Local housing strategies for people with learning disabilities: Creating a plan that survives its publication

The White Paper on learning disability has asked housing and social services to work together to expand housing, care and support options. The DoH and ODPM have recently issued new joint guidance. Learning disability partnership boards have been asked to develop local housing strategies for people with learning disabilities by the winter of 2002/3. Several authorities have already completed work on housing strategies for people with learning disabilities. This article is about one of these, recently published by Southdown Housing and West Sussex County Council: the preparation of the strategy, some comments on strategic planning in the public sector and ideas which might benefit other authorities engaged with their own local housing strategies.