Articles

Autism adult services: preparing for CQC inspection on housing and supported living environments

CQC scrutiny of supported living environments focuses on suitability, safety, rights and whether providers use restriction to compensate for poor design. This article explains how to prepare operationally for inspection,...

Autism adult services: auditing housing suitability and environment outcomes

Providers and commissioners need more than anecdotal claims that a property is “suitable”. This article sets out how adult autism services audit housing suitability and environment outcomes using structured checks,...

Autism adult services: balancing independence and safety in supported living design

Providers are often pressured to promote independence while managing significant risk. This article explains how adult autism services balance independence and safety through housing and environment design, using practical examples,...

Autism adult services: safeguarding risks linked to housing and environment

Housing and environment design can unintentionally create safeguarding risks for autistic adults, including isolation, exploitation and harm. This article explains how providers identify and manage safeguarding risks linked to supported...

Autism adult services: commissioning and funding realities in housing and supported living

Housing and supported living decisions in adult autism services are shaped by commissioning pressures, funding routes and market constraints. This article explains how providers operate credibly within these realities, evidence...

Autism adult services: working with housing providers and landlords in supported living

Supported living outcomes often depend on how well providers work with housing partners, landlords and managing agents. This article sets out practical ways to build strong housing partnerships, resolve property...

Autism adult services: preventing placement breakdown through environment design

Placement breakdown in adult autism services is often driven by environmental mismatch rather than support failure. This article explains how providers use housing and environment design to prevent breakdown, reduce...

Autism adult services: environmental risk assessment in supported living

Environmental risks in supported living are often hidden in plain sight and mislabelled as behavioural issues. This article explains how adult autism providers carry out meaningful environmental risk assessments, integrate...

Autism adult services: matching housing models to individual support needs

Placement breakdown often occurs when housing models are selected for availability rather than suitability. This article explains how providers and commissioners match housing and supported living models to individual autism...

Autism adult services: designing supported living environments that reduce distress

Poorly designed housing environments frequently drive distress, restrictive practice and placement breakdown in adult autism services. This article explains how providers design supported living environments that actively reduce sensory overload,...

Social Inclusion With Safety: Managing Community Risk Without Restrictive Practice

Social inclusion only works when it is safe, planned, and sustained — not when people are “sent out” with unrealistic expectations. This article explains how services can build community participation...

Sustaining Tenancies: Mental Health Housing Support That Prevents Eviction

Tenancy breakdown is rarely “sudden” in mental health services — warning signs are usually visible weeks earlier. This article sets out how providers can deliver structured tenancy sustainment support, align...

From Isolation to Belonging: Tackling Loneliness in Mental Health Services

Loneliness is a major driver of mental ill health, relapse, and crisis use, yet it is often under-addressed in care planning. This article explores how services can identify, respond to,...

Employment as Recovery: Supporting Mental Health Through Meaningful Work

Employment is a powerful recovery tool in mental health, but poorly designed support can increase risk and exclusion. This article explains how services can deliver safe, staged employment support that...

Social Inclusion in Mental Health: Rebuilding Community Connection and Belonging

Social isolation is both a driver and consequence of mental illness, and it undermines recovery even when clinical support is strong. This article sets out how services can deliver structured...

Housing Stability as Mental Health Recovery: Tenancy Sustainment in Practice

Stable housing is a core determinant of mental health outcomes, yet tenancy breakdown is often treated as a “housing issue” rather than a recovery risk. This article explains how adult...

Supporting People With Mental Illness Into Work Without Creating Harm

Employment can support recovery, but poorly designed approaches risk relapse and disengagement. This article examines how services can support people into work safely, ethically, and in line with commissioning and...

Employment as Recovery: Supporting Mental Health Through Meaningful Work

Meaningful employment plays a critical role in mental health recovery, offering structure, purpose, and social connection. This article explores how employment-focused support improves outcomes, reduces system dependency, and aligns with...

From Hostels to Homes: Designing Housing Pathways for People with Mental Illness

Temporary accommodation and hostels often fail to meet the needs of people with mental illness. This article explores how structured housing pathways support recovery, reduce risk, and align with commissioning...

Balancing Safety and Homeliness in Supported Living Design: What Commissioners Look For

How to design supported living environments that are safe, regulatory-compliant and PBS-informed — without feeling clinical or institutional.

Outdoor Spaces in Supported Living: Gardens, Balconies and Safe Access to the Community

Why thoughtful outdoor design in supported living is essential for wellbeing, sensory regulation and community inclusion — with practical ideas commissioners like to see in bids.

Designing Communal Areas in Supported Living: Balancing Social Connection and Personal Space

A practical guide to creating supported living communal spaces that promote independence, reduce overwhelm and strengthen positive relationships.

Designing Bedrooms in Supported Living: Calm, Safe and Personal Spaces

How to design supported living bedrooms that balance safety, sensory needs, comfort and personal identity — without becoming clinical or restrictive.

The Role of Assistive Technology in Supported Living Housing Design

A practical guide to using assistive technology to improve independence, safety and outcomes in supported living — without creating a “tech-heavy” or institutional feel.

Designing Supported Living Homes for Autism: Sensory-Smart Environments That Work

Practical guidance on creating autism-friendly supported living environments — lighting, noise control, zoning, predictability and personalisation.

Location, Location, Outcomes: Choosing Neighbourhoods for Supported Living

Why the neighbourhood around a supported living home matters as much as the building — with practical tips on balancing accessibility, safety, friendships and independence.

Shared House or Self-Contained Flat? Choosing the Right Supported Living Property

How to decide between shared houses, clustered flats and single-occupancy supported living — with practical pointers on compatibility, PBS, risk and long-term outcomes.

Quiet, Calm and Safe: Sensory-Friendly Housing for Autistic Adults in Supported Living

A practical guide to creating sensory-friendly supported living environments for autistic adults, from noise and light to predictability, routines and safe retreat spaces.

Designing Supported Living Homes Around People, Not Buildings

A practical guide to creating sensory-friendly supported living environments for autistic adults, from noise and light to predictability, routines and safe retreat spaces.