Supported living

Supported living is a form of care and support mainly for younger adults with learning disabilities or mental health needs, within their own home or within specialist accommodation.

Accommodation is usually shared and care provision is often centred around personal care or supporting people to live as independently as possible. This can often be delivered flexibly to meet changing needs and is tailored to each person.

We commission supported living services from around 20 care providers. Most care providers are charities (some locally-based and some national). Cumberland Care also provides supported living.

Cumberland Care and three of the independent sector providers make up around 75% of the supported living market, with the remaining 25% delivered by smaller providers.

Provision is largely concentrated in Carlisle, with smaller presence elsewhere.

Market strengths:
Mixed market (small, local providers, national charities and Cumberland Care).
Integration of people supported into the community, increasing their quality of life.

Market pressures and opportunities:
Limited capacity in suitable accommodation models to meet accommodation needs (for example, detached properties with own front door, noise abatement space, single floored accommodation without stairs).
Local sufficiency pressure in specialist provision which has led to out of area placements.
Limited availability of accommodation to support people with physical disabilities or sensory needs.
We are interested in the development of specialist supported living environments, housing led solutions aligned to care provision; and expansion beyond current geographic concentration.