Future need and demand for supported accommodation for people with learning disabilities in England

Despite changes in the nature of supported accommodation services for people with learning disabilities, little progress was made during the '70s, '80s and '90s in addressing the extent of unmet need. While the advent of Supporting People has more recently led to an increase in the volume of provision, unmet need continues to be a major concern to people with learning disabilities and their families. There is good reason to believe that, as a result of changes in the demographic profile of people with learning disabilities, changes in expectations and changes in the pattern of informal care, this issue will become substantially more pressing over the coming two decades. This paper attempts to estimate the nature and extent of increased need.