Developing Housing with Care and Support for Working Age Adults (18–64)
WCC welcomes early engagement with developers, registered housing providers and investors seeking to develop accommodation-based support opportunities for adults with disabilities, mental health needs and autistic adults. However, proposals should align with Warwickshire's strategic commissioning priorities and identified areas of need. The Council is focused on working with its existing provider market to address gaps in provision, improve outcomes and increase local sufficiency, rather than increasing the number of care and support providers operating within the market.
Key messages for developers and registered housing providers
- WCC has an established Working Age Adults (WAA) Framework for supported living, short breaks and respite, and day opportunities, which runs until 2033. Care and support services for Working Age Adults are commissioned through these existing arrangements.
- WCC is not currently seeking to increase the number of supported living providers or reopen the WAA Framework. The Council has a diverse and established provider base and is focused on working with existing providers to develop and strengthen provision.
- Any new housing with care and support developments intended for Working Age Adults should be designed on the basis that care and support will be delivered through an existing WAA Framework provider. Developers and registered housing providers are encouraged to engage with framework providers at an early stage of scheme development.
- The development of new accommodation does not create an expectation that Warwickshire County Council will commission care and support within a scheme. Any future care and support arrangements must align with the Council's commissioning and contractual arrangements in place at the time.
- Warwickshire is particularly interested in proposals that help address identified gaps in provision, including accessible and adapted accommodation, housing solutions for autistic adults, accommodation linked to mental health support, transition provision for young adults, and opportunities that reduce reliance on out-of-county placements.
- We will share more specific Housing with Care and Support accommodation gaps and requirements with the market through the Housing with Care and Support Needs Assessment, which will set out future accommodation requirements in more detail.
- All developments should support the Council's strengths-based and enablement approach, promoting independence, choice, control, community inclusion and positive outcomes for people who draw on support.
What we are looking for
We are interested in working with housing partners and developers who can help deliver the right accommodation, in the right locations, for the right people. Our priority is not expansion of care and support providers, but ensuring existing and future accommodation-based support is aligned to evidenced need, delivers high-quality outcomes and supports people to live independently within their local communities