Adult Care, Housing and Public Health Market Position Statement: Adult Care Market and Demand

Key messages for the market

• Both the learning disability and autism offer has begun to transform following the creation and the release of the All Age - Autism Strategy and the Learning Disability Strategy. Both were co-produced with Rotherham people. The aim is for all autistic people and people with a learning disability to live a full and rich life, and access services that promote independence.
• Locally the Learning Disability Strategy builds on the principles of Building the Right Support and focuses on quality provision that supports people on their individual progression pathway towards greater independence. It covers 6 main priorities:
  • Provide accessible information and advice to support making informed choices.
  • Strengthen the voice of the person.
  • Support young people with care and support needs to prepare for adulthood (in line with the Adult Social Care strategy.
  • Provide needs led support.
  • Provide more opportunities for care and support closer to home.
  • Provide more meaningful opportunities.
• The Council’s All Age Autism Strategy (2024-27), based on national guidance, builds on the previous 2020-24 strategy and focuses on 4 main areas in a coproduction approach:
  • Support young people with care and support needs to prepare for adulthood.
  • Tackling health and care inequalities for autistic people and provide more opportunities for care and support closer to home.
  • Provide accessible information and advice to support making informed choices
  • Provide needs led support. 
• The Council is adopting the Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) approach to commissioning. Both strategies give a clear steer that people with a learning disability and autistic people want services which are connected to their communities and are strength-based. The Council is keen to work with providers with a similar outlook. The Council’s Flexible Purchasing Systems for Supported Living and Community Support Options embeds this in practice.
• All providers who wish to develop supported living in Rotherham must: a) Apply and join the Council’s Flexible Purchasing System for supported living. b) Ensure that they have an RSL who is compliant with the social housing regulator.
• Key drivers in the development of services for people with learning disabilities and autism nationally are identified in the national plan - Building the Right Support (2015) and Building the Right Home (2016). Following on from the Winterbourne View scandal, BRS advocated that people should be supported in ‘homes not hospital’ and secondly that in the community people should be supported in the least restrictive setting and by the least restrictive model of support. The ethos of BRS (2015) around reducing numbers in hospital settings has embedded a very person centred, outcome focused, progression approach within both the Learning Disability and Autism commissioning that is evident in the two strategies. The Council wishes to build on this further and develop services that meet the changing expectations of individual adults and their families.
• The Council wishes to work with developers and support providers to develop appropriate community accommodation to support people in the least restrictive settings. Assistive technology has many possible applications within this field and we are keen to develop these.
• Local demand has identified that, on average, the Borough will require 12 new supported living units each year over the next 10 years (source: South Yorkshire Housing Market Positioning Statement 2022). In addition, the Council commissions a range of accommodation and support options such as Shared Lives and outreach into people’s homes, and the Council is looking to develop these and other options such as Extra Care Housing to reduce the numbers in residential settings both in and out of area.
• The Council encourages new shared lives carers to register and to utilise shared lives as an alternative to residential care and bed-based respite.
• The Council aims to have a clear offer of the services that are available for young people transitioning to adult services with complex needs.
• The Council is keen to expand and increase timely planning for the provision of services and accommodation for the preparing for adulthood cohort. This aim will ensure that future support is ready for when a person reaches 18 years of age and that the move to adult provisions are smooth, effective transitions for all.
• All day opportunities should promote social inclusion and social value with a focus on utilising micro and social enterprises to support people to access opportunities in their community. Where appropriate opportunities for work like or work-based opportunities are welcomed. A Flexible Purchase System for Community Opportunities and alternative respite will be commissioned in 2025.