“ A vision for care fit for the twenty-first century…”

This is the final report from the Commission on Residential Care (CORC) – a group of academics, experts and practitioners, chaired by Paul Burstow MP, who have over the past year examined a range of evidence and consulted a number of experts and practitioners in the UK and abroad regarding the future of residential care for disabled and older people.

The Commission first of all set out to create a vision for housing with care in a twenty-first-century care system, not bound by existing definitions of ‘residential care’ or ‘care home’ but based on a new offer (or range of offers) of housing with care, broadly defined, which can deliver the outcomes people want and value. This vision includes older and disabled people.

Its second task was to set out how the existing housing with care offer could change to deliver this vision, across financial, operational, governance and cultural aspects of care – drawing on existing good practice at home and abroad.

Throughout this report, ‘residential care’ is referred to as ‘housing with care’ and used to encapsulate the entire spectrum of options, from care homes to extra-care villages and supported living apartments. This choice of terminology was based on the evidence the Commission heard relating to the negative perceptions associated with the term ‘residential care’; the confusion between this and the term ‘care home’; and the need the Commission recognises to separate the ‘what’ (the care and support people need) from the ‘where’ this care is delivered (which should involve a freer choice of housing to meet individual preferences). The Commission felt the term ‘housing with care’ better described the sector as a housing option first and foremost, with a care package attached.

The Commission set out from the position that housing with care remains a vital option in a modern health and care system, and that for some people, delivering care in a residential setting has unique advantages over other forms of care, enabling them to lead lives that are not just better supported, but also more fulfilling and engaged. Disabled and older people need a full range of housing and care options to choose from. For those who choose it, the right housing with care option can offer both better value for money and a high quality, empowering service.

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