Quality is up my street: The quality of housing services for and with people with learning disabilities

This report by the NDTi explores what is important to different groups in terms of the types of housing decisions available. Collating the views of commissioners and housing service providers, it aims to provide evidence to support more informed decision-making by commissioners in this area and to gain a better understanding of what matters to people in terms of their housing and support.

Key learning points cited were:

1. Commissioners and service providers agreed on what a quality service should look like: affordable, values led, personalised, with choice, flexibility, good staff, community links and the involvement of the person and their family in all aspects of service delivery.
2. Service providers and commissioners in our survey prioritised choice, good support and community links.
3. Service providers emphasised the importance of compatibility and matching – of housemates and support staff.
4. Barriers to quality for commissioners and service providers are costs, affordability, lack of time and limited resources, including suitable housing and staff.
5. Commissioners and service providers want to work together on quality issues, in partnership with people with learning disability and their families.