Learning Disability Today
Supporting professionals working in learning disability and autism services

Cost and Cost-Effectiveness Issues in Learning Disabilities Social Care Provision.

David Roe

Laing and Buisson, 2011

This report has been written to expand on some of the cost and cost-effectiveness themes and issues relating to the provision of support for people with learning disabilities (concentrating on support for young adults), highlighted within a report commissioned from Laing and Buisson by the Department of Health: ‘Illustrative cost models in learning disabilities social care provision’.

Laing and Buisson was commissioned by the Valuing People Now team, within the Department of Health, to prepare the report, based on input from providers, recognising that there is a need to better understand the relative unit costs of different types of service and accommodation/support configuration, with a view to informing thinking about which approaches are more likely to be cost-effective.

Whereas that report described and illustrated the features of the main types of provision, through factual cost examples, with additional comments on economies ofscale, and limited comments on cost constraints and cost-effectiveness, it did not offer views or suggestions on improving cost-effectiveness or tackling the broader cost issues facing the sector. In particular, this report focuses on addressing a range of opportunities and concerns associated with:

  • Achieving further cost savings and greater efficiencies
  • Housing challenges, finance and funding issues, and market transformation
  • Improving effectiveness, quality, outcomes and value for money
  • Further development and deployment of costing/ entitlement models

This report aims to address some of these challenges, as a basis for discussion. The report draws on a range of provider, local authority, finance and other views from within the sector, as well as providing Laing and Buisson’s own ideas and perspective. Whilst this report cross references the other report, it must be emphasised that this is an independent report and has not been endorsed by the Department of Health.

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