkits and opinion pieces relating to housing and support for people with learning disabilities.
The following selection of reports can be downloaded directly from this website.
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Illustrative Cost Models in Learning Disabilities Social Care Provision
This report by healthcare intelligence provider Laing & Buisson says that financial pressures on local authority budgets and an alarming shortage of housing stock will jeopardise the provision of support for adults with learning disabilities.
Download Illustrative Cost Models in Learning Disabilities Social Care ProvisionPDF
| Size: 1420 KB | Publication Date: May 2011
Using the Law to Fight Cuts
A practical guide to using the law to challenge cuts to care services written by Kate Whittaker, a solicitor from Irwin Mitchell solicitors in Sheffield and Steve Broach, a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers.
Download Using the law to fight cuts to disabled people's servicesPDF
| Size: 192 KB | Publication Date: April 2011
Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Circular
The Department of Works and Pensions has produced guidance to clarify that Housing Benefit claims can be made where there is an unsigned tenancy.
Download Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit CircularPDF
| Size: 83 KB | Publication Date: March 2011
Briefing: Affordable Homes Framework
Sitra have produced a helpful briefing that gives an analysis of what the new Affordable Homes Framework means for supported housing.
Download Briefing: Affordable Homes FrameworkPDF
| Size: 112 KB | Publication Date: March 2011
Affordable Homes Framework
This document is published jointly by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and the Homes and Communities Agency. The Affordable Homes Programme is designed to support the delivery of up to 150,000 new affordable homes through a mixture of new investment (some £4.5bn over the next four years) and greater flexibility for social housing providers to make the best use of existing and future assets.
Download Affordable Homes Programme - FrameworkPDF
| Size: 473 KB | Publication Date: February 2011
Feeling Settled
Feeling Settled is a guide to moving from residential care to supported living. Feeling Settled describes how different agencies and people need to be involved and makes sure people with learning disabilities are at the centre of the planning all the time.
Download Feeling SettledPDF
| Size: 600 KB | Publication Date: February 2011
Joint Strategic Needs Assessment: Vulnerable Adults, Housing and Support
The Local Government Improvement and Development's Healthy Communities Programme have published this report that provides examples of how local councils and their health partners are addressing some of the challenges in undertaking the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment process.
Download Joint Strategic Needs Assessment: Vulnerable Adults, Housing and SupportPDF
| Size: 405 KB | Publication Date: December 2010
National Protocol on Ordinary Residence
The Association for Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS) published a helpful protocol on ordinary residence : National Protocol on Ordinary Residence Arrangements for People Moving Between Local Authority Areas.
Download
National Protocol on Ordinary ResidenceDOC
| Size: 515 KB | Publication Date: October 2010
Supported Living - Making the Move
Supported Living - Making the Move looks at the opportunities and barriers people with learning disabilities, families and professionals face in enabling people to have their own homes and real choice and control in their lives.
Download
Supported Living - Making the MovePDF
| Size: 291 KB | Publication Date: September 2010
The Real Tenancy Test
The Real Tenancy Test gives providers of supported living a framework for ensuring that tenants with learning disabilities are experiencing the rights and control that all tenants should.
Download
The Real Tenancy TestPDF
| Size: 545 KB | Publication Date: September 2010
The Autism Strategy for England
The National Autistic Society has an excellent page on the implications of The Autism Strategy | Publication Date: March 2010
Hands Off It's My Home! A Path to Citzenship
Hands Off It's My Home! A Path to Citizenship is a successful toolkit
for auditing support to people with learning disabilities and developing an
outcomes-based action plan for Citizenship. The toolkit is now being used
by support providers and local authorities across the country.
Originally published in June 2008, it was updated in January 2010 to reflect
the coming changes in the Care Quality Commission regulations and standards,
and to reflect the concept of 'Real Wealth' which will help support workers
understand the breadth of their role. It also now has more links to information
that will assist improvement and contains contact details.
The toolkit can be used to ensure support providers (domiciliary care, supported
living and housing related) can fully understand the impact on freedoms and
citizenship that anything other than the best quality of support will have
on people with learning disabilities.
Download
Hands Off It's My Home! - GuidancePDF
| Size: 311 KB | Updated: January 2010
Download
Hands Off It's My Home! - ChecklistDOC
| Size: 272 KB | Updated: January 2010
Download
Hands Off It's My Home! - Action PlanDOC
| Size: 61 KB | Updated: January 2010
Download
Hands Off It's My Home! - What to expect from your support workersDOC
| Size: 2510 KB | Updated: January 2010
Download
Hands Off It's My Home! - Introduction InformationDOC
| Size: 924 KB | Updated: January 2010
Sam Sly, author of, Hands Off It's My Home!, is available for training days via Housing Options. Please contact us if you would like to know more details or about forthcoming courses - enquiries@housingoptions.org.uk or 0845 456 1497.
Employment and Support Allowance - The Medical Tests
The new benefit for people unable to work because of disability or illness,
Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) , will be familiar to many readers
because it shares a lot of features both with Income Support and, in its
non-means-tested form, with Incapacity Benefit.
However, the tests applicants have to pass to be eligible for ESA are very
different from the old tests for Incapacity benefit. On the one hand, they
do look more at the type of social functioning difficulties that people
may have and so are more sensitive to the problems faced by a lot of people
with learning disabilities; on the other hand there are two different phases
of the claim that make it unlike any past benefits.
The Disability Alliance have produced a factsheetthat
gives a good resume of the current system | Publication Date: July 2009
The Impact of Choice Based Lettings on the Access of Vulnerable Adults to Social Housing
Getting the offer of a tenancy from the council's list these days is mainly through the 'Choice-based lettings' system. Does it work for people with learning disabilities? What drawbacks are there? What good practice is there? This report from CSIP's Housing LIN that looks at this.
Download
The Impact of Choice Based Lettings on the Access of Vulnerable Adults
to Social HousingPDF
| Size: 116 KB | Publication Date: February 2009
Valuing People Now and Housing for People with Learning Disabilities
This recent report from CSIP's Housing LIN goes into detail about the housing issues covered by the recent Valuing People report.
Download
Valuing People Now and Housing for People with Learning DisabilitiesPDF
| Size 152 KB | Publication Date: February 2009
Housing Benefit and Supported Accommodation
Never an easy topic, this is now even more complex after various Upper Tribunal
test cases have made decisions on various aspects of what type of supported
housing schemes can attract what level of rent payment through Housing Benefit.
This circular is the recent DWP guidance to housing benefit officials, and
is a comprehensive guide to how things stand at the moment. It also gives
synopses of the various test cases, so you don't have to read through the
whole Commissioners' decisions!
Download
Housing Benefit and Supported AccommodationPDF
| Size 108 KB | Publication Date: November 2008
The Private Rented Sector: It's Contribution and Potential
A report by the University of York and commissioned by the government around the future of the private rented sector (PRS).
Download
The Private Rented Sector: It's Contribution and PotentialPDF
| Size 4200 KB | Publication Date: October 2008
Evaluation of the Individual Budgets Pilot Programme: Final Report
The Individual Budgets pilot programme was a cross-government initiative led by the Department of Health working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions, and Communities and Local Government. The pilot was conducted over two years, 2006-2007, involving 13 local authorities.
Download
Evaluation of the Individual Budgets Pilot Programme: Final ReportPDF
| Size 5240 KB | Publication Date: October 2008
Commissioning Housing and Support for Health and Wellbeing
This report explains what housing-related services are and what funding streams and national programmes they sit within. It provides evidence that these services can offer cost-effective mechanisms for promoting health, independence and wellbeing; while reducing demand for costly services.
Download
Commissioning Housing and Support for Health and WellbeingPDF
| Size 644 KB | Publication Date: July 2008
People with Learning Disabilities in England
A report commissioned by Mencap and published by the Centre for Disability on the number of people with a learning disability in England.
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People with Learning Disabilities in EnglandPDF
| Size 572 KB | Publication Date: May 2008
A Life Like Any Other? Human Rights of Adults with Learning Disabilities
Seventh Report of the Joint Committee on Human Rights - Not the snappiest title, but this report is about people with learning disabilities in England and their position around human rights. Or, their lack of human rights.
Download
A Life Like Any Other? Human Rights of Adults with Learning DisabilitiesPDF
| Size 1333 KB | Publication Date: March 2008
Download
A Life Like Any Other? Human Rights of Adults with Learning Disabilities
- Easy Read SummaryPDF
| Size 2754 KB | Publication Date: March 2008
Choice Based Letting Guides
Valuing People produced a series of documents to help people with learning disabilities better access Choice Based Lettings.
The Choice Based Lettings guide gives the basics of Choice Based Lettings and how people with learning disabilities can be supported to access schemes. The guide can be adapted for local use. Please let us know if you need a word version.
Download
Choice Based LettingsPDF
| Size 449 KB | Publication Date: February 2008
Making Choice Based Lettings Work for People with Learning Disabilities is a guide for providers. It gives councils and Choice Based Lettings schemes a guide to the types of things that need to be in place so that people with learning disabilities can access the schemes.
Download Making Choice Based Lettings Work for People with Learning DisabilitiesPDF
| Size 190 KB | Publication Date: February 2008
Choice Based Lettings and People with Learning Disabilities, this report is the outcome of a study into how Choice Based Letting Schemes have actually worked for people with learning disabilities so far in England. The study looked at a cross section of local authorities and schemes and used a mystery shopping exercise. The report shares good practice with practical examples of how to make schemes work for people with learning disabilities.
Download Choice Based Lettings and People with Learning DisabilitiesPDF
| Size 172 KB | Publication Date: February 2008
Private Sector Leasing Scheme for People with Learning Difficulties in Norfolk
In the push for more housing opportunities for people with learning disabilities,
there have to be ways to tap what's out there in the private sector. As
the statistics show us, the social care sector and public landlords will
only be able to cater for a proportion of those wanting to move to independent
living.
A recent report by West Norfolk council gives details of how they helped
to set up a private sector leasing scheme through Saffron Housing Association,
using properties owned by private landlords.
Download
Private Sector Leasing Scheme for People with Learning Difficulties
in NorfolkPDF
| Size 128 KB | Publication Date: January 2008
Research into the Financial Benefits of the Supporting People Programme
A research project by the Department of Communities and Local Government.
Download
Research into the Financial Benefits of the Supporting People ProgrammePDF
| Size 311 KB | Publication Date: January 2008
State of Social Care in England 2006-07
The Commission for Social Care Inspection's 3rd annual report on the State of Social Care.
Download
State of Social Care in England 2006-07PDF
| Size 722 KB | Publication Date: January 2008
Services for People with Learning Disability and Challenging Behaviour or Mental Health Needs
A Government report that proposes an ambitious vision for improving the life chances of disabled people.
Download
Services for People with Learning Disability and Challenging Behaviour
or Mental Health NeedsPDF
| Size 350 KB | Publication Date: October 2007
Housing Provision and the Mental Capacity Act 2005
What does the law say about people whose mental capacity is limited when making decisions about housing? This report, from CSIP's Housing Learning & Information Network, is a useful and detailed summary of the way the Mental Capacity Act and other pieces of law interact, and how people with limited capacity fit into all this.
Download
Housing Provision and the Mental Capacity Act 2005PDF
| Size 183 KB | Publication Date: May 2007
Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation in England
This publication is aimed at tenants who live in a House in Multiple Occupation (HMO). The booklet explains more about HMOS, which HMOs are required to be licensed and what other if any responsibilities there are in relation to the management of HMOs.
Download
Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation in EnglandPDF
| Size 320 KB | Publication Date: April 2007
National Statistics: Adults with Learning Difficulties in England 2003/4
A statistical report.
Download
National Statistics: Adults with Learning Difficulties in England 2003/4PDF
| Size 9609 KB | Publication Date: September 2005
Independence, Well Being and Choice
The Department of Health's vision for the future of social care for adults in England.
Download
Independence, Well Being and ChoicePDF
| Size 929 KB | Publication Date: March 2005
Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People
A Government report that proposes an ambitious vision for improving the life chances of disabled people.
Download
Improving the Life Chances of Disabled PeoplePDF
| Size 1184 KB | Publication Date: January 2005
National Housing Federation: Level Threshold
A booklet produced by the National Housing Federation.
Download
National Housing Federation: Level ThresholdPDF
| Size 770 KB | Publication Date: September 2004
Housing Associations and Management Agents
Performance assessment framework for Housing Associations working with managing agents. Produced by the Housing Corporation.
Download Housing Associations and Management AgentsPDF
| Size 337 KB | Publication Date: July 2004
Charter for Housing Association Applicants and Tenants
A charter produced by the Housing Corporation.
Download Charter for Housing Association Applicants and TenantsPDF
| Size 275 KB | Publication Date: August 2003
Care Home Standards
The Commission for Social Care's Care Home Standards.
Download
Care Home StandardsPDF
| Size: 352 KB | Publication Date: February 2003
Domiciliary Care Standards
The Commission for Social Care's National Minimum Standards.
Download Domiciliary Care StandardsPDF
| Size 248 KB | Publication Date: February 2003
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